CPD during the Lockdown!

There is always a silver lining and some positivity to come out of every difficult situation and that includes the COVID-19 chaos. When I started up my coaching business in February, I had no idea that the country was going to be put in lockdown. Clearly, not the best start to my new venture, but I am an optimistic person and my glass remains half full. Coaching has stopped as we know it and unfortunately that has prevented me from offering a number of services. Obviously, this is not ideal but what it has enabled me to do is really take stock of myself as a coach, my coaching philosophy, spend more time on networking, build up my website and social media platforms. Reflection is such an important cog in the wheel. In normal circumstances, I would be working tirelessly and moaning that there are not enough hours in the day - this lockdown period has provided me with extra time (which as we all know is a rarity and complete luxury) to plan, organise and research valuable areas that I would not have been able to.

More importantly, however, it has allowed me to take full advantage of the wonderful webinars and zoom calls that have taken place. The rugby community has come together and the RFU should be applauded for offering such high-quality learning experiences that are accessible for all. Essentially free CPD training with some of the best coaches and minds in the game - this will undoubtedly prove invaluable for both myself personally but also my business and future clients. I have been fortunate to have tuned into a number of them so I thought I would pass on some of my notes and thoughts from the best 2 thus far.

The first webinar which really struck a chord with me was Eddie Jone's Coaching Talk - not many better people to learn from - someone who has been there / done it and experienced pretty much everything you can in the game. Here are some of the key things I took away from his methods:

SESSION DESIGN

-Players are decision-makers -60% unstructured play

-Coach gives structure ->Intensity = >Performance

-Game Intensity Key (ideally above the expected match) -Plan but be prepared to adapt

-Know your game -Observe - Coach on the run (allow fluidity)

-Highlight key episodes in the game -Drop in and out of sessions (allow others to coach)

-Core skills / Game related -Have a common language - simplify

KEY FOCUSES

-Importance of core skills (building blocks) -Particularly higher in younger players

-Always go back to basics -They are the building blocks for success

-Add in constraints -Practice in game-related scenarios

-Common Language to help leaders -Short sharp phrases / Leaders pass it to team

INDIVIDUAL COACH DEVELOPMENT

-Ongoing CPD every 3 months -Focus on 1 coaching tool (work with co-coaches)

-Learn from other sports -Find a mentor /take advice on board (both + and -)

-Insist on Highest Standards -Both on and off the field

-RELATIONSHIPS KEY! -Care/Trust/Success (individualise/know players)

-Find a way to engage players -Blank eyes on players = COACH'S FAULT

Coaching environment should have the following:

CHALLENGES / STIMULUS / PURPOSE / ENJOYMENT

Another key inspiration for me was to hear how humble, hardworking and dedicated Eddie is to improve himself. A quote from the great man and one that pretty much sums the coaching journey up:

"If you want to keep coaching you've got to keep improving and understand you'll never become a good coach, you're just trying to be a good coach".

Moving on to Stuart Lancaster and his webinar on attacking principles. Another fantastic coach to learn from and take some ideas into my own coaching style and allow me to further analyse how I go about things.

BEFORE YOU START...

-Clarity on what your philosophy is?

-How you see the game

-Off-field standards

-START WITH THE END IN MIND

GAME OF MOVEMENT IS KEY!

-Ball carrier takes on initiative

-Role of Support players/change of angles

-Mindset of individuals + team

-High intensity / Game-based

-Technical skills pre/post-training

GAMES TO PLAY:

-Offload Touch -Retreat Touch

-2 Touch -Single touch

-Ruck Touch -2 ball touch

-Lift Touch -Transitional touch

10 top tips from Stuart to improve coaching:

1. Multi-skilled players - all players should be able to have the skill set to run, pass, kick etc.

2. Phase Play Code - have plays up the sleeve and train and perfect them (way to break down good defences).

3. Good width, alignment + shape (scanning effectively).

4. Speed of ball/urgency

5. Focus on basics - where is best space and be prepared to train kick space.

6. Play at pace / high tempo - challenge opposition - can they match us.

7. Sometimes have to play through the lines.

8. Work rate off the ball.

9. Speed to connect with line breaks.

10. Decision making is key - players must be provided with opportunities in training.

Coaching environments should contain the following:

FITNESS / GAMES / INTENSITY / PHASE PLAY CODE

Lots of fabulous information to take away and Like Eddie, Stuart is clearly an incredible thinker, has a great work ethic, looking for ways to improve and bring greater variety to his training methods.

This webinar really resonated with me and my own love of attacking and expansive rugby. The essence of any philosophy is to instill this withing your coaching environment and ensure your players buy-in but also have the training environment and exposure to carry it out. Moreover, your players should not be limited or constrained by the number on the back of your shirt - this was central to Stuart's coaching philosophy.

A quote and something that I will take away:

"The biggest challenge is to change the mentality of players from playing contact to playing space and keeping the ball alive. Defences like the ball on the ground to slow down and regroup. Therefore as an attacking unit, we should work to develop the opposite".

For me, these 2 webinars have been inspiring, insightful, thought-provoking and refreshing. Some things that I will add to my sessions will be the following:

- Repetition / Variety - Encourage good habits in training - Empower players more

- More intensity - Game-based / technique pre and post - Plan in advance/tweak nearer

- Stick to principles - Understand what you are trying to achieve. - Small 1%s

A key message, I try to give to the players I coach is to improve on their work ons and the areas of their game they are not as strong on - to be true to them, I need to do the same with my coaching. I have spent a lot of time focusing on the areas of my coaching which needs work.... continuous learning process... but one I absolutely love and one I am incredibly passionate about.

2 other key aspects which have significantly helped in my own coaching sphere and probably others can relate to:

- Teaching experience (15 years in education)

- Being a father (Extra emphasis on building relationships and individualising methods)

In Summary:

I hope these reflections and notes provide useful for other coaches and I would love to see what takeaways other people took away from these sessions / or philosophies they may also have.

James Kaminski

JK Rugby Coaching & Mentoring