Small is OK
Small is Okay
It has been a pleasure watching the local Francis Douglas Memorial College 1st XV playing this season to appreciate that big isn’t always better.
This is a boy’s school with a medium sized role and medium sized players, glued together with high quality school and individual values and a ton of enthusiasm for the game of rugby.
I’m sure there are many other schools with the same values but within this environment there are a number of factors which have lead to this squad of boys having a great deal of success on the playing field, which is obviously one of the aims when coaching at this level.
The main ingredient which has gelled this group in to a good team and a great bunch of boys is provided by Head Coach and MIC Rugby & Sport, Tim Stuck, who believes in developing the person ahead of the player. This is a school where rugby is important but not at the expense of all else.
Cricketers are not released until the end of cricket season, allowances are made for the top basketballers to play rugby in a team that only practices occasionally, top rugby players are invited to attend extra sessions run by the TRFU and the school but they are not compulsory and not too demanding on the students time, and educational standards need to be met according to the level of the student rather than rugby getting in the way of studying.
Along with assistant coach Steve Simpson, who has also had his turn as Head Coach, the boys are provided with two individuals who believe in quality coaching time rather than a large quantity of time. This has kept this squad keen and enthusiastic and obviously always looking forward to the training sessions. This enthusiasm has been infectious and carried on in to the games.
The real key from these two coaches though is that they understand the strengths and weaknesses of their individuals and they have devised a game plan that suits. It sounds like an obvious thing to do but if you look around you will see much coaching based on how the coaches used to be coached, on what is seen on television from a whole host of professional teams that are so limited in their approach it appears as though every team has the same coach, and from information taken from coaching clinics which do not differentiate between individuals and teams because of their nature.
This is a smallish team that rely on good technique at the contact to produce quick ball, a clear understanding and plan of how to move the ball by hand and create threats for the opposition without having to make contact at every opportunity, and a technically well drilled team at set pieces. It is a pleasure to watch them play without neither an overload of hitting in to contact nor passing the ball without purpose.
Of course there are a couple of other ingredients which drive this group and they may be harder to find in other teams. The captain Cameron Keech is a thinking man’s prop with the ability to perform all captaincy and playing tasks with thought and skill; there are two Barretts and a Crowley which provide plenty of rugby pedigree and open side flanker Liam Doherty is a leading academic in the school. Not all teams are this fortunate.
This group do provide plenty to ponder over when you are looking at ways of coaching your team.
• Quality rather quantity when it comes to training.
• Coach according to the strengths of your players and don’t copy others unnecessarily.
• Empower the boys. You’d be surprised how much they have to offer.
• Make sure they are enjoying themselves.
• Understand your players and develop their uniqueness as individuals and players.
Good luck.