The expansion of rugby tournaments and academies across Thailand is heartening to see, with the Vagabonds in Phuket and Lanna and Cobra rugby clubs in Chiang Mai fine examples of such. Young players get so much enjoyment out of demonstrating their skills and the camaraderie that goes with training and meeting your opponents after the match. Enjoyment is absolutely the key word.
Rugby Union coaches must understand the phrase, “Teach Technique, Coach Performance.” Rugby union games have a lot of physical contact and, while many young players love the rough and tumble, the size and speed of such players can vary enormously, despite being the same age.
It is therefore important to teach both individual and unit skills, the most important of which is tackle technique. Being able to tackle players of all shapes and sizes gives a young player confidence and will leave parents far more confident and comfortable leaving their son or daughter in safe hands. Overload games such as 9 vs 6 or 7 vs 4 are great games for letting players demonstrate their skills. Remember to keep rotating the players.
Young players can get to a high level of play at a very young age and that includes international level. By that time, they will be well versed in the technical, physical and mental aspects of the game. Some young players are natural game players.
Some years ago, I was working for Leicester Tigers on one of their summer coaching courses at Swaffam Rugby club in Norfolk in the UK where 120 boys and girls attended and many parents stayed to watch. At around 12noon the chef came out of the clubhouse and waved in my direction. I thought he was signalling lunch. I marched my “army” of kids and parents up to the clubhouse.
Lunch wasn’t ready; he was just waving to a friend. “About another 20 minutes,” he informed me as my anxiety at keeping my little ravenous army in check increased!
Lunch aside, I had been designing a 4-phase passing and footwork practice but had not used it. Now was my chance – afterall, he who dares wins, I thought.
Groups of 5 faced each other 20 meters apart. The ball is passed along the line and then handed over to the opposite group who repeat the passing. The second phase requires the 5 who have just handed the ball over to backstep in a line back to where they started. The 5 with the ball just carry on passing then they hand the ball over and back step.
The 3rd phase requires the backstepping 5 to interchange position as they back step, while the 4th phase introduces decision making. If as you receive a pass a space opens in front of you, because the players are interchanging, you must react instinctively and accelerate through the space.
After a few nervy issues, Ben Youngs appeared in one of the groups. He was 14 years old. On the 3rd phase his footwork was electric, so much that my army went quiet. Everyone was spellbound. More than 20 years later, I have still not seen that practice done better.
If you coach young players, you have a huge responsibility to ensure teach technique is a fundamental part of your session. Ben went on to play for Leicester Tigers 1st team at the age of 16 away at Sale on 2 years later! Players develop quickly when they can identify when to use correct technique and Ben went on to play 127 times for England.
Players will be far more coachable if you have taught them the basic skills correctly. The day you turn up to take a session and you haven’t prepared is the day you risk losing the players, because even at an early age they will work you out.
Remember, “every international player was a 12-year-old boy or girl once.”
The Global Rugby Coach, Mike Penistone, is a globally renowned professional rugby coach based in Phuket who is also an ambassador for the Asia Center Foundation, a charity for disadvantaged children. For more information visit: www.rugbycoachingconsultancy.com.