The secret solution to motivating young players

Improved attendance at training

More skilful players

More tries scored

Fewer tries conceded

Greater discipline

Better team work

Read on to share in the secret that's made me and other coaches
"in the know" successful

Dear Coach,

As coaches we are constantly working towards a goal. And as soon as that goal is reached we set off to reach another.

Whether that's winning our first match, making more tackles, scoring more tries or simply making sure that our players are having fun, we face a constantly changing set of goals.

And as we work towards each goal we're trying to lead a group of others with us. A group that is not always that easy to manage!

They have trouble taking on new information. They have a limited attention span. Sometimes they don't even know what team they're on. Sometimes they don't even show up.

Getting them to do anything is difficult. Everything becomes a problem.

So what do you do if you want your players to achieve something but you don't know how to motivate them?

Every solution needs a problem... this was mine

I went through a period where having planned my session I'd turn up at training to find that I only had a handful of players present?

It was a frustrating time and probably the lowest point in my coaching "career".

My wife could recite what I would say when I get home word-for-word. “I’ve had it”, I would moan, “why should I waste my time if the commitment isn’t there?”

I didn’t know what to do...

I couldn’t keep delivering my speech on the importance of training.

The players’ parents all gave their excuses. Some blamed their kids – “he didn’t seem bothered about missing it”. Some blamed themselves – “I didn’t realise it was important”. A few blamed me – “you’re not giving him a reason to attend”.

I don’t like the blame game. The way to react to a problem is to learn a lesson and find a solution.

I had to find a way to make my players bothered about whether or not they went training. I needed to give them a strong enough reason to attend. I wanted them to be ceaseless in their efforts to get to training come hell or high water.

So I went searching and I found one.

And as well as solving my particular problem, it showed me the secret to motivating my young rugby players to achieve all manner of things.

*** Warning ***

When I tell you my simple solution you are going to be sceptical.

You are going to think of every possible reason not to use the solution I'm going to give you because, to you, it might sound silly. You might think it will make parents or fellow coaches laugh at you. You might be worried that your players won't think you're cool.

And here's the problem. You're going to look at this from your adult perspective when you should look at it from a child's point of view.

When I give you the solution in a moment, all I ask is that you try to remember what excited and motivated you when you were a child.

"I thought the parents would laugh at me when I suggested using them [but] the feedback I got was overwhelmingly positive."

So, what is my simple solution? The secret to motivating young players to achieve?

Simple - one inch patches.

I bought a supply of patches and built a reward system around them to encourage my players to turn up whatever the weather and whatever other distractions might fight for their attention.

They might not seem like much to look at, but in the eyes of a child they are priceless.

"It is amazing what a little thing like a patch can do."

What motivated you as a child?

I remember when I was younger my swimming trunks became a wearable trophy cabinet. 10m, 25m, bronze, silver, gold. Every patch I got was sewn on to them. It’s a wonder I didn’t drown from the weight of patches.

Then I started going to scouts. I remember proudly displaying my patches down the sleeves of my shirt.

Young players are not modest about their achievements. They want them to be recognised. These rugby patches allow them to show their achievements to everyone they meet.

As adults, the idea of showing off to our friends about how often we’ve gone to work might sound bizarre. But remember, you shouldn’t be asking yourself if patches motivate you. Will they motivate a five year old, an eight year old, or an eleven year old?

And I can tell you the answer: they will. And I've got hundreds of testimonials just like the ones in this email to prove it!

How do motivational patches work?

The success of using patches boils down to how young children are motivated.

It’s carrot rather than stick. A reward for attending training - no matter how good you are at rugby.

Children understand rewards. Do something well and a reward will follow - sweets, a story at bedtime, an extra hour of TV.

Parents use these rewards all the time. Why? Because they work.

The key to the success of motivational patches is that they are used exclusively for YOU to give to YOUR players.

Coaches often use sweets to reward players. But there’s nothing rugby-specific about them. If the reward can be got elsewhere and more easily, you can bet the kids will opt for the easy alternative.

You must use the patches sparingly. They have to be made valuable, sought after. If a coach sprays them around like confetti they can soon lose their appeal.

By using motivational patches you’ve carved yourself a niche. You just need to set the rules and
off you go.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? So how did I do it?

A patch for every occasion

   

"D" for Defence and Determination

The "Big D" patch is in blood red... the toughest, bravest, most determined colour. A bold, tough, intimidating "D" for defence. A “D” with "Determination" for players who say, “I Am Not Going to Give Up" even when they're losing heavily.

Players who carry on going for tackles even though they're faced by a much faster or bigger opponent. Players with backbone who maybe don't get the reward they deserve.
 

"T" for Team Work

Rugby is a team game. Team work is essential to winning games.
I use the "T" patch to encourage this behaviour in my team and not just on the field - helping to carry equipment, being welcoming to new players, not complaining about playing out of position, allowing a team mate the opportunity to score.

The "Big T" can be a great way to encourage bigger players or faster runners to play for their team mates, not just themselves. Or to make sure players compete fully for the whole match, to support every attacking break, to cover every defensive error.

The "T" patch can be a great motivator to encourage players to share responsibility for defeat as well as the plaudits for the victory.

 

"A" for Attack

If your team isn't scoring many tries, then use the "A" patches to motivate your players to do the things that can produce scores.

