Coach Survival Tips

Small Blacks & Teenagers – Coach Survival Tips
The weather is getting colder and wetter. 50% of the teams are losing more times than they are winning. Now is the time for the coaches to be innovative and enthusiastic. Your ability to keep the players interested and enjoying themselves will provide you with a good deal of satisfaction and will ensure the team are still playing hard out each week.
It is often said that so long as a team is playing as well as they can the results are not important. If you can manage this with your squad then you are doing a top notch job.
Besides all the technical and tactical detail that is being coached the biggest requirement now is to make sure the players are enjoying the training sessions and are happy with the way are being treated in the team environment, particularly at game time.

Practices
Make them shorter if necessary.
Focus on one key aspect of the game.
Develop that aspect over two or three weeks and make sure the team know where they are heading and why they are doing the activity.
Play games that they enjoy.
Get other coaches in who can help with a specialist topic.
Introduce new ideas inside on a whiteboard, or under cover of trees out of the wind etc.
Have you thought of pitching a tent on a miserable night.
Cancel trainings and go to the swimming pool or do some gym work with the older individuals.
Involve parents who are always turning up – they can run the water; help with the equipment; stand on the scrum machine. If they are keen then the players will be as well.
Make sure each practice is finished with a fun activity so they are smiling and laughing or a hard activity (with not too much thinking) that makes them feel like the practice has been worthwhile.
Ask the players to wear tracksuits or at least tops over their practice jerseys. You may have to supply a few.

Building Positivism
Do a session on Facebook. Set a quiz. Ask them to do an analysis on the last game. Ask for ideas on new plays or some ideas for training.
Have a ‘warm fuzzy’ night – (Read ‘Motivating Your Players).
Send information to individuals on how they are going; what you would like them to do.
Write out a little card for each player which has three aspects for them to concentrate on over the next few weeks.
Treat them with respect. Demand the same back.

Games
Ensure that all players have at least half a game. Make sure the best players have their time on the side-line as well.
In fact never start with your strongest team then you won’t be leaving the lesser players off when the going is tough in the second half.
Be well prepared each week – let them know that they are there to enjoy themselves but there are also one or two things they can do which will ensure they are improving.
Talk calmly at half time. Make sure all the players are listening. In older teams the leaders may have a say. Ask them questions on what to do in the second half.
Have a “Player of the Day’ vote at the end of the game. There might even be an award of some sort.
Make sure they leave with a positive skip in their step.

Handling Problems
If it is a player that you cannot control then organise a meeting with the parents on their own initially and then involve the child. Make a plan. Remember, there is normally a reason that the child is a problem. Can you get to the bottom of it? As a coach that is one of your responsibilities.
If it is a parent you should organise a meeting with that person and have your assistant coach/manager with you. Be well prepared with the questions you intend to ask.
If it is team culture (lots of bad behaviour) then time needs to be spent discussing aspects with the team and with individuals within the team. Get the team to draw up their own ‘code of conduct’.
If it is supporters in general call a meeting of all the parents and tell them how you and the players feel and ask them to get onside. Get someone from the school/rugby union to speak to them.
If it is another coach or manager call a meeting and set some specific role requirements. Clear the air or get rid of that person (in as nice a way as possible). Use the school and club to do this along with yourself.
If it is parents ringing up remain calm and answer the questions honestly. Normally the parent will have calmed down the next day and an apology will be forthcoming.

Read these ‘Articles’:
Improving Your Coaching. Choose a few questions on the sheet and ask your players to fill the sheet in. (Older teenagers)
Motivating Players. Some ideas on activities that will build some positivism.
Refocussing The Team. Ideas on what to do half way through a season.