I tend to come back to Paul Roos’s Here It Is whenever I get a bit of head space. Especially when my coaching feels cluttered with technical and tactical information. It’s a good reminder of what’s important.
There’s always something to work on. Something from the last game, a detail in training, a different way of attacking or defending. I enjoy that side of coaching, but I can get caught up in it and end up trying to cover too much.
Roos’s 25 point manifesto helps me step back. He wrote it after finishing his playing career because he didn’t want to forget what it was like to be a player. It became the basis of his approach to coaching.
We put a lot of thought into what we want from players. It’s useful to spend some time thinking about what they’re getting from us.
How do I react when someone makes a mistake? Am I giving them useful feedback or just showing my frustration? Am I recognising what’s going well? Are they enjoying coming to training?
These are things I need reminding of too. It’s easy to read something, agree with it and then get caught up in the week. Particularly when results aren’t going well and you feel you need to fix everything.
For me, coming back to this book is a chance to look at my own behaviour. I want players to be confident, take responsibility and support each other. The way I coach needs to help that happen.
The manifesto is straightforward, which is probably why I keep returning to it. I can read it and quickly recognise something I’ve let slip or something I need to give more attention to.
Sometimes I need that bit of perspective before I start planning the next session.
Paul Roos’s 25 points
A brief paraphrased summary of the manifesto in Paul Roos’s Here It Is. These summaries aren’t his original wording.
- Find enjoyment in your coaching.
- Recognise your influence on players’ attitudes.
- Your tension can become theirs.
- Keep sport in perspective.
- Establish clear plans, standards and roles.
- Communicate effectively.
- Show the respect you expect.
- Reinforce players’ positive actions.
- Remember that errors aren’t deliberate.
- Adapt to each individual’s personality.
- Avoid substituting someone simply for an error.
- Use substitutions thoughtfully.
- Respect different approaches to match preparation.
- Make practice enjoyable.
- Give players responsibility and accountability.
- Meet your leadership group weekly.
- Use breaks for specific tactical guidance.
- Encourage through a positive approach.
- Delay feedback when emotions prevent perspective.
- Choose colleagues you trust and respect.
- Be receptive to others’ advice.
- Refresh practice to sustain interest.
- Invest in relationships within the squad.
- Keep those recovering from injury involved.
- Connect practice to competition.