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Rugby Coach Weekly

Why training on a Monday and Tuesday night means we field six men's teams a week, with Alex Hadley

Nov 8, 2024
Alex Hadley, Director of Rugby at Battersea Ironsides, shares his expertise on sustaining a thriving community rugby club in London. He emphasizes the importance of a welcoming culture and engaging training sessions to retain players. The discussion covers the balance between player commitment and selection, alongside innovative strategies to maintain team dynamics. Alex also highlights the significance of adaptable coaching language and continuous self-improvement for coaches, providing practical insights for fostering a connected rugby community.
43:23

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Prioritizing Monday and Tuesday training sessions accommodates players' work commitments, maximizing attendance and enhancing training session effectiveness.
  • Fostering a welcoming and inclusive club culture through social events and integration activities ensures all players feel valued and connected.

Deep dives

Innovative Training Practices

A player-centered approach is key to running effective training sessions, as evidenced by the club's decision to avoid Thursday training nights due to players' work commitments in the city. By focusing on training on Mondays and Tuesdays, the club accommodates the players’ fatigue after a long workday and maximizes attendance. Sessions are structured to be time-efficient, yet impactful, with one-hour slots emphasizing key training components like attacking strategies and defensive patterns. The club also adapts its training facilities based on player feedback, demonstrating a commitment to creating an accessible and conducive training environment.

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