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(PHOTO BY NEALE McDEVITT)

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Team-first attitude has squad ranked in CIS Top 10

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By Neale McDevitt

(reprinted from The McGill Reporter)

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For the uninitiated, rugby doesn鈥檛 seem like a warm and fuzzy sport. Daily highlights from the World Cup currently being waged in New Zealand are rife with bone-jarring collisions between bloodied colossi. Last player standing wins.

But what most casual observers don鈥檛 understand is that for all its seeming mayhem, rugby is extremely technical and requires as much teamwork 鈥� or more 鈥� than most other sports. Just ask the McGill Martlets rugby team.

鈥淭he kind of rugby we are trying to play requires confidence and real cooperation between players,鈥� said John Lavery, a Martlet coach. 鈥淥ur game isn鈥檛 really built around stars, it is built more upon teamwork.鈥�

Five years ago, the Martlets had a different game plan, with more star power than the red carpet on Oscar night. The class of the Ontario University Athletics, the team was riding an incredible nine-year undefeated streak in which it had gone 57 consecutive games without a loss.

But a 7-3 loss to Laval in 2006 marked the end of the streak and a change of rugby fortunes for the Martlets. In recent years the team hasn鈥檛 really challenged for the league title, falling behind both Laval and Concordia in the pursuit of an elusive berth to the national championships.

End of an era

More pointedly, the program itself seemed to falter. In Lavery鈥檚 first year with the team only seven veterans returned from the previous year鈥檚 roster of 35 varsity players. While some were lost due to graduation, some 15 players just decided not to play.

鈥淲e needed a culture change,鈥� said Lavery. 鈥淔or the last few years we鈥檝e been working to create a positive, inclusive environment where people feel genuinely welcome.鈥�

With the relatively short season and upwards of 50 athletes in the program, it is difficult for the coaching staff to, in Lavery鈥檚 words, 鈥渉old everyone鈥檚 hand.鈥� The onus falls upon the players to help welcome new teammates into their midst and to create that elusive quality called team spirit.

鈥淚t really is a welcoming environment,鈥� said Chloe Duncan, a nursing undergrad in her third season with the team. 鈥淚鈥檝e talked to other teammates who鈥檝e come from other sports and they say that this team is like no other. It doesn鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e in your first year or your fourth year you鈥檙e as much a part of the team as anyone else.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like a big family. We pick each other up when we make mistakes and we don鈥檛 turn on each other. The support you feel on this team is really incredible.鈥�

And the approach seems to be working as, for the first time in four years, the Martlets are ranked in the CIS Top 10 at No.9, with a 3-2 record heading into their Oct. 15 match against Bishop鈥檚 at McEwen Field.

More freedom, more responsibility

Lavery admits that much of the culture change had to begin with himself as coach. 鈥淚 think I watched too many army movies,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hatever I did, I had to be yelling 鈥� because that鈥檚 the way I was coached for many years. As a young player I remember almost quitting all the time because I was getting brow beaten for every mistake I made and never actually being told how to do it right.鈥�

His experience working with other coaches on various provincial representative teams opened his eyes to a kinder, gentler approach to coaching that actually challenges the players to take full ownership of their game and their team.

Now 鈥渨e run a much more casual program,鈥� said Lavery. 鈥淏ecause the fire has to come from within them. The coach should never be the most pumped person on the field.鈥�

While there are clearly defined patterns of play for the team, the coaches don鈥檛 spoon-feed players right or wrong answers to specific situations in practice, giving them the opportunity to better understand what works and what doesn鈥檛.

鈥淚f it is too coach-centred then they do what I tell them to do but they don鈥檛 understand why I have them doing it,鈥� said Lavery.听 鈥淏ut if you keep throwing it back on them to fix it, they鈥檒l get better every time they mess up. They own that. These are McGill students, so they鈥檙e smart and they will challenge naturally. They want to know why and to have a good reason for everything. I tell them, 鈥榩lease, question me. We can talk about this all day if you want.鈥欌��