Dad advice sharing thread.
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ah kids and rugby. And the very real struggle to not project your playing on to them.
Got two boys, both play over here (in the very short 2 month season at the end of the year). Eldest has now played 4 or 5 seasons, first 3 were no tackle. He's a complete soccer player, not helped that he is built like a rake. He's actually pretty good with the ball in hand, runs straight, and uses footwork to get between guys. Does have a habit of crying when he inevitably gets squashed because he doesn't ever submit in the tackle. Gets absolutely zero sympathy from his dad. But on defense he has zero desire. I've seen him wave kids through rather than make the effort. So i challenge him. Make tackles, for every run, i want to see a tackle. Praise the stuff i want him to improve more than anything else. "yep, that try was great mate, but i loved those two tackles you made on your line, that was great for your team".
Then i have to remember that he's 9, and if he doesn't want to tackle, who gives a fuck, as long as he is loving playing the game.
My youngest is a different kettle of fish all together. Older brother, so he has been toughened up. They played tackle at the start of last season for the little ones, and he loved it. Ripped in, and he has a great technique. He got the shits because he didn't get the ball enough. Older kids were passing to themselves, and like your little fulla mooshld, he would pass to a guy in space. He started to get the shits with that when he passed, and no one would reciprocate. Then some kid broke their leg, and they were forced to play touch. And he didn't like that so much. But i am fucked if i am letting him play league with the ferals up here.
Long post, but the kid is 5, let them play for fun. If he doesn't want to tackle, don't make him. If he is still having fun, let him do that. Let him develop skills and a love for the game, and let him develop the rest in his own time. It's not seniors, you are not a selector, let the kid play his way. If he wants to, he'll come around in his own time
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Also rightly or wrongly I set some rewards for him at 20cents a tackle or run and 50cents a try.
His first game this year was woeful and I thought I was probably only up for $5 for the season but then next game he fired right up and almost took me down to instant finance as he racked up 15 tackles in the first half!
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@jk said in Dad advice sharing thread.:
Also rightly or wrongly I set some rewards for him at 20cents a tackle or run and 50cents a try.
His first game this year was woeful and I thought I was probably only up for $5 for the season but then next game he fired right up and almost took me down to instant finance as he racked up 15 tackles in the first half!
Never too early to get them used to the professional environment!
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Ardie Savea tackles or Sam Cane tackles?
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Nek minute they all want to get maccas and go sit in some strangers lounge.
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when I was a young my dad got us to tackle him. He would show us that no matter the size correct technique would bring down the bigger target. This gave my bro and I lot's of confidence tackling. We also played a lot of Bull Rush (1970's) which helped a lot with technique and confidence
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Is a tough one really.
It takes some kids longer to get into it than others, some kids do only play cos that's what they think dad wants...my boy in rippa.
I have a tackle pad at home and I am yet to see him hit anyone as hard as he hits me when I hold it, so is all a confidence thing. I tell him after he knocks me back that he'd nail any 12 year old hitting them like that.
But last couple of years he is enjoying it more, starting to enjoy the physicality of it although anytime he catches a knee or elbow or something he comes off after the game complaining that it was deliberate.
He has also gotten fitter this year and that has made a noticeable difference to his game...he currently plays loosehead or hooker but wants to play flanker, told him he needs to up his work rate to play there, especially as our 2 best players are loosies.
Some kids just get it right away, and you see the ability while some may never get it.
I always tell my boy that I only care that he gives 100%...I'd rather he was the player who gave it everything every week than the best kid in the teAm who pisses about.
I am in my 7th year (under 13s) of coaching his team, frustrating as fuck at times but supremely awesome when you see them do stuff you taught them and it all comes together.
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@taniwharugby have you given all their plays cool code names? Like dirty Sanchez for skip pass to centre, or get to the chopper as the all-in!!? That'd get a few parents laughing I reckon. And a few complaints too no doubt 🤔
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@taniwharugby said in Dad advice sharing thread.:
Is a tough one really.
It takes some kids longer to get into it than others, some kids do only play cos that's what they think dad wants...my boy in rippa.
I have a tackle pad at home and I am yet to see him hit anyone as hard as he hits me when I hold it, so is all a confidence thing. I tell him after he knocks me back that he'd nail any 12 year old hitting them like that.
But last couple of years he is enjoying it more, starting to enjoy the physicality of it although anytime he catches a knee or elbow or something he comes off after the game complaining that it was deliberate.
