Coaching clichés kicked to touch
I’d just logged off for the week and came across Bruce Holloway’s op ed covering today’s Auckland Secondary Schools 1A first XV final. Being a St Peter’s College old boy who now lives a stone’s throw away from Kelston Boys’ High School, I was looking forward to reading a preview of the match.
The article focused on the lack of pregame commentary from the coaches with the occasion being treated like “dirty washing” and “being sullied by big schools with small minds”.
Was it a tad harsh? Maybe. But it’s easy to see Bruce’s point of view. Get a couple of quotes from the coaches to round out a column. What’s the harm?
It’s worth exploring the reasons why both Kelston and St Peter’s might be reluctant to participate.
Maybe they didn’t want to be seen as self-promoting. They’d prefer to position themselves as the humble underdog and all that.
Or maybe they didn’t want to give the opposition any motivation with something that’s reported.
Or maybe it was something bigger.
Perhaps the schools are trying to manage the hype that surrounds these young men. Maybe it’s their way of finding the balance between being a willing participant in publicising one of the year’s biggest schoolboy games and the boys being students first and rugby players second. I’m sure their coaches are teachers first also.
With the game being televised on Sky, it is likely production teams would’ve been at the schools during the week shooting their pre-game packages. What’s more, there’s sure to be some sort of game day interview. So, within that context, maybe saying no to commentary opportunities to other media outlets was a way for both schools to put a lid on things. Maybe it’s their silent protest.
Much has been made of the “professionalization” of schoolboy rugby over the last 10 or so years. While there are positives, there have also been unintended consequences once film crews started to televise games widening the gap between the haves and have nots. We’ve even seen the likes of Mt Albert Grammar School take a stand as they look to balance all school life.
With more than a decade of “professional systems” in place (training loads, video analysis, talent identification), it’s not unrealistic to make the leap that like the professional coaches, school coaches too could be cliché in their comments.
“The boys have trained really hard… they want to do the little things well… win the big moments,” is typical coach chat.
When compared to North American or European sport, these Kiwi banalities have become part of the coaching vernacular, rarely adding anything meaningful to the pregame buzz. Hence, what’s the big deal with some teachers not wanting to say something?
It’s easy enough to find alternative commentary to add to the excitement of what will be a great occasion.
Former Kelston headmaster (and coach) Sir Graham Henry could comment on those powerful Kelston sides that dominated schoolboy rugby in the 1990s.
Ex-St Peter’s schoolboy skipper and current Auckland NPC player Niko Jones could share his views of his side’s triumph in 2018. Jones will know how the boys will be feeling.
Even Sky pundits Mils Muliaina and Bryn Hall could provide insight into their time at Kelston and St Peter’s, respectively.
Likewise, Auckland Rugby’s own Dan Bowden who leads talent ID and recruitment would have a balanced view on the “ones to watch” today.
New Zealand’s rugby history is deep and while its connections to grassroots aren’t what they once were, rugby still plays a part in binding communities, be it schools, local, rural, or urban. People are willing to have a say and care to do so – the noise surrounding the national side over the last eight weeks is a prime example.
There are plenty of personalities in both the history books of Kelston and St Peter’s who can add to the fanfare.
So rather than the teachers and their schools treating the occasion as “dirty washing” by not commenting, perhaps schools are taking more control and “cleaning up house”.
For what it’s worth, greater media access from professional sporting teams and their athletes is a good thing. But Kelston and St Peter’s first XV schoolboys aren’t professionals. Some aren’t even old enough to drive yet.
To the young men involved in today’s game, good luck, have fun and enjoy adding to the rich history of Auckland schoolboy rugby.