Junior Rugby Coaching: Trusting the Process

“If today you’re bad, but tomorrow you’ll become less bad. If today you’re good, then tomorrow you need to get better. We train and look to improve every time regardless of the level you’re at.”

Me.

With consistency comes trusting the process. A parent once apologised on behalf of his kid that he's not progressing as much as the other kids. I informed that it's ok as every kid is different and that it takes time. As far as I was concerned, the kid was doing fine and will come around eventually.

The process is derived from:

1. The years of playing rugby and other sports. Along the way, as you get older, you become a player/on field coach.

2. Years of being coached by experienced coaches who have gone through their own grind.

3. Going through World Rugby Certification to be a coach. Currently, I'm World Rugby Level 1 Coaching certified.

4. The coaching experience of 4 years.

Coach Niko (Right) and Jon Chew (Left). Jon at 16 was the youngest player on the team. Things worked out as he became a starter for the team in Cobra's 2018 rugby campaign.

In 2018's Selangor's Diamond League, Cobra was not rated to go far fielding a team with very few known players. But the coaches had a plan and together with the team, trusted themselves that it was the way to go. The club finished 3rd overall surprising quite a few people.

However, when things don't work out as expected you DO start to doubt. Despite the efforts of what you believe as best practice, Are you doing things right?

In November 2018, the club held a Coach the Coaches Session ran by NNK Northlink, a Rugby Team from South Africa. They ran a defensive line drill to which I ask;

"I run the same drill with the kids but it doesn't seem to stick. How do I make it stick?"

Coach Frikkie's response;

"Keep reminding them".

Cobra 10s Mini 2018. Last tournament of the year. The kids were playing their 1st ever Contact Rugby Tournament. The transition process from touch to contact was the main issue for these 8 year olds. It worked out by the 2 teams coming out 1st and 3rd in a field of 5 teams.

Like the pic above, I was reminding the kids that if they want to win, they need to go through the process of playing good rugby i.e. You can't do it alone, passing the ball, supporting each other, keep possession, keep your eyes open and Have fun! Common sense right?

But there are teams that just sticks with the cheese move. It works but its 1 dimensional. i.e. Give the ball to the big guy and just follow. Remember the All Blacks at the Rugby World Cup 1995? It worked until the Final vs the Springboks. Once the main threat could be controlled, the All Blacks struggled to adapt.

REALITY CHECK: There is NO Magic Formula. Trust the Process. Results are not always apparent immediately but it'll work out AND for the better.