Every team has varying player abilities, and you need to keep them involved and interested. You can develop them every session – and here’s how.
By Dan Cottrell
01
Games
Games are natural discriminators of ability, where each player can find his level. On match days, a scrum half will be a better passer, a prop stronger in contact and a winger quicker over 20m.
In training games, these players can use their strengths for the good of the rest of the players, relying on their team mates where they are not so strong.
You can use constraints within the training games to challenge the players (see below). You can also give leadership roles to the players. For example, one player can be the captain of the defence, another for attack.
Don’t think that games are just “touch rugby” because that can only work for a few players. Use contact situations or games within scenarios to test players. Also, change the size of the pitch. A larger pitch will be good for players who are fit and fast. A smaller pitch will be better for slower and larger players.
Look for games that push players to their own limits. Let them come up with rule changes so they can take ownership of their own development. The better players will be able to take more part in this aspect.
02
Challenges
Before a session, see if you can give private challenges to individual players. Weaker players will have simpler challenges, such as completing a front-on tackle while stronger players will have a more difficult task like getting team mates into the game. It might even be about accuracy or leadership.
As the players become used to this sort of approach, ask them to set their own challenges. You could give them one challenge and they could give you another one.
If you have the facility, have them write the challenge up on a board before the session and then they can tick it off at the end.
03
Graduated pressure
Pressure to perform techniques reveals true ability. You can give players windows of achievement to aim for. For instance in a 2v1 handling activity, you can say: “First, work on your strong hand pass. If you have cracked that, try the weaker hand. Then, try passing with just one hand.”
Players like the idea of moving up a level, just like they might in a computer game. Again, challenge them to come up with their own progressions.
04
Break out groups
If you have enough coaches, use break out groups during the session. Pull out three or four players of similar ability to focus on a particular skill while the others continue the main session. They work on that skill for two minutes before returning to the game.
Don't make it obvious that there's a split in ability. The break out groups might be doing the same activity, just at a different intensity.
With the better groups, you could give the players an extra element to achieve. For example, in a tackle practice, the better players might look to be on their feet challenging for the ball post-tackle. In a passing practice, you might ask them to run a different line to vary the length of the pass.
Balance and compromise
Not every activity will work for all players. Over the whole session you should balance difficulty levels so sometimes the best are under pressure, which might be to the detriment of the less able. Or go back to basics where the higher ability players will find the activity very easy. However, you can still test them by asking them for 100% accuracy.