Re: Head Coach Approaching
Substitute
30 April, 2012 01:05
In my mind you ae all missing the point.
A few years back a spent some time in the then academy system (not Bath mind
).
It basically proceeds like:
-Player arrives
-Player is given nutrition and strength booklet and regime
-Player is told not to continue playing for thier rugby club.
-Player is told to make the long journey midweek to the academy centre to run into tackle bags and admire the truly great players in the team (none of which made it).
There was no real skills training, there was certainly no encouragement of 'heads-up' rugby and worst of all, I played less rugby in that time than I did in the rest of my youth. Not to mention the alarmingly high injury rate.
What would I do? Look at the US system (for most sports but excluding Rugby). The players there have to prove themselves on the field rather than in the training room to earn their spot on a team. (They have a similar system in Ireland). These children need to playing rugby outside the regimented mindset of the English academy.