tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37313627.post841015857731875250..comments2023-10-17T06:42:54.841-07:00Comments on Put me in Coach!: On the definition of high level rugby ....Just call me coach....http://www.blogger.com/profile/13100926178851383406noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37313627.post-26908601413616491372007-07-20T09:48:00.000-07:002007-07-20T09:48:00.000-07:00I agree that optimally, you want to teach players ...I agree that optimally, you want to teach players decisioning making early and often. However, I have concerns about safety issues. Although I constantly try to emphasize to my players that going into contact is the last option we end up working on the point of contact in practice a lot because they need to know how to do this safely and with confidence. I agree 100% that teaching other options is critical, and as the team as advanced more we are able to do more of that but given that. Dealing with the point of contact means address safety as well as ball retention issues. My first season coaching we had more concussions than I can count and that number has decreased tremendously. I'm pretty happy about that.<BR/><BR/>I think your point about letting players make mistakes is great. It is the only way to learn. I think one of the hardest thing to overcome (especially coaching women) is the player's fear of making mistakes. There is a general culture that mistakes are bad- and I think that is the wrong attitude. Trying to instill the notion that mistakes are OK (as long as you learn from them and work hard to make up for them) has been the hardest thing of all to teach. I'm still not convinced I've been successful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37313627.post-20707293891223376162007-07-19T17:07:00.000-07:002007-07-19T17:07:00.000-07:00I think that you make a great point with regards t...I think that you make a great point with regards to developing the individual over grasping the win, which I think is a whole topic unto itself, but I look at some of the players on the MARFU-u23 team, Sherri for example, who in a very, very short amount of time went from learning the bare bones game to making the National pool. I think that one of the advantages that she has had, is the fact that the majority of her coaching has been at a higher level of rugby. When you begin to coach a player in the vien of "these are your options" (take into contact, pass, tactically kick, or evasion) it dosent allow too much of the muscle memory to take place. But on that same note, Sherri is also an amazing athlete who CAN do all of those options with great success, I am not sure if I could coach ALL of those options to majority of my current players.<BR/><BR/>So I guess my point is, given athletic players, one can coach more decision critical play.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37313627.post-36356811649533722662007-07-19T13:04:00.000-07:002007-07-19T13:04:00.000-07:00You know, I love your example, b/c it describes me...You know, I love your example, b/c it describes me. It is been a real, ongoing struggle to convince myself to do something with the ball other than take it into contact.Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02529595734767616715noreply@blogger.com