Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Team Management | Tags: coaching, inspirational coaches, belief
When you watch the best rugby coaches in action, there is something special about their delivery. They have an inner belief that makes what they say worth something.
I have been researching the methods of the delivery and persuasion for a number of articles in Rugby Coach. The simple idea of true belief in what you are saying still has a compelling case for the most important way of inspiring your players.
Coaching from the heart does not mean you need to be messianic in your delivery, or slightly mad in your manner. However, when the players look into your eyes, what will they see? If they’re perception of you is that you are confident, then this is part of the battle. If the perception is then that you also care deeply about what you are saying and why you saying it, the impact will be stronger.
Balance that passion with patience and player centred coaching and you will be amongst the best!
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching | Tags: coaching, frustration, losing
coaches despair, originally uploaded by pars_man_craig.
This picture tells us plenty about the role of a rugby coach:
1. Passion.
2. Despair.
3. Frustration.
The coach has turned from the pitch - was it a mistake, a referee’s decision, the end of a game?
But for every moment like this, remember the ups. It should make it all worthwhile.
PS: I am the world’s worst referee. The judge: My 8 year old son who I had just reffed to a 4 try to nil loss.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, coaches in action pictures | Tags: coaching, youth teams, being part of the team
Year 11 Rugby Team and Coach, originally uploaded by Arrow Vale High School.
The coach is part of the team, yet still separate.
How many coaches dress like the players for the game or arrive more formally? What do you do?
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Skills, Rugby Team Management | Tags: coaching, coaching players, sports captain, sports management, rugby huddle, rugby bonding, rugby players
Something rare happened for me this weekend.
I had exactly right number of players for my under 8s match. Any coach who has the pleasure of coaching young players will know that often much of the game is spent organising the substitutions. Seven-a-side and seven players – no need for swapping players on and off. It is tag rugby, so little chance of injuries as well.
So I felt I could try a little experiment with captaincy and allow everyone a slice of the responsibility.
It was one boy’s birthday, so he was the captain. That meant he called the toss of the coin and shouting the three cheers at the end. Another boy was vice captain.
Five other places to fill. Defensive captain went to my son. He nodded in agreement (phew! he often wants to be captain). He would set the line. I then turned to the others.
During the training week we had focused on “filling the field”, “running onto the first pass” and “not standing too close to the first passer”. Three further captains emerged, each in charge of those roles. Finally, the last boy. He was in charge of passing before being tagged.
A reminder before each section of the game and we had 7 and 8 year olds with responsibilities. Another boy had come to watch his mates. He became the “physio”, though I would add he did not carry out any medical treatment.
It could be seen as semantics, but I found that this process created a rugby team bond. Not easy with players this young, but the last huddle and shout before we played each quarter was together and focused. And more telling, the tries were greeted with pats on the back. Rarely seen at this age.
Whether I can repeat this again remains to be seen. We won as well, which did not test the theory in some ways. But I am looking forward to developing it and questioning the players about their roles.
