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IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.
PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
I have been promoting the idea of mental training for the players for a while, in terms of basic concentration, and rumming a team plan into them.
I don't think given we recruit in the same talent pool as any other club, that our lads are less mentally capable or technically capable, given the right development. However, given we have NOT developed them properly for decades, we may now need some intensive psychiatry and physiotherapy.
The general problems as I see them are:
1) Mental fortitude is hard to drill in, but MUST be done. I tell you, Lekkas going to meditate in Gruelling physical fashion in Nepal for the offseason was a very very good idea.
2) Basic concentration can be taught. Coaches these days don't seem to value a player who can stay focussed on his opponent, and/or task set, 100% of the time. They go for the guy who has 'smarts' or flashiness, but gets caught not leading, supporting his teammates, or 50 metres from his opponent who is now streaming towards goal.
3) I don't believe players can jump between different game plans each week. Train our boys in ONE plan, and really hammer it in so It doesn't get forgotten after only one three goal burst by the dogs. Pick anything. Run and carry, flood, whatever. But make sure, week by week, we are not switching between 'go long and tall' 'shut down THEIR plan' 'only try to score kicking with the wind' etc. If it turns out in a few years we have mastered a basic plan, THEN look at some variation.
I don't think given we recruit in the same talent pool as any other club, that our lads are less mentally capable or technically capable, given the right development. However, given we have NOT developed them properly for decades, we may now need some intensive psychiatry and physiotherapy.
The general problems as I see them are:
1) Mental fortitude is hard to drill in, but MUST be done. I tell you, Lekkas going to meditate in Gruelling physical fashion in Nepal for the offseason was a very very good idea.
2) Basic concentration can be taught. Coaches these days don't seem to value a player who can stay focussed on his opponent, and/or task set, 100% of the time. They go for the guy who has 'smarts' or flashiness, but gets caught not leading, supporting his teammates, or 50 metres from his opponent who is now streaming towards goal.
3) I don't believe players can jump between different game plans each week. Train our boys in ONE plan, and really hammer it in so It doesn't get forgotten after only one three goal burst by the dogs. Pick anything. Run and carry, flood, whatever. But make sure, week by week, we are not switching between 'go long and tall' 'shut down THEIR plan' 'only try to score kicking with the wind' etc. If it turns out in a few years we have mastered a basic plan, THEN look at some variation.