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Junior Member
 
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Last Login: 14/08/2010 20:21:43
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| I'm currently working in the USA for 6 months and have got invloved with coaching a local team. In the UK the teams I have coached have been reasonably successful and I always employ a style that empowers players to make decisions and think them through. However I am finding it very difficult to get these Americans to actually adapt to this style - decision making is shambolic and there is open reluctance to play a thinking game. They would rather be told exactly what to do from kick off to the final whistle. Having spoken to a couple of expat South Africans who work and play here the only explanation they can offer is that the coaching of American football is very dictatorial and their players do exactly what the coach says without ever deviating from the "play". I am almost ready to walk away so if anyone has any ideas I'd be most grateful!!!
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Forum Newbie
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| Having a lack of exposure to the game at a young age, but still wanting to play well (thus "the coach knows what to do, so just tell us what to do and where to go"), are the two main reasons for this attitude. My advice is to break it down to the most simple aspect of "thinking rugby" and progress from there, eventually they will find it liberating. It is must harder for you to do, and may take longer for measurable success on the field, but if you are commited, then stick to it. Go over things like, "why do you pass the ball", and enforce it with games with simple rules and easily measured outcomes, like "keep away". Hope this helps. Drew
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Supreme Being
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| The empowerment technique is powerful in the right environment. You have to create that environment over time and sometimes this means regressing to "tell" more than you might want to. Without knowing the specific details of what you have done already, here are some ideas: 1. A meeting with the players to discuss your "way". They might tell you why they don't respond and you can start to break down some of these barriers. 2. Disorganised games or chaos games (biased refs, strange pitch dimensions, two balls, on the side of a hill). Adjust the chaos to suit the players. The players will have to make even more decisions and be taken further out of their comfort zone. 3. Who are the prime movers in the team. Talk to them. Finally - little steps on the long journey. I sympathise with your problem, because there are plenty of "unbelievers" in whatever cause you hold. Sometimes it takes time and conviction and sometimes they will never believe. Their loss!
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Junior Member
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| Thanks for the comments gents. There is a huge amount of potential in the USA and it can be quite frustrating to watch some really gifted players being held back by the limitations of those around them. I have used the "little steps" approach but there is also a "results now" culture here - for example handling has been poor, so if we do a variety of simple handling drills (variety being key to avoid boredom etc) for 2 or 3 sessions, the attitude "We've done handling, let's move on" flavours the session. In fairness I actually took a session on my own (without the American coaches being present) last night and the response from the players was great - the response to a linked series of drills to improve handling and support running saw a tangible improvement from the majority. Perhaps the influence/presence of the American coaches (who are very shouty!) is slightly intimidating and no one wants to make a decision in case they might make a mistake? I shall stick at it!
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Forum Newbie
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Having coached men and women at HS, College and Club level here in the states I can tell you that the more experience players have, the easier it is to coach decision making. I currently coach a U19 side that is VERY new. The program has only been in place 2 years and this year we only had 5 returning players. The rest graduated or moved.
As one poster mentioned. The key is to break it down to the very simplest concepts and build from there. I tell the kids at the beginning of each season that there are two fundamental concepts in rugby and that every time I ask them a question they have a 50-50 chance of getting the right answer. Those two concepts being "space" and "contact". As players they need to control contact and create and attack or defend and close space. (of course they then have to justify the answer)
I then incorporate these two concepts into every single detail of what they do and learn. Very quickly they begin thinking in those two modes. Once they do this, they quit thinking about "plays", and "set responses" to things that happen in drills or matches. From that point forward they are making independent decisions with every action or reaction and don't even realize it.
It is very, very easy to break down even the most complicated concepts of rugby into space or contact. And using this approach, it is very very easy for American players to rapidly progress from the basics to the free from decision making rugby requires.
One other point to repeatedly stress -especially with college and younger players- is that you will never punish your players for independent decision making or for making a wrong decision. As someone noted, US sports tend to be very dictatorial. Players are not only discouraged from independent decision making in most cases, but are often actively punished for it- extra running, getting benched or not starting, etc.
Where are you coaching in the states and what level (U19, college, club, etc). I'd be happy to give you a call and discuss this in more detail. I've found the "Space and Contact" approach very successful; even at club level where even guys with experience are often executing rote action and reaction with out understanding the "why" of it, which of course limits adaptability and on the fly decision making.
Cheers!
Pat
Arkansas Youth Rugby Association
Arkansas Youth Rugby Association
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Junior Member
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| Thanks for that Pat. I'm coaching in Tampa and the team is a senior mens team, ages ranging from early 20's to early 40's. As I'm only helping out for the 6 months I am here I have to play second fiddle to the Head Coach (quite rightly). However his coaching methods are a cross between old fashioned South African and dictatorial US Football Coach! As mentioned under these circumstances individuals are chastised venomently!!!!
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Supreme Being
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Forum Guru
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I would add another twist to the discussion -- I'm an American coach as well, and what I've been discovering and starting to do is the benefits of putting the right patterns or frameworks in place to allow them to succeed.
