I don’t want to plagiarise here, but I cannot remember who coined this phrase. I think it might have come from New Zealand mental coaching guru Dave Hadfield who said it in one of his brilliant articles on the part of the game which occurs ‘upstairs’. Then again, it might also have come from All Blacks assistant coach, Wayne Smith, who is a noted student of the game, especially in matters of the mind. Either way, both men have discussed at length in articles via the NZRU or Dr. Lynn Kidman’s books on the need for players to be in touch with all the mental aspects of competing in sport. The higher one gets to elite competition, I feel, the more mental toughness, focus and maturity becomes a part of the criteria for success. At the lower levels, however, I think there are many aspects which should still be addressed in the build up to games and will discuss a few of these as the team I am currently coaching heads into regional and (hopefully!) provincial playoffs. The first, involves providing an environment from the onset which encourages players to try new things and to support / help frame their decision making.
Having the ‘courage to fail’ really stuck out for me when I first read it as it seemed contradictory to all that we work toward as coaches. No one truly likes to lose, and we are working toward performance and outcome successes, so what does it mean to actually embrace failure? In short, we should be willing to support and guide our athletes in moving out of their comfort zones to try new things which will increase their abilities and awareness. I think this takes place in three aspects that need to be championed by coaches so that players can develop confidence and set the bar higher. They are:
1. Seizing Opportunities – Too often coaches slavishly adhere to patterns of play and sequencing which have no flexibility. While I support that such things can provide players with focus the downside – and often a crucial one – is that when opportunities exist that are not ‘part of the plan’, players either miss them altogether or are afraid to choose them for fear of coach retribution. One example that immediately stands out occurred in a ‘big game’ last season involving a team I was assisting. At one particular scrum 35m from the opposition try line we had a nice 20m blind side with the defending winger sitting 15m back. Not one to give instructions to players on the field in the middle of the game, I let them play it out without saying anything. I was a bit disappointed to see the ball go open side from scrum to fly half, wondering why they didn’t opt for an 8-9-14 move on the blind side? Was it lack of awareness, sticking to the head coach’s typical plan, or fear of picking the ‘wrong’ option with regard to the game plan? In such cases, I always advise players to make informed decisions based on our strengths and limitations and consider the same of the opposition. Logically thought out as such, there are no bad decisions so long as they are done with determination and appropriate support. Going ‘off script’ has created some of the greatest tries in history, so why do many coaches discourage this by enforcing robotic patterns of play to their teams?
2. Taking Calculated Risks – This is similar to the previous condition, but I think these situations are not so much about opportunities that are obvious but occur in the middle of action as a result of a split second decision. One classic example is the 50/50 pass. If you watch enough Southern Hemisphere (mostly Kiwi and Aussie) rugby, you will see this regularly. Winger running down the touch line, support not quite in position for a proper pass, possibly about to be bundled into touch by covering defenders, fires a behind-the-back no-look pass to space and … the opposition get it OR a team mate gets it. Many coaches in Canada that I have encountered would frown on such practice. I would say done in the right part of the field, it’s an incredible attempt to maintain continuity or at least calculate a return of possession. If this desperate, but calculated pass was made inside the opposition 22 and if a team mate catches it, we’ve still got a chance to score. If the opposition catches it, given the position, they would be likely to kick it out and give us a lineout. Holding onto the ball simply gives them the lineout without even trying and as such the courage to ‘fail’ is the courage to take calculated risks to provide us opportunities to score. ‘Calculated’ is the key term here, with ‘risk’ only being a reminder of the importance of carefully and logically considering that calculation. I would hope that none of my players would try a 50/50 pass inside OUR 22 area, but as the Force showed the other day you can back yourself and do unorthodox things like score a try from your own in-goal area if you weigh all the US vs. THEM factors quickly, confidently and with the support of your team mates.
3. Making Opportunities Where They Do Not Exist – There are times in matches, especially for lesser able teams, when the defence is well organised and not providing any options and/or team mates aren’t helping either. In such cases, players should have the confidence to take a ‘calculated risk’ and MAKE an opportunity where the easier option isn’t an obvious possibility. In all but the highest of leagues where there is a range of intelligence on the opposition (knowledge of rosters, reports, video, etc.), you never know what sort of team you will face, so I always encourage players to acquire a wide range of skills and consider a number of possibilities for any given situation. I don’t like laying out rules for situations because each is different given the particular circumstances at that point in the match. Players should therefore be allowed to practice a variety of options – emphasising the need for more situation-based practices rather than drill-based! – that can be used at crucial moments. There are other occasions where even just one player has to take the initiative to provide an opportunity for him/herself or team mates, again highlighting that coaches should be guiding the decision making process at training and supporting calculated decisions at game time. One great example from this past weekend was Waratahs’ full back Kurtley Beale’s chip ahead that led to a crucial score in a match that decided who was going to the Super 14 finals. As you will see in the first few seconds of this video, the Hurricanes’ defence is unrelenting and despite trying to change direction a few times, the Waratahs cannot find a way through. Even the announcers felt Beale’s kick was a poor choice, but one never can predict the bounce of a rugby ball …
In each of these cases, the potential to lose possession is high and the potential to score is often quite low. Coaches tend to worry too much about these factors without considering that without the courage to attempt the risky, especially against a well organised team, you might never score anyway! For teams that are not so good these are risks they have to take to actually improve their chances of scoring, despite what the percentages might say. For them, as well as teams that are already relatively good within their competition group, they should always be trying new things to improve upon their own abilities. When challenged by those who react negatively to taking risks, I ask them in return: Why be satisfied with mediocrity? Is not the fun of playing any sport being as successful as one can be? Whether one wins or loses is irrelevant if someone feels satisfied with their performance, and even in a losing cause – as I had been in on many occasions as a school boy – one should set personal performance goals to realise true success. Attempting a ‘risky’ chip and chase when no support seems immediately available or a no-look offload when about to be pushed into touch inside the opposition 22 are ways in which a player can create extra opportunities to score when they were ‘not on’ otherwise. Having such courage – and coach support – to try new things and push their own boundaries allows players to move out of their comfort zone and become confident, more able and happier players. Instilling a ‘Culture of Possibility’ (rather than conservatism / negativity) from the beginning of the season will ensure this will occur.
Thanks!
I really liked this one… except for the underlying bragging about Laurier 😉