New coach is working hard on club discipline

12:55pm Tuesday 25th March 2008

JOE Goodman, Basingstoke's new community rugby coach, says he has settled in well at Down Grange and is working hard to improve the discipline of the talented youngsters in the club's academy team.

Goodman took up the post, which involves delivering coaching programmes to schools across north Hampshire and overseeing junior rugby at 'Stoke, in January. He is enjoying the challenges being thrown up by the role and thinks there is a lot of young talent at the club.

"I have been in the job about six weeks and it is going very well," he said. "I have been made to feel very welcome, both by the club and the players. I am enjoying the job and starting to get my face known around the schools.

"The job is proving to be a challenge, but I am enjoying it. The organisation is coming along and we are now looking towards the off-season and next pre-season in terms of the junior teams at the club. There is a lot of potential there."

Goodman has taken a special interest in the club's academy side. While he says that there is a lot of talent in the squad, he has been working with the existing coaching staff to improve training sessions and the discipline shown by players.

"I have been impressed by the depth of talent in the academy, but their attitude can be a problem," he said. "Their approach towards training was very half-hearted for some reason, so I have introduced a bit more organisation, discipline and a progressive rugby culture.

"The training sessions are now more structured and organised, and we have focused on discipline in particular, introducing a no train, no play policy.

"We now have a dynamic stretch and warm-up session at training, before a drill session relating to particular aspects of the game. We are also trying to add more variety to the sessions.

"The boys are revelling in the new system and becoming real match rugby players.

"Their skill levels have gone up and you can see the standards of those who come to training every week rising compared with the ones that do not.

"On the whole, I have been impressed by the response I have got from the boys. They have really taken up the challenge."

In terms of the work he does in local schools, Goodman has no plans to drastically alter the programme, but intends to expand it over the summer.

"I do not have any plans to radically change the way we do things in schools at the moment," he said. "It is too soon for that.

"We are in about 12 schools at the moment, but I am looking into going into some more primary schools after Easter to do some tag rugby sessions. I am also hoping to do some work in the special needs field during the off-season.

"The job covers such a broad spectrum and I need to see which age-groups we especially need to work on for the development of the club. We have a good number of children playing rugby at the club, but we need to maintain that."

Goodman, who is 25, plays at prop and was with Bath's academy side as a teenager, before a serious ankle injury ended his hopes of playing at the highest level.

He has since played for Bath University and made two appearances for Basingstoke before his ankle broke down again.

However, he still harbours hopes of playing for the club next season.

"I have a long-standing ankle injury, but the good news from the surgeon is that I do not need to have an operation," Goodman said. "It can be handled through rehabilitation and injections.

"The joint is still very unstable and I am looking to next season now. Hopefully, I will be able to play then."

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