The selected players were Will Skinner, Nick Evans, Ceri Jones, Tom Williams, Tom Guest, Tomas Vallejos and Benjamin Urdapilleta.
The session aimed to make them understand how to get their message across, while being articulate, cope with all the adversity (microphone, lights, props), avoid distractions from a heckling audience, build confidence and most importantly come away with a sense of pride and hopefully a real buzz!
At 7pm, the doors were opened up to the other players and coaches and the audience was entertained to a very unique performance.
The way the Quins play their Rugby means that players are continually moving outside of their comfort zone and relying upon each other for support and encouragement. Confidence and self awareness are a vital ingredient if players are to be the best that they can be both individually and collectively. Getting the best out of those around you means that you have to know each other really well and this type of activity demonstrates how individuals cope with adversity and pressure.
On this occasion when the pressure was on, the players showed that they could step outside of their comfort zone be prepared to stand up and lead and find confidence within, all things which are valuable not only on the pitch but in their everyday lives.
This is all part of the player education programme that Conor O'Shea has introduced to ensure that our players have healthy and fit minds as well as bodies. Not only does the player want to be the best he can possibly be on the rugby pitch, but must also realise that there is a role to play off the pitch as an Ambassador for the club and the team upholding our team values and supporting these with appropriate behaviours. This is no "flash in the pan" but a structured programme devised by performance coaching partnership Ian Bell and John Neal , which originally began at Ashridge, the World Famous Business School, where the entire squad met pre- season to define their values and behaviours. Conor O'Shea believes that a better person makes a better rugby player and this is all part of his unique approach to deliver success.
The players will have sessions on learning skills (how best to learn), running meetings and developing interactive and presentation skills, the third one being the focus for Thursday night.
With the team on a 9 win unbeaten streak, it seems to be paying off. There may have been some good banter and heckling being thrown around by the watching audience, but there really is a sense of great friendship between all the players, something which will serve them well in the latter part of the season.