On any given phase, there are countless decisions that have to be made by each player -- in particular, your primary decision-makers (the halves).
For new players this is the hardest part of learning the game -- what one of you referred to as "game sense". If you play a structured/patterned/sequenced style of play, you can reduce the number of decisions that have to be made, and increase the likelihood that the best decision will be made.
For example, if you have a lineout and run a sequence where you'll hit it up in the midfield, and have the support pods come around the same way 2x before reversing field and seeing if you've been able to create gaps by stretching the defense, then now these decision-makers have a finite number of decisions to make, and the support players know where they need to be as well. Certainly, in all of these phases in the sequence, they should be playing what's in front of them, and if an opportunity is there, should take it.
Contrast this with a lineout where the inexperienced decision-maker has to choose the best of numerous options: kick, go short, go wide, what move to run, etc., etc.
By using structured play, you avoid the "paralysis by analysis" of having too many decisions to make and not enough experience, training and repetitions to narrow those decisions down to a manageable set. You don't want them to be robots, but you want to provide a structure in which they can operate at a certain comfort level that's within their capabilities and experience.
Thoughts?
Nipper
Nipper
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Supreme Being
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An interesting dilemma! Some great advice given by other posters too. I can see how players coming to rugby from a gridiron football ("football") background will be much more used to the structured offence and defence of that game and less familiar with the less structured game that is rugby. I wonder how many of your squad have played much basketball? If they have they will be quite used to a free flowing, "play what you see" game. Perhaps if the players think of rugby as more like basketball with tackles rather than football without armour you might have a way in. As others have noted, some game sense games would be excellent - how about rugby basketball!
As has been noted elsewhere, do not throw out the baby with the bathwater though. If your players are comfortable with a more structured offence, fine. Similarly with defence. If your players had certain known responses to common moves, scissors, inside ball etc for example - they would be ahead of many union teams in the world! As they get more experience they will be better at dealing with what happens after the set play has run its course.
Do not ignore the useful skills your squad will have from football. In the UK it is hard to get players to adopt good 2, 3 or 4 point stances in ruck edge defence or elsewhere. You should not have this issue. Footwork and starting stances are highly developed in football. Have your players use wide receiver 2 point stances when waiting to advance in either attack or defence. Players with a football background (esp. any player who has played DB or LB) will also be far better at back peddling and shuffling sideways than any rugby player. They should also be able to do this in a low "hitting" stance. They will know how to come out of a back peddle or shuffle with correct footwork. Talk to them about cross over steps, back peddling, T steps, cut steps, drop steps. Explore how you can use this footwork to get players into positions faster and in better shape, esp to make tackles. A defensive player who can move laterally without turning his hips towards the sideline will get to the tackle faster and will be in a better position to make a dominant tackle - that's why football developed the skill! If a player turns sideways, he has wasted time, facing sideways he is also very vulnerable to a cut back. To make a forceful front on tackle he must then turn back upfield - more wasted time. In reality he will not have time and will make a side on or rear tackle and concede territory. Not only that but the ball carrier may well have got beyond the gain line so his teammates will have an easier job clearing out the ruck etc etc.
They will be used to exploding very fast into plays, this can be useful. They will also know a lot about blocking and defeating blocks ("block shedding") - you can use these skills, esp. around the ruck where clearing out and counter rucking is playing the man without the ball - blocking basically. The techiques they have in the OL to move players about with blocks could be useful in the offensive ruck. Also the block shedding techniques of DLs and LBs might be worth looking at in defensive counter rucking. A session or two spend getting the players to explain these to you and working with them to explore how these skills might be used in rugby. Look also at the "hand off" when the QB hands the ball to a runner - there is mileage there too. Catching technique is also interesting DBs, TEs and WRs will be the guys to speak to. Note that DBs (corners and safeties) and LBs will probably have learned ball stripping techniques to rip the ball off a receiver the moment after it has been caught (whilst making the tackle) - they must not make contact before the ball is caught, have a look at that too.
In summary, although football and rugby are very different, football has been highly professional for a long time and has worked out things to an unbelievably detailed level, something 10 yrs of professionalism in RU cannot hope to match. Take the best of what your players have from their native games and blend it into rugby. It should be an interesting experience for all concerned!
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 14/08/2010 20:21:43
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| All the comments from the various posters have been greatfully received. However I am no longer coaching this particular side. The current Head Coach of the team (unqualified by the way!) is an American-South African and is stuck in the past of how South Africans played the game 30 years ago. My contribution to practice sessions did not fit in with what he wanted to do - play touch for 30 mins, then 'scrimmage'. The last straw for me was a few weeks ago on a Thursday night session, two days before important games for the A and B teams. he had them go all out at each other for 80 minutes. This sheer lunancy reaped it's rewards on the saturday with two defeats. I am disappointed as the players are asking me when I am coming back as they were enjoying the sessions. The main point to come from all this is that unqualified coaches in the USA are holding back the development of the game in America. Surely a club (wherever it is in the world) is entitled to have a qualified coach?
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