Learn more about the coaches and philosophy of Elmhurst Rugby
A player-centered approach that aims to develop the athlete in both competition and life
| Coaches | Philosophy |
Coach Nick
Head Coach
Nick was a collegiate track sprinter who trained under three Olympians. He began playing rugby in the 1990s when abroad in Scotland. Given his background in track and football, Nick was recruited to play for a couple international clubs as rugby began to professionalize in Europe. He later returned to play rugby across the U.S. and was a collegiate sprint coach for a period of time, training a few All-Americans and one future NFL running back. Nick earned his PhD and was a practicing psychologist for several years, including the field of sports psychology, and taught as an adjunct faculty.
Coach Mike McCarthy
Assistant Head Coach
Mike was involved with rugby for the last 20 years in Ireland and the U.K. He brings formidable recent experience to the table both as an athlete and coach. Mike played for his school, club and later the prestigious rugby school, University College Cork (UCC). He also coached at various age levels, for youth at his home club of Tralee RFC and the collegiate level with both UCC and University of Limerick (UL) where he made three national finals and earned one national title. Mike works in the field of instructional design.
Coach Ed O'Connor
Head Coach of Middle
Ed, a collegiate athlete in both football and baseball, has been coaching various sports since 1995, including football and baseball at both the youth and high-school levels. Currently, Ed coaches basketball, volleyball, cross country and track at Sandburg Middle School where he has been teaching science and math since 2004. He has been an assistant coach for Elmhurst Rugby since 2016.
Coach Nick Alvarado
Assistant Coach
Nick began playing rugby while attending Loyola University Chicago. AFter graduating, he pursued a career in the EMS / Fire Service. It was while he was studying to become a paramedic that he joined the Chicago Blue Rugby Club. Nick has been a member for 6 years and now serves as the Club's President. In his daily life, Nick puts a strong emphasis on health and fitness. He incorporates power lifting and circuit training into his daily regimen. Nick is currently a firefighter and paramedic with the Village of Schaumburg.
Coach Brad
Assistant Coach
Briefly, Brad attended and had a very successful rugby career at the United States Naval Academy, losing one year in the Rugby National Championsip to Cal Golden Bears. Brad came back after graduation and served as assistant coach at the Naval Academy.
Full Biography Coming Soon
Coaching Pillars
We value recruiting and developing the highest quality coaches to train our young athletes. Our coaches are selected based on the following four pillars we deem quintessential for every successful coach. The first two pillars of Toughness and Warmth reference the interpersonal style adopted by coaches with their young athletes. The second two pillars of Competence and Humility reference the personal qualities of the coach.
Toughness
Discipline, mental toughness, resilience, respect, and a desire for self-improvemnet are traits born from coaches that establish expectations and model such traits. We encourage our athletes to become a better version of themselves both in rugby and life - to excel beyond their perceived limits and accept momentary losses not with despair but as a challenge to work harder.
Warmth
You cannot simply push an athlete to perform better. You must lead them down the path to success, which requires an understanding of their motivations and personal goals. Toughness absent warmth is an equation for failure and burnout. The athletes of good youth coaches recognize the priority is individual improvement over victory itself - that winning is a byproduct of maximal effort and accomplished potential.
Competence
An intimate knowledge of the game, how it is played, and how it should be coached at various age levels are all strengths of Elmhurst Rugby. More importantly, our coaching staff are experienced educators in various capacities that understand the full specturm of developmental needs of youth in this age group. We also excel in our knowledge of instruction, ability to assess development to maximize motivation and potential, as well as a desire to coach the individual and not just the athlete.
Humility
We take great pride in securing the best coaches. Perhaps the greatest quality of each Elmhurst coach, however, is their recognition that there is still more to learn and an innate desire to collaborate and improve themselves. This quality not only enhances the caliber of coaching we provide, but models a trait for our young athletes that is possessed by few professional athletes and adults with professional jobs outside of sports.