Growing the Game
About
MYRugby is a 501(c)3 non-profit organized to foster amateur rugby competition and to support and develop athletes for that competition. To that end, MYR’s objectives are to promote and support the growth of high school rugby and youth rugby, educate the public, as well as any participants, on the laws of the game of rugby as played under the laws of World Rugby, and Expand high school and youth rugby competition throughout the state of Missouri.
Leadership
Missouri Youth Rugby is governed by a volunteer board of directors, who employ an executive director to run the day-to-day in coordination with multiple committees, including the Disciplinary, Coaching and Finance Committees.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS: VP, INTERIM PRESIDENT
Sean Pickett
An attorney in Kansas City, Sean was on the first-ever high school team in KC at Pembroke Hill. He has served in leadership positions for many years with the Kansas City Rugby Foundation and Kansas City Rugby Football Club. Sean joined the the board of directors for Missouri Youth Rugby in December of 2021.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS: TREASURER, SECRETARY
Sherry Wright-Fontenot
Sherry is MYR’s longest-running board member, having presided over the organization for a number of years. She works as a Revenue Integrity Analyst for St. Luke’s Health System in North Kansas City.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sarah Kaler
Sarah Kaler was introduced to rugby by a grass roots team in the state of Iowa in the late 1990s while studying social work as a college student. Most recently, Sarah has been involved with youth rugby in the Saint Louis area as an organizer, coach and parent since 2012. She has spent the last year traveling as a parent of a U14 player with the USA South Panthers. Sarah and her husband are passionate about providing opportunities for youth everywhere to play rugby.
In 2015 they established the Kaler Family Rugby Scholarship to provide financial aid to high school students who wish to continue playing rugby at the collegiate level. Sarah also continues her passion for social work by serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the O’Fallon YMCA where she has been a member and involved with various projects for nearly 14 years.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Joe Fridkin
Joe was a longtime player, coach and referee for the Kansas City Blues and Kansas City Jr. Blues. An attorney in Kansas City, Joe has served on the Missouri Youth Rugby board since December 2021.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Karl Parker
A New Zealand native, Karl now runs a dairy farm in Nevada, MO. He is an active old boy for the Kansas City Rugby Football Club. Karl joined the Missouri Youth Rugby board in December 2021.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Jason Buschman
Dr. Buschman is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon by trade. In addition to serving on the MYR disciplinary committee, he is the disciplinary chair for the Mid-America Rugby Referee Society.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Pat Clifton
Pat is a longtime rugby professional by trade. In addition to serving MYR, he serves as the director of rugby for the Kansas City Rugby Football Club, the 7s commissioner for National Collegiate Rugby & tournament director for the Collegiate Rugby Championship, and he writes for Premier Rugby 7s. Pat has served as the ED for MYR since December 2021. Pat also owns and operates a thrift store in Raytown, MO with rugby-playing partners.