Martin's Rugby Coaching Forum

I have led my group of 9-10 year olds through the theory of coaching and they are good at drills in training. However come match time, faced with a non-compliant opposition they freeze, losing tries by cheaply and often. They are in danger of becoming disheartened. Can anyone advise any way to take them from where they are currently that intuitively tackling does not seem like a good idea, to where they understand that correctly exercised it is not painful?

Appreciate any advise

Sorry, my guys are struggling with tackling, and that should have read "theory of tackling", (not coaching).

Its a confidence issue. I suggest a very simple thing when Ive had similar problems.

If someone isn't confident in anything, let alone rugby, they'll panic and suffer. Usually out of confusion of the situation (in this case making a tackle in a rugby game).

You could replicate the tackling by walking through the method, and split the team into twos so one can walk into the tackle and the other tackles. Then, slowly and gradually speed the process up until the person is running into the tackle and the tackler brings him down with the proper technique...

Hopefully, they'll have a full understanding of what goes into the successful tackle

I do not know how to stop this.

Yes, I agree. Training the tackle skill will built confidence. Progression will start at training - the games will show improvement later on.

It is very important that you do both:

train the skill
give your players the confidence and say they are improving. Do not blame them


I think the tackle is very complicated thing to learn - but perhaps you can improve the physical attitude with also doing little 1:1 wrestling games, wrestling for the ball, etc.

Good luck

_________________
Martin, Rugbyhead

The key here is the correctly exercised bit and like so many things it's about getting their technique right. We've started using tackle bags (the cylindrical bags not the shields) this year and it's made a huge difference. Kids will happily hit tackle bags all day long, which means that as a coach you can keep correcting them until they get the approach, body position, hit and follow through right.
We vary things around: i)start with the bag upright and static, coach holds 1 tackles, 1 holds 2 tackles etc, ii)have the coach tow the bag behind him and the kids practise tackles on the move (side-on and behind). As a bit of fun at the end we'll let them do diving tackles onto the bag.
It's one of the most popular modules we do with them. Their confidence is improved because they can make tackles at match intensity without hurting themselves and most importantly we, as coaches, can really work on getting the technique right.

I've coached 2 groups of lads through this difficult transition. They are now playing at Youth and U13s level and on the whole tackle well, and with confidence.

The two things that made a difference to me were: 1) Long cold dark winter evenings - get out of the mud and cold and into a gym. Work with crash mats all round.

2)
Secondly get them talking! once a child has said "The 10 is mine" - he'll make that tackle - and with that comes the confidence

Keith