Coaching

MYR Coaches

MYR coaches are volunteers with many years of playing and coaching experience across the Youth, High School, College, and Adult/Club levels.

MYR coaches are certified by USA Rugby. Certification and training include background checks, SafeSport, concussion protocol, player safety/welfare, safe tackling/body positioning, and age-appropriate rugby development skills based on fun/games.

2026 Coaches

Coaching assignments are subject to change. High school-aged student-coaches will support each team. Click here to read the 2026 coach bios.

2026 Coach Bios

Renee Hodges, 8U Co-Coach

• How long you have been involved with rugby: 40 years!

• How long you have been involved with MYR: 1st year as a coach. 2nd year as a parent.

• Teams played for and coached with: Touch Rugby (Western Suburbs, New South Wales); Brothers, Rosalie & Southern TFC's in Washington; National Touch Rugby (NTL) rep for Western Australia; Women's Rugby League (South Perth Rugby League Club); Women's Rugby Union (Bayswater Rugby Union Club); Western Australian Rugby (State Representative); Women's D2 Coach at Houston Athletic Rugby Club; D1 & D2 Men's Coach for Houston Athletic Rugby Club.

• Why you coach rugby: Rugby is a sport that connects people both on and off the field. Rugby teaches life skills and builds confidence. Through coaching, I want to share those values especially with the youth and new people to the sport.

• What you like to do outside of coaching rugby: Experiential adventures with my family has to be my favorite thing – trying new sports, traveling, camping, and eating new foods.

• One of your favorite rugby memories: So many! But if I have to choose one, it would be playing a rugby curtain raiser at Subiaco Football Stadium in Perth before the Western Force round game and watching the All Blacks at the same field.

• Anything else you'd like to share: I discovered Mountain Youth Rugby by chance. PAC (the high school boys team) was selling butter braids outside an Evergreen grocery store. I was so happy to discover a local rugby club!

Bodi Walter, 8U Co-Coach

• How long you have been involved with rugby: I have been playing rugby for 8 years. I started playing with Mountain Youth Rugby. I have been coaching for 3 of those years. I currently play with PAC (boys high school team).

• Why you coach rugby: I coach because I love to watch the kids get better as time goes on.

• What you like to do outside of coaching rugby: I love snowboarding and boating.

• One of your favorite rugby memories: My favorite rugby memory was going to Italy with my rugby team in 2025 and playing a few games there. Or my first hat trick playing with PAC’s 8th/Freshmen/Sophomore team.

• Anything else you'd like to share: I love the team aspect of rugby and the great community.

Carissa Zook, 10U Head Coach

• How long you have been involved with rugby: I played rugby from 2010-2012.

• How long you have been involved with MYR: Since 2025. This is my 2nd year with MYR.

• Teams played for and coached with: Played with Colorado School of Mines Women's Rugby. Coached with Mountain Youth Rugby.

• Why you coach rugby: Team sports are a wonderful thing to be a part of - whether you are the player or coach.  Rugby is one of my favorite sports I have ever had the opportunity to play. My son played rugby for the first time last season with MYR and will continue to play this season. It was such a positive experience for him. I am excited to coach him and his teammates this year. Rugby did so much for his confidence last year, and most importantly he had an absolute blast learning the game and playing. This sport has so many aspects to it, allowing for players of all types to be successful. Youth rugby is structured to allow the players to understand the sport in incremented steps with each age group. The approach is brilliant. The growth seen in the player and the person throughout the season is amazing, and I am honored to be the 10U coach for MYR!

• What you like to do outside of coaching rugby: I relax by doing artwork in my free time - mostly paintings/drawings that are inspired by animals and nature. I also currently play tennis, snowboard, and run. I am an avid sports fan, so I also enjoy attending sporting events: Broncos, Avs, and Onyx are my favorites. Mathematics is my jam; I love numbers.

• One of your favorite rugby memories: I got to attend the Women's Rugby World Cup Final match in person in New Zealand in 2022. The final game was the Black Ferns vs. the Red Roses. It's the first time I had seen rugby played at that level in person and that experience at a beautiful place like New Zealand was next level. Portia Woodman-Wickliffe was on the pitch for the Black Ferns too. She is one of my favorite rugby players. While she wasn't able to play the full match due to injury, I still got to see her play!

