What Do Coaches Really Look For In Players?

Coaches can be a mysterious bunch, quite likely to be pretty private people who keep their cards close to their chests. That’s fine, they can have their privacy all they want, us players just want to know what we need to do to get picked and play, and with that in mind, having spoken with coaches at all levels of the game, here are the five top factors we believe coaches are really looking for in their players:

1. Work Ethic

It’s a bit of a cliché but that’s because it’s true, coaches love players who work hard. Whether that be on pitch in training or a game, in the gym during S&C sessions or at home doing their analysis, all coaches love when players work hard and go above and beyond with their effort.

2. Team First Attitude

If it’s good for the team, then it’s good for the individual, that’s the type of attitude coaches are looking for players to have. When a player is willing to put the needs of the team ahead of themselves, that’s only ever going to impress their coach.

3. Punctuality

Being late is never a good look. Now obviously this is in reference to training and game times, but also when it comes to responding to messages or phone calls, no coach likes having to chase a player over and over. Being on time and responding in a timely manner is always going to please your coach.

4. Coachability

Coaches love players that love to be coached, and we don’t mean players who say they do, players who genuinely mean it. Coachable players go seeking feedback and then action the feedback they’re given and in turn give their own feedback to the coach on how they’re feeling and how they want to keep improving. No coach has ever not wanted to help a player who is truly coachable and truly wants to get better.

5. Rugby Super Strength

All of the above are non performance factors, but at the end of the day, coaches want players who are going to make their team better on the pitch as well as off it, and with this in mind, they are looking for your rugby super strength. By this we mean, what is it about your game that you do better than anyone else in your team, what is it about the way you play that means your coach can’t afford to not pick you for the next match? Decide what you want your super strength to be and then ensure you do the work to make it come to fruition. You can be good at lots, need to improve at lots else, but you need to have one super strength that your team just can’t do without.