Coach Performance

As I wrote about a few months ago, I was really inspired by Sahil Bloom’s interview on the High Performance Podcast. I wrote how I had used Three-Tiered goals in my performance as a player and how I had leveraged that as a coach. This time I want to focus on the ABC method to look at the things that I did as a coach to prepare to perform on match days.

On match days, I want to be present with my players, staff and coaches. I want to recognize the energy that I bring to the field and I want to coach to the maximum potential I have in that moment. I’ll go in reverse order on a few things that I need to do on a match day :

• Critical Must-do Level

  • On a match day, I need coffee and a bit of time to myself while I drink it

  • I check in with my energy, my mood and the external influences that can be a distraction - I set my intentions for how to use my energy to ensure that I meet my standards

  • I listen to my happy music playlist (which I have downloaded)

  • I check-in with every player

  • I have my kit ready for the next day and my bag is packed before I go to sleep

• Baseline

  • I eat breakfast and I have a coffee ritual (at home it is a local coffee spot / away I know the coffee shop that I am going to)

  • I feel my energy and I set the scene to coach intentionally and with impact as I start to choose my pathways in my coaching

  • I arrive early and I get a feel for the conditions; I walk the field and imagine the game — look for opportunities and threats

  • I prepare my pre-match remarks and check-in with the player leadership

  • I arrive early and I stage things. I start the set-up because it help me set the scene for the arriving staff and players.

• Aspirational

  • I eat breakfast, I have a coffee ritual and I connect with my family and then I hang out with the coaches and staff

  • I feel my energy and I don’t think but I act on my intuition, I completely trust my instincts and I focus completely on immersing myself in my coaching

  • I have everything staged the night before and set-up is rapid, which leaves more time to hang out and enjoy the time before the match

  • I greet every player and give them personalized encouragement that is built on a shared experience in the past week

  • I get a full night’s sleep and I switch off from rugby

What are the factors that might cause me to need to only do C? It might be delays in travel, a poor night’s sleep or a family emergency. I expect to do B most of the time, but I know on those special days I have the ability to get to A. Those are the days that fly past but in retrospect, I cherish. The moments of flow and the moments of community. I have found that the more that I prepare to have the best day I can, the more consistently I glimpse aspects or fully realize that level of performance. I no longer hope that I wake up on the right side of the bed. I prepare for the contingencies and I have confidence that I can operate effectively in adverse circumstances. I lock as many things in place that will allow me to get into flow state coaching. Even when I don’t quite get there, I still coach above what I would without the work that no one sees.

What are your ABC for coaching? How is it different for you at a match or at training session?