Not everyone can train with discipline and attentiveness. Coaches in schools and clubs are always faced with a few players who lack the conventional attention span! Indeed the rates of Attention Deficit Disorder diagnoses has rocketed in recent years.
For the rugby coach, these kids are easy to spot. They are bundles of energy, extroverted and bouncy, often hanging off the edge of huddles and chatting away, seemingly uninterested in the game/session at hand.
For a weak or stubborn coach, such players can be detrimental to the group. They disrupt, they distract and they appear unwilling to learn or listen.
Many coaches will simply cut these players out in the long run, like blasting a cancer. Yet these players often have the most to offer on the pitch. They respond to stimulation, to pressure, to the immediate nature of sport.
If we are to deal with these players, we must make a few adjustments to how we engage with them. Talk less. Ask questions more. Keep sessions short and sharp. Introduce fresh skills, new plays and reduce the technical load. Challenge them in a meaningful way. Set them targets in matches. Tackle counts, offloads, ruck clearances. Track their progress.
We will rewarded with boundless energy that may produce surprising results.
4 Comments
March 29, 2009 at 2:13 am
Excellent post! I think players who have ADHD/ADD are to be extremely valued in the team context as they are normally the more supreme communicaters within the side. In saying so it is crucial for their energy to be controlled and flowed directly into positive actions to avoid ‘boilover’ situations and sudden outbursts. The use of extrinsic motivation and material reinforcement can be key tools to channeling their energy especially into the finer parts of rugby in such things as kicking and set plays.
March 29, 2009 at 2:36 am
Spot on Corbin. What I have noticed myself is that in the heat of the game these players have a tendency to really get involved. Yet in conventional training they can be disruptive to the chemistry of the group.
As you suggest, channelling their energy is vital in securing the dynamics of the group and harnessing their individual skill sets.
March 29, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I think a strategy that I’ve found that can help is with skills that require a larger amount of attention span eg. explaining a drill or communicating a message, it’s critical that the coach directs related questions at these specific players therefore it allows them to recognise that they need to be ‘on the ball’ as of such and can help minimize disruption.
Great post though, top work!
May 15, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Nice post, and yes, it is challenging but the benefits are great.