How YOU can help the national team be successful

Let me start by saying this is not a fundraising plea, its much more important. This is about how you, as a coach, can have help the Eagles win. We all think we can do it, coach an international side, how hard can it really be? Truth be told we are part of the problem. We are just as responsible for these outcomes as the players and coaches on the field. Why? Because we are responsible for teaching players the fundamental skills of the game (passing/catching, tackling, rucking, decision making and communication). Bottom line we are the one tasked with developing these players at the grass roots level and we are failing them and our national side.

I've had the pleasure of working with high performance teams for a couple years now. I've also had the pleasure of talking, watching, and learning from foreign coaches who are closing in on their countries top spots. The one thing they agree on, and I'm starting to believe, is we as Americans look great in a rugby jersey but that is as close to an actual rugby player we get. We lack the fundamental skills needed for rugby. In my opinion, for what its worth, its starts with how we are taught in our sporting youth. Most of us only know one way to think, in X's and Os, and we are drilled until we can not screw it up (seriously, its been over a decade since I last played a down of football and I still can remember the proper footwork for a trap block). Our popular sports here are controlled by plays, plans, and diagrams. This hurts us in free flowing games like soccer, rugby and other international sports.

We as coach fail in two areas. The first being fundamentals, our players struggle with the basics. We must do a better job teaching the skills from the list above. We often let 'star' players get away with bad habits because of who they are. I'm telling you right now, I've seen it with my own two eyes, your star player will not cut it in any high performance camp. Everyone is a star there and what divides the have's from the have not's is the execution of the fundamentals. The second problem area works in conjunction with the first, overly complicated game plans. We spend too much time at training sessions trying to come up with the secret formula for the win. Recently, I overheard a team that had broken the field into FIVE sections, from sideline to sideline, to help with ID'ing of space for their attack. Could you imagine being fatigued and trying to determine if the half gap is in two or three? The problem here is we are sacrificing time that could be spent on skill development for things that hardly ever get used in the game because at the end of the day, if your covert double screen, switch, loop, wing crash attack play is going to work it all depends on your squads ability to pass and catch.

So what can we do to get better?  Well, for starters educate yourself with videos, articles, and knowledge from other coaches. Start to develop your own style by taking things you like, applying them and getting rid of the stuff you don't. Second, video tape one of your sessions. Focus the camera not on the actual players and the drills, but you. Watch how you speak to them (and for how long) also watch their reactions. Are you clearly telling them what part of the skill your working before their attention is lost? Finally, don't be afraid to learn and coach new things. Don't get stuck telling yourself "this is how I've done it and this is how I will keep doing it". Since the game has gone professional coaches have come up with all sorts of new skills and patterns. They have also started to borrow teaching techniques from the education systems that have really helped to impact and accelerate the learning curve of their players.

What do you think? Anything you want to add?

6-18-14 Good for the Game/Bad for the Game

Good:
1. Canada Rugby
They are clearly doing something right up there in the great white north. A strong finish to their 7s season, which saw them end in 6th place the best finish they have had since the 99-00 season (they finished sixth then too). The maple leafs then came out and put Scotland to the test in Toronto last weekend. It would have been interesting to see how it would have ended if the Canucks wouldn't have been binned. Since focusing their efforts on developing their sevens program they have seen a resurgence on the 15s field. Next years 7s series and World Cup could be interesting if they continue on this upwards projection.

2. Japan Rugby
I know nothing about this team but I do know their coach Eddie Jones and I like his style. Their victory over the USA was the ninth straight for the Brave Blossoms. Over the years they have steadily improved especially under the guidance of Eddie Jones who previously guided Australia to the 2003 World Cup final. He has gone on record in his belief that Japan is a hot bed for rugby and its starting to look it. The ever growing pro game there is only helping with coach and player development.

3. England closing the gap
The mighty All-Blacks have twice looked VERY beatable. The men in white have done well exposing some of the weaknesses and they were a few unlucky bounces (and poor calls) away from snatching a test series in New Zealand. Again, this is great for their world cup build-up and Lancaster has his boys rocking and rolling just at the right time.

Bad:
1. American coach development
Lets face the facts here, we got nothing here in America. It is as much about luck to get a HP position here as it is to recognized for skill and experience. If we want to get better as a rugby nation we need to open pathways for coaches. They are just as important as players are because its them who teach the game.

