As coach of Cardiff Met RFC, we are very lucky to be able to utilise both the CPA and students who come through the MSc Performance Analysis programme that is run at the university. This is our 2nd year using TPE (Team Performance Exchange); and interestingly there has been a hugely different approach this year, which is hopefully gaining better results.
In previous years, our analysts have been used primarily to film and code matches. Their primary support for learning and development came through the PA lecturing staff who spent a huge amount of time developing our analysts (many of whom are now working as professional analysts with clubs/governing bodies, including the WRU and teams from both the Aviva Premership and the Rabodirect Pro 12).
We introduced TPE last year as a tool to enable effective feedback between coaches, players and analysts. We didn’t engage with the product, and ultimately our processes didn’t allow us to develop the interactive learning environment we are trying to create. Our players train Mon/Wed/Fri morning with conditioning and two evening technical sessions, alongside playing in the WRU National Championship and the BUCS (British University and College Sport) premier league. As you can see, we don’t have a huge amount of time to devote to analysis and feedback to players in the traditional format (especially when you link that to the students lecture commitments, as well as the rugby staff being part-time with other primary jobs).
I hope to document our use of TPE this year, to share practice and hopefully critically reflect on our delivery to enable future improvements.
HOW WE USE TPE
We are looking to use TPE as a one-stop-shop to have an easy way to communicate:
1. See weekly/monthly calendar
2. Engage in question lists and feedback
3. Reflect on game footage (their own performance, and others)
From a coaches perspective, we can log all data about our players from performance to medical or conditioning, and we can monitor players use with the site.
This year, as a coaching group, we have decided to use the analysts as an extension of the coaching team, rather than a separate entity. When time allows them, they are invited to all team meetings, coaches meetings, training sessions (to video where possible), matches, as well as all review sessions. This year, we hope to develop the coach/analyst relationship to a point where we have created a learning environment for all stakeholders – players, coaches and analysts.
The My Team page allows you at a glance to see which players/coaches/analysts have been engaging with site telling you when they last logged on (names and headshots have been depersonalised). Importantly, this provides an indication of the level of engagement by the team!
I look forward to writing the next installment about our uses of TPE and how it benefits us.
Danny Milton