Examples of behaviour you might want to encourage are: running straight, running for gaps, avoiding contact, supporting the player with the ball, passing to a player in a better position (and not just to their best mate), stealing the ball in an attacking position, being alert to counter attacking opportunities, being aggressive, aware and busy.
   

"V" for Victory

The victory patch speaks for itself. If your team is struggling you can award the "V" patch for every victory. If you regularly win, save the "V" patch for the big victories - last minute winners, beating the league leaders, winning the cup, coming from behind to win...

   

Speed - Lightning Bolt

The lightning bolt is excellent for all things speedy, and not just for your fast runners. Reacting first to a dropped ball, getting quickly into position at rucks, attempting a quick restart, having "quick hands" and passing the ball at pace.
   

Attitude - Smiley Face

Smile! Everybody's favourite patch, the smiley face can be awarded for just about anything you like. Not being downhearted when the team loses, getting up and carrying on after a knock, or simply playing with a smile on your face! The choice is yours.
   

Stars - Attendance and Mastering a Skill

You can use "Star" patches to reward just about anything.

I like to use them to encourage my players to come to training, as well as to make progress with their skills. For instance, I may give them to players who learn a new skill or exhibit the skill in a match.

Using targets with the Stars works really well, as each player can then have a different goal. For instance, Stars are a great way to encourage a weaker passer to practise passing left and right. Meanwhile, you might want a stronger passer to develop their skills by working harder on the spin or torpedo pass, or another area of the game completely.

You can also make the rewards game-oriented. So, you might award a Star to a player for completing 10 passes in a match, or to a player who rarely scores for getting a try, or to your full back for not fumbling the high ball, or to your fly half making a tackle on their big forward.

The list goes on.

Click here to read about how I use the patches with my team.

Players need to know “the rules”, so I give them each a sheet at the start of the season. This way
they are aware of what they are working towards and there are no questions at the end of the season.

I also make sure I take a quick register of attendance in my notepad to avoid doubt of who
was at training.

"I thought my 12-year olds might be too old for the patches,
but I thought I would give it a try. They love them!"

What do the kids do with the patches?

The patches have a glued back that reacts to heat. This means they can be easily applied with a household iron to t-shirts, shorts, bags and banners. Or they can be sewn on.

Kids love the opportunity to show off the patches, especially if they’ve managed to build a bigger collection than their friends.

The patches really look good on the players' shirts, shorts, bags, caps, on a team banner near each player's name, or on a team "sandwich board" at practices so all the players can see their progress.

Another idea is to let the players put them on the training top they wear to practice, to the season end party, after the game, during warm-ups if they change before the game, or just for fun so the player can show that he or she is proud of his or her achievements.

To be really effective as a motivational tool, it is best if the players can see them at practice and games.

Also, make a big deal of giving them out. You can give them as an immediate reward, or in a ceremony at the end of practice or at the end of the game where all the players see who is getting them and why.
I found this to be an excellent motivational technique.

"I introduced the patches to my two U12 teams at last night’s training session… they thought the patches were 'cool' and really wanted to earn one!"

The only limit is your imagination

Motivational patches are extremely versatile.

I use the Star patches to encourage attendance at training sessions, but they can be used to achieve any goal.

Use them in a way that works for you

The ideas above are suggestions based on how I and coaches that have contacted me use patches.

But everyone has different needs to meet and different problems to solve. I'm sure that in a few short minutes you can come up with a reward system that will help you achieve your goals. But if you're not sure how motivational patches can help, why not drop me an email explaining your problem and I'll send you an idea for solving it with patches.

How many patches will you need?

This depends on how you will use them.

As a rule of thumb, I would say that most coaches will give out 5 patches per player during a season if they are giving patches for practice attendance. Then on top of this consider what other patches you will need to give out. A minimum of one patch per player, per game is a reasonable starting point.

To help, I have put together a number of patch packs that contain a variety of colours and designs. This way you should only need to buy patches once a season. If you need more you can buy further packs or individual designs from the Better Rugby Coaching patches shop at any time.

Order today

All you need is the patches themselves.

Patches come in pre-packed strips of ten and are priced at £3 per strip.

However, to get you started I've created a number of special offer packs combining different types and colours giving you patches for as little as £2.25 per strip.

Visit the Better Rugby Coaching patches shop and order your patches using any of the major credit/debit cards and PayPal.

Shop securely

All transactions in Better Rugby Coaching patches shop are completely secure. We use the Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode systems so you can shop safely.

But if you’d rather order by phone, please call me or Duncan on +44 (0)1483 892 894 between
9am and 5.30pm, GMT, Monday to Friday.

Whether you shop online or by phone, we will post your patches to you straight away. Delivery should take no longer than 5 days.

Don’t forget. Generic rewards such as sweets and fizzy drinks are not going to sustain players’ motivation. They’ll find other ways to get these treats and their need to go training will diminish.

These rugby specific rewards give your players a unique motivation to attend training, and practice and play hard.

All the best,


Steve Watson
Coach

P.S. Warning - These patches are going to give you problems with players’ parents.
If the parents raise the prospect of missing rugby training the child is going to hassle and harass them until they get their way. They will not want to miss out on the opportunity to earn a new patch!



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