2. Eagles test performance
see results...

6-1-14 Good for the Game/Bad for the Game

Its time for good for the game/bad for the game. This is a weekly review of all things rugby broken down into what I deem good for the sport and bad for it. It's pretty simple...

Good for the Game:
1. Premiership Final
I won't ruin the ending for you but let me just say you are in for one cracking match! Saracens, coming off a spanking from Toulon the week before, were out to prove something. Northampton looked to tie the bow on their great season. Both teams didn't want to give an inch and it showed with smashing tackles and all out there attack from both squads. If you haven't seen this match yet, find it, watch it and enjoy!

2. College Rugby Championship on NBC (and their sister networks)
This tournament has grown in every important way. The crowds keep getting bigger, which means more people are paying attention to the game and becoming fans. The competition has improved, both in player skills and in team parity. But, the one thing I enjoyed the most was the celebration of the rugby player and not the glorification of the part-time crossover athlete who happens to be on the team for this one event. The true rugby player, once thought of as a second class athlete, is starting to come into his own and showcase all the dynamic aspects that is required to be skilled on match day. Don't believe me? Go back and watch the first year, you'll see what I'm talking about.

Bad for the Game:
1. CRC Marketing and women's tournament
It does bother me, in a very big way, that this event is celebrated as a 'national championship' when a very large number of good schools ( St. Mary's, Arkansas State come to mind) aren't invited to this event because they don't have the alumni to support ticket sales. If anything this should be called the the Commercial Rugby Championship as it is geared to one thing, making money. Which I'm fine with, just don't pretend the teams you see on TV are the cream of the crop when, if you follow any kind of rugby in America, you know isn't the case. Also, playing in an empty stadium on a poorly executed web cast can't be fun either. As for the women's side of the game why do they continue not to show their finals? We are aware that our women's team is the only hope we have for Olympic medal, right? We should be celebrating these athletes and encouraging the growth in the women's game. I have a feeling that either one of the women's national team's could do for our sport what the '99 women's national team did for soccer.

2. Super 7s
Why do we here in America feel like we need to attempt to make the great sport of rugby better by tampering with it to make it look like football? I don't know who won the thing, who played in it or if it was even enjoyable to watch. But you can't call it '7s' if you break it up into four quarters with a halftime. It kills the soul of 7s which is you need to make your chances count because you don't have the time to wait for another one. Also, the fatigue the players are subjected to must diminish the skill to the point where it becomes hard to watch. Leave 7s alone, it will sell itself without the help of our American sports business models.


See you pitch side!

7 Coaching Rules You Won't Find in Books

I love leadership books, all of them. Even the bad ones have at least small nuggets of wisdom that can make you better. But, no matter how many you always find yourself in a situation no author has every addressed before. Heck, the list below might even be something you've never even thought of before! Either way here are my 7 coaching rules you never needed until now...

1. Take your sunglasses off when addressing your team/player
Its no secret that eye contact can help with effective communication. If you don't know that then this blog isn't for you and you're beyond any help you can find here. But, if you're like me and like to rock the shades take them off when your talking with your squad. No one enjoys talking to a person of authority when they can't see their eyes. Need an example? Think of the last time a cop talked to you and kept his glasses on, it makes the whole interaction feel inhuman. So next time take your shades off and see the difference in eye contact and retention when they get back on the field.

2. Don't mess with another team's roster
We all have favorite players who enriched the coaching experience. Be it high school, college, club, or pro you build a bond with that player who embodies what your program is about and becomes the poster child for how it should work. Now, that player will go on to do bigger and better things and you will cease to be their coach. Its your duty as the past coach NOT to interfere with their career or their team's flow. Now, that doesn't mean you shouldn't invite them back for activities that will benefit your team like fundraising dinner or tournaments. But, never should you ask that player to commit to an activity that will have a direct negative effect on their own seasons and their teams. If it is that important that they attend then schedule it around their current commitments. It is disrespectful, selfish and will cause undue criticism of you and your program.

