East Valley Rugby Team Gears Up for Spring Season

Keep the game simple.

That's the motto of East Valley Rugby Football Club Head Coach Johnny Muelken, a veteran player with more than three decades of experience on the rugby pitch.

Since February, Muelken and the 30 members of the East Valley Spartans have been running drills and conditioning at and an indoor sports facility in preparation for the 2012 season. The team, part of the Minnesota Rugby Football Union, draws high school students from across School District 196 and competes against other Tier II teams in the region, including Robbinsdale, St. Paul and Brooklyn Center.

The vast majority of the team members are relatively new to rugby, which is why Muelken avoids the nitty-gritty mechanics of rugby and focuses instead on team-building and the basics of the game.

“You can overload them with information because there are a lot of rules in rugby, but as soon as you can get them to use their athleticism and play without thinking so much, that's when you can just see the progress," Muelken said. “If you get them thinking too much about that, they’re not thinking about finding open space and running the ball."

Muelken's approach seems to be working for the Spartans, who since the team's inception in 2005 have had several second- and third-place finishes in the state championship.

Team Administrator Rick Oestreich gives a lot of the credit for the team's success to the players—but the single biggest factor is Muelken's coaching, Oestreich believes.

“He is tremendous, in my mind, at making that connection with a young adult and being able to show them how to play this sport," Oestreich said. "He has a lot of skill, and he’s able to translate and communicate that skill to the kids in a way that I think has been really successful."

Oestreich and Muelken plan to capitalize on the team's speed and strong defensive play during the team's six regular season games this year. The pair will also look to more experienced players like Arshan Tarapore and Charlie Kyle to lead the Spartans this spring, Oestreich added.

But Muelken also hopes the team will bond and form lasting friendships over its relatively short season.

"You've got to care about each other as teammates, because that’s part of what makes it fun," Muelken said. "By the end of the season, these guys really get tight, in just the eight to 10 weeks they’re together."

The camaraderie and physcality of the game attracts East Valley players Eric Boateng and Jack Kosidowski.

Boateng, who grew up in London, England, searched for a rugby club after moving to Apple Valley in 2007. Both he and Kosidowski, who attends want to have a competitive season, but also said they look forward to the social aspect of the team.

"I'm a little guy, and I’m scrappy, and I love hitting dudes, but I love the camaraderie too," said Kosidowski, who plays outside center on the team. "I want to win a lot of games, I want to get to know these guys a lot better, I want to get to know the sport."

Click here for more information about the team. The Spartans' first game this season is on April 13 against Robbinsdale.

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