How & Why You Need to Coach 'Why?'

No matter what walk of life you come from you have heard "Why?" You could be a parent and have fielded that question hundreds, if not millions, of times from your wee beastling, or at work from an employee or peer. The question 'why?' is everywhere in our lives, yet we struggle to incorporate it in the one place we are most passionate about.

Coaching.

But why?

Why Not Why?
We struggle to bring 'why' into our teams or sport for a variety of reasons. We have the obvious reason that we ourselves, in our former lives as athletes, were not use to asking why to the coach. If you came from football, you are familiar with the conversation that happens among team mates;

Player 1: "Hey, why are we doing this?"

Player 2: "Because coach said to do it."

Then you did it with no questions. You often did it so many times you didn't have to think about doing it let a long the reason for why you were doing it. We are also love our X's and O's and the simplicity of knowing what step we were in the process of the play. You knew the overall reason of why you were running the play, to score or to stop them from scoring, but we never really knew why the whole process was set-up the way it was. Both of those things are the reason why we are a nation of emerging (that is a polite way of saying slightly better than average) coaches. We have a bad coaching culture. We are trapped in a cycle of "Because I said so" or "We've always done it this way" that has lasted for generations of coaches. These traits are passed down through the coaching tree because it once worked in the 60's for that one coaching great. Those two statements above might have worked for coaches in the past but now, we are dealing with different kinds of athletes.

Information Overload is one Reason Why...
The last two generation of players no longer respond to the old "Because I said to do it this way" mindset. Athletes, heck ALL of us, have the answer to any question at our fingertips. Think about it, any question you have can be answered by the internet and that is everywhere all the time.

Boom! In your face, sucka!

The traditional path of information gathering, which includes trusting our coaches, is obsolete. Even you as the coach are constantly looking for the reason of why. When you see a move,  or technique on TV, the internet, or from an opposing team your first thought is usally "Holy shit that was awesome!" quickly followed by the important question "Why did they do that?"

This takes us down the information rabbit hole, it starts with a few scribbles on a notepad, then a google search, followed by a few YouTube videos, and then maybe an actual coaching website with a fee. You do all of this in the search for the answer of why they did it and you come to your own conclusions.

Now, do a bit of personal reflection. How do you present it to your team? Does the process include why they are doing it?

How to Coach the Why

There is no one right way to achieve coaching the why. The important thing is to coach it and coach it well. Below is a quick list of ways I've been able to coach it successfully;

Coach it like a boss, son!

- Before you plan your session stop and ask yourself 'Why are we doing this?'. Whatever the conclusion is, make sure it is included in your brief to the squad. Why they are doing it should be a short and clear presentation lasting no more then 30 seconds. This will help with not over explaing it and losing the focus of the group.

- Make sure you include it in your practice plan. Use it as a question to your team and see what you get back. This is often a good way to see it from a different point of view. It also gives you an idea of how well you're explaning it to them. Don't forget to listen, they might teach you something.

- Highlight why you are doing something on film. Look for examples, either in your games or pro games, and draw attention to it. Don't just explain one point or action but expand on it to include how it effected the next couple of phases. Film doesn't lie so it is a great tool to catch real time results of what you coached in the week building up to match day. Create a dialogue around the why of an action.

- Make asking why a part of your coaching staff's culture. You should be looking to constantly develop yourself and the coaches around you. You would be kidding yourself if you thought you and your staff had all the right answers, and this is often a death blow to a team who's staff  share that mindset. Encourage your coaches to ask why of you and each other in a constructive way. This has often brought some good debate and new ideas to an old technique that made players and coaches alike better.

Regardless of how you get there, never forget to coach the why. We as a whole need to change our coaching culture and it starts by creating a positive dialect between players and coaches on why we are doing the things we do on the pitch. These are different athletes now, so we need to be different coaches.

See you pitch side

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

The Social Up Front Contract: Establishing How We Do Things

A few years ago the company I work for sent me away to an intense sales training course. This was a two day event in the middle of no where Massachusetts and there I was a 20 something year old mover with little use for sales training, surrounded by a group of middle-aged sales people who had lost touch with the times (one guy talked about making deals on his car phone, CAR phone, like the phone in the bag you plugged into the lighter to turn it on type of phone, not a cell phone.) As the seminar dragged on we came across an interesting technique called up front social contracts.

