Hidden Gems: Meet Erin Kennedy of Girls Rugby

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Kennedy.

Erin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in a small town in northeast Pennsylvania called Jim Thorpe. I was immediately drawn to sports and spent my time playing softball, basketball, running cross country, and doing anything active. I pursued my undergraduate degree from Marywood University in Clinical Psychology with a double major in Spanish. Unsure of exactly what I wanted to do, I made the trek across the country to pursue my passion for sports and performance psychology at the University of Denver. I earned my Master’s degree at DU and wanted to help improve sporting experiences for children by building better programs and coaching education.

I started my career following graduate school at USA Rugby, where I managed various youth programs as the Youth Development Manager. One of the major programs that I developed during my tenure was Rookie Rugby, a mass participation program aimed at introducing the greater US community to rugby using a safe, non-contact introduction for children in schools and communities.

I actually did not have any rugby knowledge or experience prior to getting my role with USA Rugby. I decided to dive head first and started playing, coaching, and educating. I am currently a World Rugby Trainer of other coaches and administrators and I have played and coached at various levels in the US and internationally.

I started to look into contract work and transitioned to working with Rugby Americas North (RAN) and Rugby Canada. I developed a Rookie Rugby program for Canada and helped it get nationally endorsed for physical educators to teach flag rugby in P.E. classes across Canada. I also worked with various North American and Caribbean countries on youth development programs and coaching education.

In 2015 I took a break from working in rugby by taking a short-term contract with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Switzerland. I coordinated programs for the Youth Olympic Games in 2015-2016 before returning to the US and finding my space in rugby once again. I returned to consulting with Rugby Canada and then took a full-time role with Rugby Americas North as the Regional Development Manager.

My greatest accomplishment and joy was the founding of my business, Girls Rugby, in 2018. I had seen first-hand the difference that sports can make in a young woman’s life and believe that every girl needs an opportunity to play. I am incredibly passionate about empowering women to do better and be better in every aspect of their lives. Young girls become great women when they are given the right opportunities early on. Because of this, I started my own organization focused on empowering girls through rugby. We are the largest participation program for girls in non-contact rugby in the country, region, and the world. We lead flag rugby programs for girls in grades 2-8 paired with a leadership and values-based curriculum designed to help participants lead and succeed.

A few other small things about me are that I am the author of The Value of Rugby, a children’s book aimed at teaching the core values of rugby. In my free time (which isn’t much!), I play recreational volleyball, am taking Spanish classes, and am almost bilingual, I foster dogs through the Good Dog Rescue and spend time with my partner and our rescue dog, Jack.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’m not sure that any road is ever smooth and I’m also not sure that I would want it to be. I’ve worked very hard to get to where I’m at, but there have been many challenges and struggles along the way. My current challenge is probably my biggest challenge, which is starting and running a national business. As I’m sure any business owner will tell you, this path is not an easy one. I chose to start a non-profit because I wanted to make a difference. I can see that I am, in fact, making a big difference, and continuing to do that without taking a salary and finding resources to make my programs sustainable is something I struggle with every day.

Any struggle that I have encountered has led me to where I am today and I wouldn’t change a single one. I didn’t initially get into the graduate program that I wanted to get into, which led me to accept a spot in Denver. Had that not happened, I wouldn’t have started so many amazing journeys here in Colorado and beyond.

We’ve been impressed with Girls Rugby, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Girls Rugby has been making incredible strides in contributing to gender equality within the sport since we founded our organization in 2018. We provide flag rugby programming paired with leadership skills and core values for girls aged 6-14. Prior to 2018, there were no opportunities for girls to participate in flag rugby in a girls-only environment. Girls were participating in co-ed programming in locations around the United States. In 2017, just over 1,000 girls were involved in these programs, which was motivation for us to do something to change that.

Girls Rugby started its first programs in 2018 in three states, reaching 120 girls in the first season. Of the 120 girls that registered, 80% were brand new to the sport of rugby. This statistic proved that the format of Girls’ Rugby programs was a catalyst for growing more opportunities for girls in rugby and in sports. In one year, the entire United States grew by 20 girls from 2017-2018. In one season, Girls Rugby grew that number by 95 girls just within its own programming.

Girls Rugby has been increasing its offerings for programs since its foundation, increasing its reach by 245% (350 participants) in 2019. In-person programming in 2020 took a pause due to the pandemic, but Girls Rugby took advantage of online learning and offered a comprehensive program that combined rugby skills and core values at home. The program was available in both English and Spanish and had over 1,300 registrants from over 35 countries.

Following the pandemic, Girls Rugby returned in a big way in 2021 by offering in-person programming in five states: California, Colorado, Ohio, Oregon/SW Washington, and Pennsylvania. Program enrollment was up 78% from 2019 with over 615 girls registered. We just finished our 2022 year with additional growth of programs in 9 states and a 25% increase in participation. It is projected that in 2023, Girls Rugby will reach over 1,000 participants – matching the total number of participants from 2017 in just 5 years. Here in Colorado we have 8 locations around Denver which include Aurora, Brighton, Boulder, Central Park, Cherry Creek, Parker Superior, and Westminster. We consistently have over 150 Colorado participants each year and are hoping to continue that expansion to more cities and more participants so that we can make a greater impact.

There are no other programs in the United States that run girls-only flag rugby programming, allowing Girls Rugby to further provide opportunities for girls to be active and learn positive core values and life skills that they can apply on and off the field. We combine non-contact flag rugby with a curriculum centered on positive core values and leadership skills. This curriculum was specifically developed to help participants explore various leadership skills and apply them to their lives on and off the field of play. The curriculum introduces new values and skills to the participants each week of every season. Participants have a chance to explore these concepts and develop them with their coaches, teammates, and in their own Rugby Playbook.

Some of the amazing impact stories we are able to tell are that 94% of parents surveyed reported that participating in Girls Rugby made their daughters more confident. They also recognized that participating in Girls’ Rugby made their daughters better team players (92%). When surveyed, 95% of the participants reported that Girls Rugby helped them to make new friends and helped them to be better leaders on the field (92%).

Girls Rugby employs over 150 staff and volunteers each year, with 67% identifying as female. These positions include Founders, Board of Directors, Program Managers, Program Coordinators, Volunteer Coaches and Referees, and Interns. Girls Rugby is serving as a model organization that welcomes and supports females in leadership roles and will continue to give them a place to use their voices and influence the future for females.

We all have different ways of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I don’t believe there is one way of defining success and it isn’t something permanent or linear. I personally, define success as my ability to make a positive impact and difference. I want to feel that at the end of the day, I was able to contribute to someone’s happiness, motivation, or inspiration. Right now my focus is on female empowerment. If our programs can help a young girl find an opportunity or a family find a community, I consider that success.

Failure is never the lack of success, but the pivoting of it. Failures are all about learning and changing course to redefine success in a new way. I feel that we should always reevaluate success so that we can remain adaptable and achieve new and different things every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.girlsrugbyinc.com
• Instagram: @girlsrugbyinc
• Facebook: girlsrugbyinc
• Youtube: girlsrugbyinc