The Gazette's new Young Stars of St. Albert series will highlight inspiring young leaders ages 19 and under in St. Albert each month. If you know of a young leader who deserves the spotlight, please email our newsroom: [email protected].
If you’re a young rugby player in St. Albert, you’ve probably met Emma Lynn Kumka and Josh Looker. They are youth development officers with the St. Albert Rugby Football Club, and it’s their job to help youths get into rugby.
The Gazette is taking a look at Kumka and Looker as part of its new Young Stars of St. Albert series, which will spotlight inspiring young leaders in St. Albert roughly once a month.
Kumka, 18, said she came to rugby four years ago after having tried soccer, badminton, volleyball, and CrossFit in school. She got out of soccer as she was too rough for it, and was drawn in by the more personal, hands-on nature of rugby.
“Being hands-on gives you an opportunity to bleed a bit more!” she joked.
Kumka said she enjoys working with youths and has previously volunteered for St. Albert’s Canada Day, Rainmaker Rodeo, and International Children’s Day events. She started coaching the U7 and U11 rugby teams about two years ago, wanting to teach kids how to do a proper tackle after a bad hit took her off the field for a season.
“Your coach can make or break your sport,” she said, and she wanted to make sure these youths had a good experience on the field.
St. Albert Rugby senior director Kendall Dewitt said Kumka is kind, friendly, and patient on the field, and very willing to let youths use her as a tackling dummy — all traits you want in a youth coach. Kumka has also been holding women’s fitness sessions with the club’s adult players to improve their health.
“Her dedication is huge,” Dewitt said, adding that Kumka was voted “Our Players Player” by her teammates last year for her leadership with the club.
Looker, 19, said he played basketball for about eight years but wasn’t that great at it. After his father suggested he try rugby, Looker said he found the sport offered him a new way to make use of his size and speed on the field. He has been playing with St. Albert Rugby for about six years, and has also served on other teams in North American and European tournaments.
Paul, Looker’s father, said Josh has been his right-hand man when coaching junior players in St. Albert and is passionate about building the club’s youth program.
“He just has that natural connection with kids,” Paul said, many of whom respect Looker’s international experience.
Looker said he signed up for those international games to see what rugby was like outside of Alberta. From what he saw, European rugby teams definitely had more skill, as they could practice year-round, but still had that same sense of fellowship he found back home.
“Rugby is big on the social aspect,” he explained: players might punch and kick each other on the field, but they will still get together to share a drink after the game.
Looker said he suspects his age lets him better relate to the struggles his players face. Playing is fun, but coaching carries its own thrills, such as the ability to watch players grow up and find success on the field.
Kumka said coaching can be a bit frustrating at first, but it is worth it to see that moment where everything clicks in a kid’s head, and they go from begging their parents to take them home to vowing to sign up for her classes again next year.
“It just makes me feel I’ve done something right.”
Looker said he hopes to continue playing rugby as he earns his psychology degree at MacEwan University.
Kumka said she is earning a personal fitness training degree at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and hopes to keep playing and coaching rugby in the years ahead.
“The community is so strong, it’s crazy,” she said.
“Even if I couldn’t play, I would still go to every single game just because of how strong the [rugby] club is.”