• Anything else you'd like to share: We are a family of four with two kiddos: Teddy and Duncan. My spouse's name is Joe. We love the mountains and were able to move up here in 2021. Our household has a bunch of pets: dog, cat, guinea pigs, and a turtle. We are a Star Wars loving family, and some of our pets even have Star Wars themed names.

Stephen Lochner, 12U Head Coach

• How long you have been involved with rugby: 10 years as a player, then 11 years as a coach.

• How long you have been involved with MYR: Since 2025.

• Teams played for and coached with: Played with University of Dayton, St. Louis, Denver, and Colorado School of Mines. Coached with PAC, Tucson Blackbirds, Summit Tigers, Lumberjackies, and Mountain Youth Rugby.

• Why you coach rugby: I coach for the joy and true friendships formed playing rugby. I hope MYR players learn the main tenants of sportsmanship, teammates, respect, and skills.

• What you like to do outside of coaching rugby: Hiking, fishing, and enjoying hot springs.

• One of your favorite rugby memories: Playing at Mines! The team was small, but they were frigging smart athletes and had the hearts of spartan warriors.

• Anything else you'd like to share: I am passionate about rugby’s ability to bring out the best in the players, and the players the best in each other, even in the opposing team. I want the kiddos to be great rugby players, embody the highest sportsmanship, and believe in themselves and each other. That is what rugby did for me, and I want to help bring that out in the MYR group.

Casey Nordwald, 14U Girls Head Coach

• How long you have been involved with rugby: 2002 (24 years)

• How long you have been involved with MYR: 2010

• Teams played for and coached with: Played with:University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri S&T) and Denver Harlequins. Coached with: PAC, Lumberjackies, and MYR.

• Why you coach rugby: I hope I can grow the game of rugby and inspire as many young people as possible to play this wonderful sport for as long as possible. 

• What you like to do outside of coaching rugby: I have been married to the same wonderful woman for 23 years. We have 4 incredible kids. We all play rugby.

• One of your favorite rugby memories: Playing rugby with my oldest son while my wife and daughter were playing on the adjacent pitch.

• Anything else you'd like to share: Rugby is more than a sport, it is a community. I meet fellow ruggers everywhere I go. Once you're in the "club," you're never alone; someone is always "with you" in support.

Hermina Lehman, 14U Girls Student Coach

• How long you have been involved with rugby and MYR: I have been playing rugby for 13 years! I have coached for MYR for 3 years!

• Teams played for and coached with: Lumberjackies (the high school girls team), USA West 7s and 15s, and Atlantis 7s.

• Why you coach rugby: I want people to learn about how great rugby is, and I love to teach new players how to play!

• What you like to do outside of coaching rugby: Ski, work out, sleep, and hang out with friends.

• One of your favorite rugby memories: Winning 7s and 15s state with all of my friends!

Nick Westwood, 14U Boys Head Coach

• How long you have been involved with rugby: 1982 is when I started at the age of 5 with age grade rugby, all the way into my 20s in New Zealand. Then a smattering of social and semi-competitive teams in California and Colorado.

• How long you have been involved with MYR: Since 2022. This is my 5th coaching with MYR.

• Teams played for and coached with: Played with: Taradale Pirates (Napier, NZ), Allenton Rugby Club (Ashburton, NZ), Collegiate RFC (Ashburton, NZ), Ashburton College (Ashburton, NZ), Lincoln University RFC (Lincoln, NZ), Finegan's Bombers (Canterbury, NZ), Orange County Bucks (Orange County, CA USA), Colorado Select Old Boys (Denver, CO USA). Coached: U10, U12, Middle School Light, Middle School Open, and 14U Boys teams with Mountain Youth Rugby.

• Why you coach rugby: I coach rugby to introduce players to the sport I love and to improve their skills, sportsmanship, and fitness to the best of their ability.

• Something interesting about you: I was a volunteer firefighter for 10 years in New Zealand.

• One of your favorite rugby memories: Traveling for games to different venues in the South Island of New Zealand – arriving and giving it everything on the pitch with my teammates. That sense of camaraderie was really uplifting and created friendships that have lasted a lifetime.

