‘Planning for Player

Development’Within a community club setting

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Learning Intentions• Increased awareness of the key factors of

Player Development• Understand the importance of the coaching

environment in developing and retaining players Understand and manage the constraints within your environment to produce a high quality player experience

• Begin to Develop a coaching plan relevant to your role within the club

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FulfillingPotential

Unquestionable Work Ethic

Highly Confident(Team & Individual)

Faster, Stronger (more powerful)

…for longer

Technically & Tactically Proficient

Adaptive to AllChallenges

Committed, Cohesive & Coherent

Self-Determining

The Product of Player Development

24-7 Athlete

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Gearing Up For Talent

+ve-ve

Performance

Technology

Physiological Development

Systems Development

Emotional Development

Holistic

Development

Skill Development

Psychological Development

Family

Friends

Partners

Puberty

Independence

Self esteem

Career

Education

Long term aspirations

Nutrition

Sports Science

Sports Medicine

Competition Preparation

Conflicts

Self-management

Coaching

Adv. training

Technique

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Player Development Philosophy

Player Focused

Coach Enhanced

Environment Supported

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Task3 Groups, mix of clubs and roles;

What does this mean to you?What does it look like?

1.Player Focused

2.Coach Enhanced

3.Environment Supported

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Player FocusedPlayers development needs

– Age appropriate– Experience

appropriate– Focus on now and the

future– Individual and team– Develop person and

player

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Coach Enhanced

• Vision• Support the individual• Appropriate Planning• Applying coaching

systems at the right time

• Layered approach

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Environment Supported • Inclusive• Motivational climate for

improvement• Challenging but within

reach• Encourage communication• Growth Mindset• Develop independent

players• Encourage Curiosity• Mistakes are part of

learning

‘Youth attitudes and values we acquired and accepted in childhood are engraved in stone.’

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Bringing QUALITY to your coaching

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Player Development…The Reality!

• Not Linear• Training Age• RAE • Matthew Effect• Biological & Maturation Markers• They have a life!

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Player Development Framework• Provides a progressive player and coach development

strategy• Maximises the potential of all players• Provides the appropriate skills and learning to enable all

players to access the great game of rugby league• Holistic approach across the various areas of learning

• Technical, • Tactical,• Movement Skills, • Athletic Development,• Mental Skills;• Lifestyle management skills.

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Player Development Framework for U14’sTechnical Decision making – Multi functional roles within the defensive cycle, create and

maintain space on the insideHandling – Play the ball in two movements, spin passEvasion – Swerve, hit & spin, bump & offloadTackling – Introduction to defensive cycle: Approach, contact, finish, next action, retreat line, line-speedKicking – Development and tactical application of punt technique: targeted cross-field kicking  

Tactical Positional Skills & Attributes of the playing position aligned to the positional responsibilities, team principles and patterns relating to- exit good ball & controlled restarts 

Movement skills Focus on learning to put (keep) the posture into the correct position so that it can always exert and withstand forces 

Athletic Development

Use varied and challenging movement, strength & speed training opportunities at all times prior to puberty. “use it or lose it” phenomenon. 

Lifestyle Management Skills

Parents educated in the importance of rugby – School – social – recovery balancePlayer to takes increasing responsibility for rest, hydration health and hygiene. 

Psychological development

Development of goal-setting abilities relative to practice.  13

In Reality…It Looks Like This!Session Activity Player Development

Quality

Pre-Session Observe Group, Talk to individuals Lifestyle

Warm Up Check In…What we are doing todaySmall Sided GameDynamic Warm up featuring movement skills

Lifestyle/Mental SkillsTacticalPhysical DevelopmentMovement Skills

Main Skill Development (1, 2 or 3?)Small Sided GamesScenarios/SituationsConditioning Activities

TechnicalTacticalPositional Understanding/Mental SkillsPhysical Development/ Mental Skills

