Blue Coat School Archives

April 27, 2022

Parent Max loved didi rugby so much she is now coaching classes

A didi rugby mother Max and her young son Nathan smile at the camera in their garden

Five-year-old Nathan has joined the long line of children from didi rugby Reading to have come through the didi age groups and decided to continue his rugby journey at a local didi partner club.

Having loved his didi sessions for three years, Nathan will now move up to tag rugby at Reading RFC and will take all of the skills and confidence he has learned with him.

But while he was enjoying his time at didi classes, his mum Max was enjoying it too.

So much so that when she was asked to stand in and help for one particular session, she decided to become a member of the didi rugby Reading coaching team soon after.

“Nathan and I have loved our time with didi rugby,” Max said.

“And that started from his very first trial session at Blue Coat School in Reading, when coach Clare was running the class.

Attention to detail

“They were giving stickers out to say well done to the kids at the end and Clare said it was also someone’s birthday…Nathan’s. I had not even mentioned it to her and that just showed how great their attention to detail was. I was sold at that moment and knew didi was for us.

“Nathan has loved it and worked his way through the age groups. He loves all of the coaches and you can tell Craig loves his job too because it comes out in his coaching.”

Max added: “Nathan is five now and has been coming to didi for three years. Not only does he love the fun side of things but he has learnt so many new skills, as well as the colours and numbers educational side of things too.

Sense of achievement

“I have recently decided to take a career break and when I was asked to help out at a didi session and really enjoyed it, I agreed to do a few more when Craig asked me to.

“I am still doing that and I love it. There’s a real sense of achievement for me. Kids come into a new session shy and holding a parent’s hand. Then to play a part in them enjoying themselves, running up to you as a coach and giving you a high-five is great to see. To see their growth in confidence is astonishing!”

Max will be coaching throughout the summer and will then help out when needed as the autumn term arrives.

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didi rugby is a family tradition for the Dearing family

Two boys, Jacob and Harrison Dearing, in a green and white top and a red top smile with a rugby ball

Harrison Dearing is carrying on the family tradition and is thriving at didi rugby classes.

The three-year-old is having great fun taking part in didi rugby Reading sessions at Highwood Primary School, following in the footsteps of his older brother.

Jacob Dearing (6) spent over two years in didi classes having got involved as a three-year-old himself.

Now, he has taken the skills and confidence he learned at didi and is putting it to good use in the minis structure at partner club Reading RFC.

A young boy in a green hoodie holds a 'player of the week' certificate aloft — Jacob Dearing

Whether Harrison will follow him when he becomes too old for didi classes remains to be seen. But for now, mum Karen is just happy they have both benefitted from what the didi classes offer.

“Jacob always loved running around when he was little and so we tried him at didi rugby after seeing it for the first time at a local fete.

Confidence blossomed

“His confidence quickly blossomed during classes at Blue Coat School, and the classes helped him to focus his energy too. The coaches’ approach was great.

“Jacob never really liked the warm-ups and would just watch for 5 or 10 minutes before joining in. But the coaches always coaxed him to get involved, with no pressure and, after a while, he just got stuck in straightaway.

“Now, Jacob has moved up, it has been great to see him playing at Reading RFC and he’s loving it. There have been lots of his didi class move up to Reading so he’s already got friends moving up with him.

“The other week he came to watch Harrison at didi and still joined in!

Family time for the Dearings

“Taking them has been something nice to do as a family too. We would all go to watch Jacob when he first started and, inevitably, when we had his younger brother Harrison, he wanted to join in too.

“Harrison loved getting involved in the Zoom sessions that didi did during lockdown and now he’s loving the classes in person.

A you g boy in a red tee-shirt and sun hat smiles while holding a rugby ball — Harrison Dearing

“He was shy to begin with but he loves getting involved and games like ‘foxes tails’ and the ‘obstacle course’.

“Both boys have loved collecting the coloured objects and taking them to the correct bucket. Harrison will count how many he’s got before he puts them in, providing colour recognition and numeracy in one!

“The boys have both loved their classes and their coaches. They are a really nice group of people at didi and have been great with both boys.”

Two boys in rugby shirts smile with rugby balls in their hands — Jacob (left) and Harrison Dearing

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Find a didi rugby class in Reading at Blue Coat School

Introduce your children to rugby at a young age with didi rugby classes at Blue Coat School in Reading. There are three age groups: 18 months to three years, three to four and four to six.

Our program is designed to get kids active, teach them new skills and improve their co-ordination, speed and balance. It will also help them learn social skills while they have lots of fun in a positive, safe and friendly environment.

These classes are ideal for children living in: Caversham, Sonning, Sonning Common, Kidmore End, Sonning Eye, Dunsden Green, Mapledurham, Chazey Heath, Tokers Green, Chalkhouse Green, Cane End, Twyford, Woodley, Reading, Play Hatch.