Make it enjoyable So players come

Steve Hill puts the questions to Sam Goatley, below, head coach at Newent RFC

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What is your playing background/history?

I played youth rugby for Old Richians in Gloucester. I played senior rugby at level 7 with Matson RFC, then onto Old Cents at level 5. From there I played for Bury St Edmund’s, Cinderford and Clifton before playing for Hartpury in the Championship for a couple of seasons.

Why did you get into coaching rugby and what was your journey to arrive at your current position?

I stopped playing due to having my hip resurfaced but was desperate to stay involved in the game. I helped out quite casually at Gordon League RFC for a while then an opportunity came along to be backs coach at Newent RFC. After one season of being backs coach I moved to head coach.

What is your profession outside of coaching rugby?

I am an account manager for an insurance company.

What are your greatest strengths as a coach? What are your work ons?

I would say my main strength is empathy. As a coach video analysis is a vital tool but it’s also important to remember rugby isn’t played in the slow motion, it’s about using instinct to make split second decisions. I feel I’m good at trying to understand what players are thinking in a particular moment, how they see things and why they made a particular decision. Then we can work together on them making better decisions in similiar scenarios during training. My biggest work on would be to continue to improve my understanding of the game of rugby and how I can make it simple as possible for the players to understand.

What is the most challenging aspect of coaching?