Cool Down Check In…ReviewStretchLink to sessions/game

Lifestyle/Mental SkillsAthletic DevelopmentTechnical/Tactical

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TaskCoaching Environment

In your clubs/age group…

Q. What should a high quality coaching environment look like for a U14/U16 age group team?

Q. What does it look like at your club?

Q. What are the similarities (best practice) and gaps (areas for Improvement)

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Mental Skills

‘The Difference’

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50% RuleWhile players are growing and maturing it is the ideal time to

develop their interpersonal skills and behaviours

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‘‘The Difference’The Difference’ is the RFL’s approach to mental skills for delivery within a coaching programme. It is aimed at coaches with easy to use

activities to develop your players and enhance your coaching environment

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The attitudes and behaviours promoted by mental skills are those that have been identified as key to

those who are successful in achieving their full potential in the game and life.

…So what makes ‘The Difference‘The Difference’

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‘The Difference’1. Commitment

2. Effective & Controllable Imagery

3. Focus & Distraction Control

4. Realistic Performance Evaluation & Attribution

5. Role Clarity

6. Planning & Organisation

7. Perceptions of Pressure

8. Goal Setting & Self-reinforcement

9. Quality Practice

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Peak Performance = Physical Training + Technical Training x Mental Training

Three key principles: 

1. The mind, body and emotions are all linked together

 2. Imagined experiences have a physical effect on the body, much the same as real ones do

3. Mental skills are learnable21

…and in a sessionSession Activity Player Development

Quality

Pre-Session Observe Group, Talk to individuals Lifestyle Skills

Warm Up Check In…What we are doing todaySmall Sided GameDynamic Warm up featuring movement skills

Lifestyle/Mental SkillsTacticalPhysical DevelopmentMovement Skills

Main Skill Development (1, 2 or 3?)Small Sided GamesScenarios/SituationsConditioning Activities

TechnicalTacticalPositional Understanding/Mental SkillsPhysical Development/ Mental Skills

Cool Down Check In…ReviewStretchLink to sessions/game

Lifestyle/Mental SkillsAthletic DevelopmentTechnical/Tactical

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Planned Approach or Lucky Collision?• Culture, Values, Beliefs, Communication with

Parents/Guardians– Club ethos

– Code of conduct/Player Charter

• Role Models– Actions…

– Words…

– Training/Game Day

• Coaching– Welcoming/Engaging/Fun/Motivating

– Safe

– Organised/Structured

– Learning/Developing/Success (for the individual at every session not Sunday!)

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Player Development Spiral Curriculum

• Learning is a long term process

• Need to revisit• Build upon layers• Add new constraints

‘‘Once the foundations are in place you need

to keep checking them’

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• Players’ ‘need’ or ‘want’ to learn.• Players learn far more readily if they are

aware of the benefits of putting energy into their learning

• Learn from ‘doing’• Learn from ‘experience’• Making sense - ‘getting one’s head round

it’… ‘digesting’

What’s In It for Me?

Player Development 5 Factors for Successful Learning

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Task

In pairs… Find a coach that you have not worked with yet!

Share your experiences of positive and negative environments•Player•Parent/Guardian•Coach

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What effects your planning/Coaching(Agreed Answer)

TaskQ. In Pairs , What are the constraints/ challenges when you are planning and coaching?

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Bingo! Anyone got a FULL HOUSE?

• Facilities• Coach: Player Ratios• Number of players• Weather• Equipment• Contact time• Fixture list• Holidays• Family/Commitment

• Other sports• Social activities!• School/Activities• Coach commitments• Coach

Qualification/CPD• Covering for others!• Last minute.com!

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Planning for my Role!

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What does planning look like for me?

•Who is involved?

•When can I plan?

•How much can I do?

•When do I start?

Club Ethos• Relationships• Management• Consistency• Connectivity• Support

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Overview (Club)

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Top Tips To Success

• Communication• Consistency• Commitment• Routines• Have a Plan B!

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Progressive Coaching Plan

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Session Plan & Link Planning

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Learning Intentions

• Increased awareness of the key factors of Player Development

• Understand the importance of the coaching environment in developing and retaining players

• Understand and manage the constraints within your environment to produce a high quality player experience

• Begin to Develop a coaching plan relevant to your role within the club

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