As a young coach in the process of helping to build a program, made up largely of students who had never played a sport before their first rugby training, I saw a gem that could help the way I taught the game. The social up front contract comes from the Sandler Sales Institute and is based around the following 5 core ideas:

#1: Define the point of the meeting
#2: Length of time to discuss the point
#3: Define the other parties objectives, 'No' is OK
#4: Define your objective
#5: Set the outcome and when it will happen

I  began to think the process over and mold it to help from a coaching perspective. This method was a better way then the typical pen and paper contract as it helped build personal relationships and accountability. Its one thing to sign something that says you promise to play hard, show up and all that prototypical team rah, rah stuff. But, it was another to talk to a group or individual, engage them in conversation and come to a resolution that both parties can agree on. It also allows for honest feedback in the regards that it allows for disagreement or 'no'. Below I will break down each idea and how I use it both in a team setting and a one on one setting.

#1: Define what the drill/meeting/gameplan is trying to achieve; It doesn't matter if it's a drill, game, or an actual sit down meeting you, must give your team or player a reason why they should invest their time. If it's a drill or game, keep it simple, 2 or 3 points at best and make them clear (i.e. follow through on the swing until a certain point, leg drive until you've passed a certain point, kick for points early to build a lead, etc). If it's a meeting, establish the talking points early and stick to them. Write it down and share it, a meeting outline or practice plan are another form of an up front contract.

#2: Use what you need of the time but not a minute more, let them know that; Pick an amount of time and use only what you allow but not a minute more. If it's an on field exercise this will help build urgency and emphasis execution. Communicate your expectations, "I'm giving you 5 minutes to work on your kicking, after that we are onto a team run-through" and don't compromise on that time limit. If a player chooses to waste it, then look at what the next player on the depth chart is doing. This might be the opportunity they have been waiting for. If it's a meeting with the team or an individual define what the topics are and the length of time you're prepared to discuss them and don't stray. If you follow idea #1 this can save you any possible ambushes. You don't want to go into a meeting about fundraising only to be asked about playing time. This isn't fair to you or the other parties involved, as sometimes we can say things in the heat of the moment we don't mean. Just pass it by for the time being with a simple "OK, I understand you frustration but lets stick to the plan and come back to that later today or tomorrow."

#3: As a player what do you want from me/this. Be honest even if it's 'No'; To often as coaches we tell players what to do instead of asking for their input. Now, I know what you're thinking and I agree this can be a slippery slope if not managed correctly. Often asking either a captain or a core group of squad leaders to define their (and the teams) objectives can give you great insight on how your team works and what they view as strength and weaknesses. But, I would not recommend a full squad discussion on the training pitch as they will chase you down the rabbit hole if you get what I'm saying. The most important step in this core idea is the 'No' is ok'. If you hear the 'No, that won't work' ask the most important follow up question 'Why?' and actually listen. If they have a good reason, adjust accordingly as they might have given you a good point on something that can be coached. Same goes for one on one interactions, lets look at a selection issue as an example. Player A asks you why they aren't being selected (or starting). Instead of saying your side right away first ask why they think they aren't be selected (or starting). Hear their side first, and don't let them get away with the "I don't know" answer. Take on board what they have to say and then state your reason with evidence. The next follow up question we often miss as coaches during these discussions are, "what we can I do to help?" This is getting them to verbalize and define their expectations to you so now both parties are being held accountable for their end of the agreement.

#4: What do you want to see and why;  The important thing here is to let them define their objectives first and then you follow. This helps to achieve honest feedback by not having your opinion effect theirs. Be direct, truthful and with evidence when you can. So back to Player A and the selection question; ask them why they think they aren't being selected, acknowledge it, and then tell them what you are looking for in them to be selected. This is a good example of the conversation structure you should follow. This will also allow you to keep up on their learning style, do they need to do it vs do they need to see it.

#5 When will it be done and how; The last core idea is setting the outcome and when they will be completed by. Nothing is worse than empty promises and disregarded deadlines. Once you have agreed on something set a date for when it will be finished/worked on and stick to it. Most importantly define what the outcome will be. For the case of Player A and the selection issue, if you both have established that one weak area is left hand passing then set a time, a half hour before the next practice, and an outcome, 50 passes with good hand position and follow through, so both of you know what you're working for. In a team setting it can be as easy as listing your coaching goals on a practice plan and then defining them during the brief before a drill. Do a couple of reps and ask them for feedback on the objectives, then before restarting it ask for what they can do better. Again, this is another way of getting them to define their outcomes.

The up front contact isn't a perfect system and does take practice. But, if communication is an area you think you struggle with this might be worth a try. We as coaches need to keep growing and evolving with the game and player learning patterns. Or else we might find ourselves in a intense course designed to shock us into the present with some 20 something who is their for free and gunning for our job.

See you pitch side