Built a network

Being a rugby coach in the Netherlands is not easy. With only 5000 people playing the game, not many coaches are around. Little is available for coaches like clinics and courses. This results in a small but totally committed group of (amateur) coaches. We have a rugby coaches association, sort of a union, but it is not very active.

After finishing my A and B level courses I started in Dutch Premier League as a 31 year old I needed the support of other coaches. How did I set this up? Here are some tips:

1. Try to read as much on the game as possible.
2. Talk to as many other coaches as possible.
3. Buy videos to get info easy and quickly.
4. Share your ideas with others, you will get a return.
5. Develop a plan for your team development, this means you have something to discuss with others.
6. Find somebody who can be your ‘career consultant’, somebody who you can discuss on how your are approaching coaching itself. Ideally this would be somebody that knows the club and its members is not to much involved.
7. Don't be shy, talk to coaches who seem outside your reach. I have made friends in France, England and Scotland.
8. Look for other sports for ideas, rugby is 50 years behind compared for example with athletics.
9. Enrol on the rugby coaching mailing list (see my links page).

This website is just the next step in exchanging information with other coaches. If you have other good examples to add, please contact me.

On the market place on this website you can meet those companies and find the books that have provided me with lots of good information and ideas in the past.

Last updated on 31-05-01