3. Stay out of the locker room/training room
A coach has his sanctuary, its could be his office, a path he walks before a game, a watering hole. Where ever the spot may be you don't like people who normally aren't there in it. Players feel the same way about their locker room. Its the one safe place they can go to get away from everything including you the coach. If you need to go in there make it short and quick (think pre-game address) and get out. Respect their space and you might be surprised how the team dynamic matures and team policing begins. This is also true for the training room. Speaking of training rooms...

4. Find a good Athletic trainer/physio
Besides the obvious reason that you want someone knowledgeable in injury prevention and treatment you also want a trainer who is socially aware of what is going around around them. These professionals often have a better feel for your teams actual pulse then you do, and this could be a huge tool for you. Players speak freely around the medical personnel and the med staff often hear things that can benefit you as a coach. I've had staff members tell me "Coach, the players are complaining about fatigue and we have seen a spike in fatigue related injuries." This is great as I can adjust my training plan accordingly. Other times they have come to me with information that can help me adjust the culture of the team (hazing, bullying, etc). Finally, always make time to meet with them or include them in staff meetings with allotted time to speak on topics they deem important to the team.

5. Don't always believe the stats
We are in the age of sabermetrics, Money Ball team building, and all those other fancy math dominate systems that you see and read about that has helped improve some struggling team. I'm not saying these stats don't have a place in the game because I honestly believe they do. But I'm saying is that statical analysis should work in connection with the eye test. At the end of the day we are coaches and we have been around our respective sports long enough to know when we see a good player. Watch how they handle defeat, interact with team mates and coaches, and their production on the field. Trust your judgment on those things before turning to the stats. Recently I sat in on a selection meeting and listened to half the table argue for selecting a player because she plays good rugby and the other half countering they shouldn't bring her because her statistical numbers weren't as high as some of the other players in her position. Neither side would look at the other's perspective which, in my opinion, only hurt the player. Do yourself and the player a favor and don't just rely on numbers because there is no stat for character.

6. It is OK to give days off and take one off for yourself at the same time
Somewhere along the lines we were brain washed to believe the more we practice the better we will be. Its flat out not true, its not about the quantity its the quality of which you are practicing. I've been on teams and have seen teams be run into the ground by over training. Its why I'm telling you its OK to give days off. Its good for you as the coach and its good for the team as a whole. It helps combat the grind of a season, allows everyone to mentally recharge, and is a good reset button for team morale. What do I mean by a reset button? In my own experience I have had teams where their training sessions have regressed over several weeks. No amount of 'let's go'-ing, 'try harder'-'s seemed to be work. So, instead of trying to grind it out of them I just gave them a day off. The clear, social up-front contract is given that the time should be used wisely and not wasted so when they return we, as a team, will be ready to go. By the next session they are back looking crisp and most importantly having fun. Even the Head Coach of the L.A. Clippers, Doc Rivers, is a fan of days offs. The only time this has not worked is when I have failed to prepare properly and time is wasted at training. Again, the day off is important for you too. So use it to work ahead in your practice planning and make sure its efficient with little time wasted. Don't forget, quality always beats quantity.

7. Hire assistance who are better than you and encourage them to be head coaches
If you read that and thought I was crazy stop reading, close the browser, open Word, and write your resignation letter now to save yourself the embarrassment of being fired later. Your support staff is more important then yourself. They are the ones that keep you employed and your team winning. We are all ego-maniacs and control freaks to some degree so it can be hard to grasp the idea of not being able to do it all by yourself. Identify your weak areas as a coach (or find someone who will, should be plenty of people) then hire people who are strong in those areas. The next step after assembling your coaching team is to foster growth and development. You should want them to be head coaches someday and encourage them to chase those dreams down while developing on your staff. If you have read the book 'Tribal Leadership' you know how helpful it can be to go from a 'I'm great, you're not' mindset (this thinking is common in coaches, listen for the famous 'well, Coach (insert name)'s (insert unit) didn't perform today' comment) to a much more team orientated 'We are great, they are not'. The difference from the first one (where you think you are king of the castle) to the second (thinking more like protecting your castle along side your nights) is a massive shift in philosophy. For ever great coach like San Francisco 49ers great Bill Walsh, who has a impressive coach lineage, you have a million knuckleheads who always tried to be the best coach on the team. Don't be a knucklehead.

I hope these were helpful and caused you to think about some things you might do differently. As always leave me a comment with some feedback.

See you pitch side