He has also gotten fitter this year and that has made a noticeable difference to his game...he currently plays loosehead or hooker but wants to play flanker, told him he needs to up his work rate to play there, especially as our 2 best players are loosies.
Some kids just get it right away, and you see the ability while some may never get it.
I always tell my boy that I only care that he gives 100%...I'd rather he was the player who gave it everything every week than the best kid in the teAm who pisses about.
I am in my 7th year (under 13s) of coaching his team, frustrating as fuck at times but supremely awesome when you see them do stuff you taught them and it all comes together.
My boys play lunchtime rugby, neither actually play for a team as it would get in the way of saturday swimming but as you say, if they hit other kids half as hard as they hit their dear old man they would be devastating!
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Lots of great advice in here.
Had a wee chat over breakfast about the tournament where he kicked a kid. I talked about all the good things he did at that tournament. He bought up the kid he kicked. Went over how there is a difference between being told off and being taught something, and that no we know you can't do that. But you can still do tackles and not get told off.
We have another tournament this week. His home one. So we will do more work on skills this week and more tackling, which like you have all said is never a problem against the old man. But will stop pushing it at the matches and let him find his own way there.
Thanks for the advice.
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@dk said in Dad advice sharing thread.:
when I was a young my dad got us to tackle him. He would show us that no matter the size correct technique would bring down the bigger target. This gave my bro and I lot's of confidence tackling. We also played a lot of Bull Rush (1970's) which helped a lot with technique and confidence
Taught my son (now 24) how to tackle and get satisfaction from it in bringing the bigger guy down. Once he got this in his head and tried it a few times (with a few bruises too along the way), he got into it in a big way, sometimes too much. We went on a club tour to France where due to a mix up in age grades, the opposing Frogs were Shermans to our more modest offspring. Didn’t stop young fella who threw himself into the task with relish. Eventually, he got carried off in games with a dislocation a couple of times but got lots of respect.
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@jk said in Dad advice sharing thread.:
Im involved in taking training for my boys team and bullrush is a staple for us. At least 10mins worth every training session.
Good to hear that. It was banned at my school when I was a lad following a spate of broken limbs.
That was after they pulled down our flying fox for the same reason.
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@jk said in Dad advice sharing thread.:
Im involved in taking training for my boys team and bullrush is a staple for us. At least 10mins worth every training session.
yea, i coach my eldest's team, the last 10 minutes of every training is bullrush, always has been. best game ever
even though i was one of the smallest kids when we used to play, so i got hammered. Like a lot.
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I remember taking extra clothing to school to cover for the inevitable ripped shirt during lunchtime bull-rush. Good times!!
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@paekakboyz said in Dad advice sharing thread.:
I remember taking extra clothing to school to cover for the inevitable ripped shirt during lunchtime bull-rush. Good times!!
mum used to stich mine back together. lunch time league did for more than bullrush i think. Our lunchtime league games were brutal.
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@mariner4life that's another thing, early on I played rugby on Saturday and league on Sunday, and also my boys rugby team did that for a season too, league being the way it is allows more opportunities ot make tackles.
Although the kids hated the 2 passes from dummy half so no one wanted to play dummy or be first receiver haha
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@mariner4life said in Dad advice sharing thread.:
@paekakboyz said in Dad advice sharing thread.:
I remember taking extra clothing to school to cover for the inevitable ripped shirt during lunchtime bull-rush. Good times!!
mum used to stich mine back together. lunch time league did for more than bullrush i think. Our lunchtime league games were brutal.
At high school our league games got pointless as no matter who started the game everyone would just join in and it would wind up being 30 on 30 across ways on the field. My mates and I started going to the edge of the field in the hope that all the lazy buggers could't be bothered walking out that far.
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@nepia said in Dad advice sharing thread.:
@mariner4life said in Dad advice sharing thread.:
@paekakboyz said in Dad advice sharing thread.:
I remember taking extra clothing to school to cover for the inevitable ripped shirt during lunchtime bull-rush. Good times!!
mum used to stich mine back together. lunch time league did for more than bullrush i think. Our lunchtime league games were brutal.
At high school our league games got pointless as no matter who started the game everyone would just join in and it would wind up being 30 on 30 across ways on the field. My mates and I started going to the edge of the field in the hope that all the lazy buggers could't be bothered walking out that far.
ours were similar. Or smaller games would merge in to big games. And someone would invariably get fucked up.
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@paekakboyz I remember discussions with mum about clip studs under the shirt buttons to alleviate hertask of sewing buttons back on every night.
Good times