The Coaching Journey (9) - Set The Tone
Someone has to set the tone
This is a really nice saying/trigger I picked up watching the TV show Shoresy which I happened to start and finish this week (don’t judge me, it’s how I unwind and I unwind quite a lot haha.) Anyway, I love the saying as it’s a really good way at describing what I expect from players from energy to actions. Do something that will set the tone that we want, the level, the standards and it is something that I will be using going forward to hopefully trigger action when we need it. However, players aside, the idea of set the tone applies to me as a Head Coach and leader too. If I expect a high standard and level of play/execution then I need to do as I ask so this week's Coaching Journey article is focused on the simple yet effective systems and processes I have implemented within the squad in an attempt to create a professional high performance environment. Systems which any coach or club can put in place to help get the best out of its people. I have broken them down into the following areas;
So you might ask the question, you are part of a semi-professional rugby club, surely they have those things in place already? The answer is no, not necessarily. These things are added workload/stress and might seem minute on the priority scale but in the grand scheme of things, they have the ability to play a large part in the success of a high-performance program. Like I said above, simple yet effective because as the saying goes, failure to prepare is preparing to fail. These systems are all very simple as well as cost effective and when I say cost effective, they are free which is always an appealing side, it just takes a little bit of consistency. For me, these systems form the basis of effectively running a high performance team.
Planning and Logistics: From a planning perspective we look at things from a macro level (season plan) and a micro level (monthly/weekly.) The season plan is a wide angle detailed view of the season ahead from pre-season week 1 to the final week of competition. Why is this important? Because it gives you the ability at any given time to see what's coming up, to preempt any potential roadblocks you may face as well as remove any ambiguity from your process. It means you can be clear on your various performance blocks, your desired outcomes for them, manage players loads and what potential facilities you may require. This takes a little bit of time but in the longer run it paints an evolving but clear picture for you to work from as a Head Coach. The micro view, which is weekly/monthly allows us to see our player availability which is vital in order to plan appropriate sessions as well as know who is available or unavailable weekly for selection. This is also used to keep track of national camps as players selected for that may clash with our own sessions.
Medical: From a medical perspective, not many clubs unless fully professional have a medical team that is solely responsible for player health and wellbeing. Most clubs nowadays have access to a physio and that's as far as it goes, depending on their level of involvement there may or not be medical tracking and return to play protocols. Because of the small squad of players we have access to for the whole season, I thought it was vital to have a system in place to manage players' loads and injuries as much as possible. This simple yet effective 5 point system is called a medical check-in. Post every session, players fill out this form which takes 30 seconds, this gives them an average score which automatically updates their tab on a google sheet, thus tracking their load and flagging any possible niggles or injuries for us to highlight with the physio. Not only this, it allows us to adjust the weekly load of the team or of the individuals that may not be recovering well or feeling too well. Like I said, simple yet effective, hopefully saving us a couple of overworked bodies for the long season.
Performance Analysis: From a performance analysis point of view, I am trying to create a culture of self-analysis, autonomy and critical thinking. Hoping players start to search for information themselves regarding their own and the team's performance in order to accelerate growth opportunities. I’ve gone for a holistic approach here; Part one is a Game Analysis form which is focused on the individual, prompting them for look for things they did well, things they didn’t do so well and things they would like to work on as a result going forward. Part two is video analysis sessions every Monday post game. This is in order to highlight the things we are doing well and the potential gaps in performance which we are experiencing at that time, this is coupled with a data set of simple rugby statistics which really highlight where things may be going wrong. Going forward, I am going to start getting players to find their own clips rather than me doing all the work as I am trying to foster a sense of autonomy. Lastly is part three, 1-1 Feedback sessions. These sessions are used to check in with the player about life off the field, get their feedback on themselves, the team and on me, my feedback on them and lastly a plan of action and any potential blockers that may stand in their way of achieving their goals over the next four week period. This whole process is focused on accelerated player development with autonomy at it’s core, can these individuals start thinking critically by themselves.?
Detailed Session Planning: This might seem like a very obvious thing to any coach because session plans are the bread and butter of team performance. You can’t have effective and smooth run sessions without a clear plan. However, session planning your week and adjusting as the week goes on as well as keeping record of all session plans allows you to reflect and to look back in order to find progressions as you move forward. One thing I have found extremely useful in this season so far is making sure that all of these plans are in one place, easily accessible, editable, they are clear and concise and focused on the team's needs.
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Standards, Values and Expectations: Lastly, was making sure the unwritten rules were written and clearly articulated to everyone involved. We all know being a part of a team in a high pressure environment brings with it expected behaviours and standards. However, how many of us actually bring these standards into reality and clearly communicate it with players, management and the club? You see, I operate off the rule that we rise to the standards we set for ourselves, we don’t fall to the standards of anyone else, a play on James Clears words in Atomic Habits. Therefore, for me it was key to clearly lay out the roles and responsibilities of all management and the expected values and behaviours that I look for in the players and other people involved from game day to training and everything in between. This way, there are no grey areas and everyone knows their roles and responsibilities.?
So none of what I have spoken about is game changing in any shape or form, in fact it is probably the baseline that we should all strive for as head coaches because outside of the technical and tactical aspects of performance, there are a few other avenues which we can leverage in order to positively impact the individuals and collective in your team. These systems can take many shapes or forms but as long as they are clear and easy to use while being easily accessible, you are onto a winner. For now, we head into a new game week, looking for our first win of the season, hoping for our first full 80 minute performance, so here’s to setting the tone.
As our new adopted saying goes, we go again, and again, and again.