Hamish Johnson - 'What If?' Strategy: Transforming Rugby Coaching through Scenario Planning

What if you could pre-emptively strategise every possible scenario on the rugby field?" Tune in as we explore this intriguing concept with our guest Hamish, a seasoned rugby player and coach. In this riveting conversation, Hamish takes us down memory lane, shedding light on his experiences as a player and coach. He generously reveals his approach to circumventing these instances through meticulous mental preparation and strategising. 

Ever wondered how a 'what if?' scenario could revolutionise your coaching approach? 

Hamish passionately shares how this strategy transformed his leadership group, creating an engaged, empowered environment for his young players. 

His insight into using 'what if?' scenarios as a coaching tool is not only enlightening but also offers a practical methodology for novice and veteran coaches alike. Come, join us on this thought-provoking journey where we delve into the nuances of rugby coaching and realise that, indeed, every man counts!

You are listening to the Quintessentially - You Podcast, where we share journeys and shift minds because #everymancounts.

Transcript

Craig Bartlett: 0:00

So in this piece I speak with Hamish around any time that he can remember when he felt overwhelmed, either as a player but, more importantly, as a coach. And one concept that you're taught when you're playing rugby is to play what's in front of you. And this is one of those scenarios where I've thrown him a question randomly because it just came into my head while we were having a conversation with the other coaches and he wasn't ready for it, so I was me sort of throwing him under the underneath the bus, but the reply and the response was fantastic. So he will describe to you how he engages and upskills his players and thinking outside the box, which is something that's really, really important in the sport, and most sports as well.

Craig Bartlett: 0:48

And if you're new to rugby or if you're new to coaching, this is a really good concept to try with your players. It will engage them no end. And if you've been coaching for a while, you haven't come across this concept. Utilise it, you'll get some fantastic results. Hope you enjoy it. During your coaching or playing career, have there been any times where, either outside circumstances or whatever, you become really overwhelmed with again or with what's going on around and sort of, have you overcome it and have you through it.

Hamish Johnson: 1:19

Yeah, that's a heck of a question, craig. I'm a simple man. I'm a simple man. I don't know if I've said many times where I've got overwhelmed. Do you mean personally or as a team result?

Craig Bartlett: 1:32

Probably personally, because the team or the result can impact you, but there may be times where you've got many plates spinning, you think.

Hamish Johnson: 1:42

Yeah, no, fair, fair, fair Chief is on the spot. I guess you used to go, I think. For mine it came back. Preparation, and I guess I'll learn a good lesson when I was about 20.

Hamish Johnson: 1:54

We had a mental skills coach come along to our McCannabry Colts team and explain to us about mental preparation, and so, like I'm visiting all the scenarios before we actually get on the field as to what might take place, and he was explaining with saying that Andrew Merton seems like he's got more time to run out of speed.

Hamish Johnson: 2:15

He doesn't have more time, he just has more clarity on his options. And so that was probably a game changer for me back then a long time ago, and so I always try to prepare myself best I could for every scenario I think of. When you break downs, scrum, time line outs the fiends carrying the ball. So when having on the field, I sort of had a list of options to drop down and go to quite quickly, so I used to watch down as I warmed up because I hadn't prepared well enough. I can't really think the spell on time as I played as to what I would have done at the time, but certainly going forward before the next game I would have. I would have got some some clarity around how I get my processes back in control.

Craig Bartlett: 3:06

You know how I yeah, I'm assuming you applied the same approach when you were dealing last year with the rep team.

Hamish Johnson: 3:12

Yeah, Great, yeah, yeah. And one of the things that I got from the Crusades course which was great, I thought, was the water scenarios. I really drove that with my leadership group so they actually look forward to like us. They were started the season rep season that was on a Tuesday. I gave me the waters and and on Thursday we ended training. We talked about those waters and that had that expand on those waters as the season went on and got and delved into further areas of this scenario. It might happen, but this might happen as well.

Hamish Johnson: 3:47

And they it was amazing how many times those, those scenarios that we talked about and plans them and worked on, actually took place in the in the rep season. And it was. It was quite cool because afterwards they would come up and say that that was exactly what we talked about, you know. So they, they were ready to go and they're young guys, so a lot of them 19, 20, you know they haven't been leaders of their senior club teams that are in. They may have been at school, not all of them, but really given given them that opportunity to lead and to really start thinking about what, what, what and what it looked like on the field, was quite was quite empowering, I think, for them and it was really cool they. They got a good chance to value that.

Craig Bartlett: 4:35

But as I should go through really additions to the team and really lead well, Well, I really enjoyed having that conversation with Hamish, short and sweet and to the point. So try what if? Scenarios with your team, because they are engaging and it will allow your team players, or your players, to just start to think outside the box and how they can solve a situation before it even happens. When it does happen, they will be absolutely buzzing and they will. They will come back and say we've already covered that and if they were able to glide through that situation, deal with it effectively, they will be absolutely pumped.

Craig Bartlett: 5:23

Now you probably pick up that Hamish, Nick, Fili, Noel and self are bat crazy about rugby. We are absolutely passionate, we're really lucky. You know the premise of the Quinn essentially you podcast is about taking a look behind the curtain to understand what makes us tick, or rugby makes us tick, you know, and we are privileged to be able to be involved, but we know that's not the case for everybody. So you know we all bear a responsibility to keep an eye out. So if somebody is not sort of where you would normally expect them to be, just ask them how they are. You know, start with those conversations. It may be that you know that conversation is the most positive conversation that I've had in the last couple of weeks. So you know we're taking a peek behind the curtains.

Craig Bartlett: 6:15

If you've enjoyed the podcast, please you know, like I've said before comment, like share, because there may be people out there have never understood what, what, what if scenarios are. It could be really, really powerful for them. But I think we'll leave it there for today. Thanks for listening. In my name is Craig Bartlett. You've been listening to the Quinn essentially you podcast. My aim is to improve one person's life at a time, because for me every man counts. Thanks for listening in, take care and bye for now.