I coach boys ages 14-18, they have the skills and ability…but so often they play like scared kittens. How can I build fire and desire in my players?
MICHAEL, A MIDDLE SCHOOL coach from KANSAS, MISSOURI
ANSWER
We cannot ignore the fact that players need controlled aggression.
This can be translated into:
• Urgency • Focus • Want
• Commitment • Lack of fear
To develop these areas, your training regime needs to encompass these elements without them being the focus. One great way is to have games where teams are rewarded for showing these elements. Of course, that would be just like the real game.
Therefore, use small-sided games which replicate the main game.
Examples of rewarding play to look for
Going forward in contact
Cross the gain-line after contact
Make tackles, which means coming forward to tackle
An example of a small-sided game that promotes this:
Four team gauntlet
Play with teams of four or five.
Set up a 40m long, 15m wide pitch. One team attacks. The other teams line up on three lines, one 10m from the start of the pitch, the second 20m back, and the third 30m back.
The attacking team aim to break over each line. The ball starts on halfway along the side of the box. That attacker can either pick and pass, or pick and run with the ball. As soon as they touch the ball, the defending group for that box can come forward.
If the attack cross the line with the ball carrier on their feet and not held, they score a point.
If they cross the line but the ball carrier is held in a maul or is off their feet, they are allowed to restart in the next box.
If they fail to cross the line, their go finishes.
Each restart is halfway along the side of the new box.
Once the attackers’ attempt is over, the groups cycle around. Note the way we want to swap around. The back group of defenders will become the attackers. The middle group goes to the back, the front group goes to the middle and the attacking group that have just finished become the front defenders. This should give the new attacking group an edge to start with.
The game promotes all the principles from above while being intense and pressurised.
Adjust the widths to suit your players. The lengths should remain the same, because it gives the attack enough space to develop while encouraging the defenders to come forward. The extra space behind the last group of defenders makes the attackers think they need to get beyond the “gain-line” though they only need to cross the 30m line, not the 40m line.
Develop your players’ skills around the tackle area so they can retain possession if there’s no chance to offload the ball. It requires accurate execution and you have a chance to observe whether your players can achieve this.
Players react quickly to a tackle to protect the tackled player against the first threat. It focuses on the first support player being the player who last passed the ball. MORE
The battle that takes place after the tackle is one of the most underappreciated areas of the game. The 5 F’s give you some ideas as to what to develop in players to gain an attacking advantage in these scenarios.
In many instances, we see the attacker as a passive participant in the tackle until they get to the ground. However, in a number of games, it’s frequently the actions of the attacker in these scenarios that can make a difference to the result. MORE
My U15 team has leaked lots of tries from scrums and lineouts recently. What are the best ways to defend from these set pieces?
The problem lies in the connection between the forwards and the backs. The backs are 5-10m back from the forwards, so when the ball is released, they don’t immediately connect. MORE
Use this simple ball carrying trick to help your players retain more ball in contact. The session works on developing your players’ ability to rip down the ball just before contact whilst, unusually, targeting a defende MORE
In my Ask Dan post, I answer a question I get asked regularly: “my players are skillful but lack aggression when it comes to games - how can I address this?”.
I offered some games and solutions to the question on creating more “aggressive players”. MORE
Develop better handling skills by forcing the players to manipulate the ball with one hand in and around the contact area. This session picks out some one hand contact situations for players to find solutions. MORE