The coach is perhaps one of the most important persons in rugby. They have a huge role of building a team that is extremely difficult to beat. It is upon them to bring out the best in players, spot the traits that each player has which will benefit the team at large. Each rugby player has their unique potential. It is upon the coach to tap into these unique attributes and polish them so that these players become on par with international standards. Finally form a team that will set new benchmarks and create match winning history.
The first important step of a coach is – four stages for team formation.
Forming – It comes with the common goal of coming together and playing a game. The coach brings them all together under one roof.
Storming – Coach needs to clear the air, this includes ego clashes and personal discomfort among players to help them play together and in sync. The storm needs to go for players to play and win.
Norming – Break orthodox norms that have not contributed in winning matches. A good coach needs to break these rigid norms and create ones those guarantee results.
Performing – Once all above stages are sorted, focus completely goes into improving performance of players. Team formation was just baby steps and the main challenge of a coach begins much later than that. What are those? A close look:
Motivation
This is the driving force behind success. It is upon the coach to motivate rugby players in the right direction. Motivation is the secret behind success and only a coach can instil that in his team.
Aggression on Field
Aggression is extremely good but only on field. There is a thin line between showing aggression towards the game and towards opponents. The coach needs to maintain this thin line and ensure team members do the same. Aggression is a great way to bring out best among players, provided they are focused enough to show it only towards their performance. Aggression is a key asset in a game of rugby.
Lead the Team from Front/
This pointer comes as no surprise that coach needs to lead the team from the front. Irrespective of wins or loses, coach is always responsible for his team. This is why he needs to lead from the front. Winning and losing is all part of the game, but accepting it with grace makes all the difference. If a coach can set this as example, then it becomes easier for team members to accept everything with grace.
Respect the Game
Love for the game of rugby naturally leads to respecting the game. Coach also needs to make sure that all players have respect towards the game. This gets reflected with the way they interact with players and opponents. It also gets reflected how they handle their rugby equipment. After all, those are their bread and butter and playing well indicates adding marmalade to that as well.
The quality of a coach should be to build a strong foundation with bricks and stones that others throw at him and his team.