• Anything else you’d like to share: MYR is a great mountain community for young players! The coaches are so involved and invested in their teams. Come join the rugby family!

Jacob Parker, 14U Boys Assistant Coach

• How long you have been involved with rugby and MYR: 1 year as a coach, and longer as a parent.

• Why you coach rugby: I coach because I fell in love with the sport watching my sons play. Rugby is a great opportunity for our children to work with others towards a common goal and develop leadership skills along the way.

• What you like to do outside of coaching rugby: Hunting, fishing, backpacking, or anything else in the wilderness.

• One of your favorite rugby memories: Watching my boys each score their first try. That will always stay with me.

• Anything else you'd like to share: Rugby is a great team sport where discipline, teamwork, and important life lessons can be learned and applied in our everyday lives. We grow, lose, and win together.

Michelle Nordwald, Administrator & Supporting Coach

• How long you have been involved with rugby: I played in 2002-2003, then again for 1 game with my older daughter in 2023!

• How long you have been involved with MYR: As an Administrator since 2019, and as a parent since 2010.

• Teams played for and coached with: I played for the Harlequin Olde Girls (Denver) in 2002-2003.

• Why you coach rugby: I love to see the players grow and develop over time. Especially fun has been watching little 8U players who progressed through all of the MYR youth age groups, then played in high school, and some are playing in college or beyond now. It's fun to look back at photos from those little nuggets who are in their 20s now.

• What you like to do outside of coaching rugby: I love to backpack, run, hike, and camp. I run every Sunday at Bear Creek Lake Park; my neighbor and I have been running together for over 20 years. I'm an engineer, and I love spreadsheets!

• One of your favorite rugby memories: Definitely traveling to London in September 2025 to watch the Women's World Cup final (England vs. Canada) and 3rd place game (New Zealand vs. France) at Twickenham Stadium! The final set a new world record for attendance for a women's rugby match with 81,885 fans. Another fun memory is the very first game I ever played in 2002. I didn't know anything about rugby except to pass backward. Casey ran up and down the sideline coaching me, and I even picked off a pass. All the years of watching our four kids grow up in rugby is a great collection of memories.

• Anything else you'd like to share: Our family has been involved with MYR since the club's founding in 2010. We are grateful for all that this club and community have provided. Our very best friends are our rugby friends! I encourage others to get involved; it's what keeps the club alive!

Burns Eckert, Supporting Coach

• How long you have been involved with rugby: 10 years as a player.

• How long you have been involved with MYR: Since 2024. Starting my third season!

• Teams played for and coached with: I started playing in middle school in Canada, through college in Scotland, then grad school in Texas (Austin Valkyries). I took a long break for work and family, then came back to the community through youth coaching, then high school. I now focus most of my time on the Lumberjackies (the high school girls team).

• Why you coach rugby: Rugby has always provided an inclusive, supportive community for me. I love sharing that with players, regardless of skill level. Rugby also demands respect and sportsmanship, which sets up our young athletes for future success.

• What you like to do outside of coaching rugby: I’m an avid reader! I'll pick up almost anything, but have a soft spot for fantasy. Bring it on, fellow LOTR and Star Wars nerds!

• One of your favorite rugby memories: One of the first tries I ever scored involved some confusion over the field lines. I was confident I was still in bounds and our opponents watched me run past, protesting I was out of bounds. It pays to know the rules!

• Anything else you'd like to share: I found Mountain Youth Rugby when I was looking for youth rugby in the Evergreen area for my kiddos. As a former player, I volunteered to help and nearly 3 years later, I can't imagine not having these amazing kids and coaches in my life.

Fred Lehman, Student Coach

• How long you have been involved with rugby and MYR: I have been playing rugby for 13 years! I have coached for MYR for 3 years!

• Teams played for and coached with: PAC Rugby (high school boys team) and USA West. I have played in Colorado, Italy, and Florida.

• Why you coach rugby: I coach rugby because I love the game and I like to help teach other people important skills.

• What you like to do outside of coaching rugby: I like to ski and go camping with my family.

• One of your favorite rugby memories: Playing in Milan, Italy and then getting to talk and eat with the other team after the game.