Runaway Bay's coaching program wins the Auswide Bank award for July
Former Newcastle Knights and St George Illawarra Dragons coach David Waite is overseeing a junior coaching education program at Runaway Bay Seagulls that is ensuring rugby league coaches have the skillset to assist young players in a positive way.
The innovative community program, which has won the Auswide Bank Community Program Award for July, has fostered a culture of excellence through the sharing of knowledge and expertise.
Club president Nathan Wydmuch said the program was initiated after he asked Waite, the club’s junior coaching director, back in 2017 about how to make progress and develop as a coach.
“What do the rep coaches and NRL coaches know that we don’t know? I just asked David, as a former NRL coach, a few questions about upskilling as a coach,” Wydmuch said.
“David gave me a brief overview and said that to ‘coach the coaches’ is the best way to do it. Then we had a meeting about what we could do to upskill and make better coaches.
“We went through our resources and looked around the club for people who could help. We’ve got David, and there’s Darryl Fisher who is a highly regarded rep coach. We’ve also got Hudson Smith who has played over 100 games at the top grade [for Balmain and in the Super League].
“So we got together and came up with a manual and program.”
The club has a big coaching education session at the start of the season and then every few months during the year.
In the first session the club held in 2018 about seven of 32 coaches attended.
“Now the room is full... it is every coach,” Wydmuch said.
“That includes coaches, managers, trainers, water runners. Everyone is invited.
“On top of that, David Waite, Darryl Fisher and Hudson Smith are at our training sessions every night of the week offering their help and expertise.
“David Waite has been fantastic. Since we have put this program in I don’t think he has missed a single night of training or a game day.
“To have someone with his name and stature at the club is obviously a selling point but his knowledge is second-to-none. The way he can convey it to a seven or eight-year-old is just phenomenal.”
Waite, who played for Australia, coached the Dragons to grand finals in 1996 and 1999.
“It is one thing to coach at the highest level but the way he also makes it fun for young kids is phenomenal,” Wydmuch said.
“You can’t buy it. He does it all for free because we don’t pay anyone a cent.”
The results have been there for all to see. From 400 players four years ago the club now has 650.
From under 6s through to under 18s the club has 36 teams.
Wydmuch said the club wanted the coaches to not just focus on enhancing the skills of the players.
“We also looked at creating an environment where players want to come and learn, develop and be happy,” Wydmuch said.
“I didn’t want any focus on winning whatsoever. We love to win and want to be competitive but we were not going to be results driven.
“We got a drone and did some filming and game tape. We ran, and still do, run regular coaching education sessions.”
All coaches are given an understanding of the NRL Player Development Framework (PDF) so the players are provided with a positive experience when playing and learning about rugby league.
Wydmuch said the coaching program leaders were always seeking feedback and input from their coaches. It is not a “my way or the highway” approach but an interactive one where constructive feedback is sought.
“Every age group has a meeting with parents that we are about a positive environment and not about winning,” Wydmuch said.
“We even do mental health sessions because that is important to us and we teach the kids that just because you don’t make a rep team that doesn’t matter.
“Our program is focused on a couple of skills. Then it is about having fun.”
