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THE HAMSTER WHEEL OF COACHING
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The domestic club rugby season for 2015-16 in Scotland has just finished. The club I coach, Heriots RFC have managed to do the double by winning both the BT Premiership League and BT Cup finals. The double is a cracking achievement and is testament to the player’s and backroom staff’s hard work and application throughout a long season.
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Like the majority of the clubs in the Scottish Premiership, we are a semi-professional club with players having to juggle training and playing commitments around hectic professional and personal lives. It is absolutely right that the players enjoy a few well-earned beers, wind down and reflect on what has been a successful season.
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My fellow coaches and I will also be reflective, however our minds will also be firmly set on the challenges of next season. Having won the league final in last year in 2014-15, we know exactly how it feels like to be the team that people raise their game for. This brings with it a massive challenge around our player’s mindset for each and every game.
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Indeed, next year’s challenge is arguably even greater, as despite winning the league final, we only finished 3rd in the regular season with Ayr - our opponents in the final - the runaway winners of the league leaders’ shield and the form team all year. This will bring with it a natural sense of injustice for many in the league and perhaps heighten their desire to turn us over next year. It is therefore important that we as coaches endeavour to instil an even more robust edge in next year’s group.
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One of the major challenges we now face is in the retention of our players. A few of players are leaving for a variety of reasons and it is vitally important that those players who return next year drive a winning culture. It is indeed a huge positive that so many of the squad that are returning, having just experienced winning two knockout competitions. This is an invaluable experience to tap into as we strive to build belief and confidence in what will be a new group of players come July and the start of pre-season training.
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With players moving on comes the process of recruitment. It is an exciting and extremely challenging aspect of the job and the process of meeting players from other clubs for a coffee, speaking on the phone or Skype is actually a very good learning process as you delve into their current clubs approach and their motivations as an individual.
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Like the All Blacks we try and apply a ‘no d**kheads’ rule when recruiting. We try and get players that are keen to put the team first and people who will engage positively with the club on and off the field.
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Another major challenge is to keep things fresh! We accept that the old saying of ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it!’ will not be good enough next season and we have a job on our hands to keep players motivated in the messages that are being delivered at training and in games. In depth discussions with our leadership group will form a part of this process.
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This player ownership is seen as vital as they are the ultimately the ones who pick up the ball and run with it. They are also a source of innovation as we as coaches can become turgid in our approaches and beliefs. It is great to be challenged and we hope that this is the culture that exists in our club.
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As a coaching team we are 4 years into our journey at Heriots RFC and we are keen to continue to improve as coaches and improve the players we work with. For all players at any level interested in joining Heriots RFC, pre-season starts at Goldenacre on Tuesday 5th July at 18.45.
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