I wasn’t sure what to expect at training tonight. Normally the Monday after the tournament is a disaster and so I had intentionally stated it would be a light session to encourage lads. Fellas are weary from matches and drinking and most are usually another night sleep away from some level of normality. However, the bodies (19 in total) drifted into the BSB as 20h approached and the mood was good.
I’d had a few ball drills planned to start with and guys were moving enthusiastically so I decided to split the group to up the intensity for two conditioned games. I followed the same policy as last week, splitting it roughly A and B. This has the potential to be controversial. At one level, guys want to train with the lads they will be playing with. At another level, guys want to be given a shot to prove themselves with the A team. The latter is necessary not only to motivate the players but also to keep the sense of unity in the group.
We won’t always split the group as I recognise the above mentioned points and also the need for the so called B players to play at a higher level to help their development. It worked well tonight though as most guys looked like they were hanging at the end and a lot of that was due to the fact the teams were split the way they were.
It will be a challenge as the year goes on to satisfy everyone. The B team will want to work on their own stuff but we will face constraints in terms of pitch time and space. It will take some time to get the formula right but I’m sure we will get there.
Another point which I am paranoid about is how to keep the freshness throughout the year. Last year, we started stale and we stayed stale. I was pissed off going down taking sessions and wasn’t enjoying it as the more dedicated readers will have noted. Getting Conan and Rochey more involved in training is helping a lot and I hope they realise it and keep themselves available in the coming months.
The turnout and reaction tonight was positive and now we had into an enforced Easter break in good spirits.
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