Coast Juniors Psyched Up For Country Semis
Central Coast Herald
Saturday June 14, 2003
By DAMON CRONSHAW
TEAM manager Gavin Cramp is confident his under-16 Central Coast junior rugby league team will be mentally prepared for their NSW Country Championships semi-final clash against Group 20 today at WIN Stadium, Wollongong.
Cramp has employed some sports psychology techniques to motivate his charges.
``We talk about whether they want to be known as the boys who made it through to the semi-finals or as big-game performers," he said.
``It's about the boys proving something to themselves. And we talk about faith and they laugh about that because we often use that word with religion.
``But believing in each other and your own ability is faith."
Cramp said his footballers were at a crucial stage of their development.
``They are being looked at all the time by scouts and I make them aware of that and it lifts them," he said.
Central Coast under-16 captain and five-eighth Sam Quinn said yesterday his team's opponents were known to have a ``very big forward pack".
``We've got to take them on out wide," Quinn said.
``We've got to get our big guys running off us out wide, soften up their forwards and make them work."
At training this week, the side worked on a revised game plan.
``We've had to change our pattern of play, because usually we run through the middle," Quinn said.
``We practised working the channels at the side."
Cramp said his side had played with confidence to defeat the Kiama and Illawarra regions in their past two matches.
``Their attitude is good, they believe in themselves and that's important," Cramp said.
``If they go out there with the same attitude tomorrow we will be playing in the final."
The players respected coach Greg Richardson and responded well to his direction, he said.
``Despite the players all coming from different clubs, the team connected as one," he said. ``If you've got harmony as a group, that's important."
Three Coast teams will be in action in Wollongong.
The under-16s and under-13s both clash with Group 20 (Leeton region), while the under-14s meet Group 16 (Pambula region).
The under-13s kick off at 10.30am, the under-16s at 11.45am and the under-14s at 1pm.
Central Coast Herald
Saturday June 14, 2003
By DAMON CRONSHAW
TEAM manager Gavin Cramp is confident his under-16 Central Coast junior rugby league team will be mentally prepared for their NSW Country Championships semi-final clash against Group 20 today at WIN Stadium, Wollongong.
Cramp has employed some sports psychology techniques to motivate his charges.
``We talk about whether they want to be known as the boys who made it through to the semi-finals or as big-game performers," he said.
``It's about the boys proving something to themselves. And we talk about faith and they laugh about that because we often use that word with religion.
``But believing in each other and your own ability is faith."
Cramp said his footballers were at a crucial stage of their development.
``They are being looked at all the time by scouts and I make them aware of that and it lifts them," he said.
Central Coast under-16 captain and five-eighth Sam Quinn said yesterday his team's opponents were known to have a ``very big forward pack".
``We've got to take them on out wide," Quinn said.
``We've got to get our big guys running off us out wide, soften up their forwards and make them work."
At training this week, the side worked on a revised game plan.
``We've had to change our pattern of play, because usually we run through the middle," Quinn said.
``We practised working the channels at the side."
Cramp said his side had played with confidence to defeat the Kiama and Illawarra regions in their past two matches.
``Their attitude is good, they believe in themselves and that's important," Cramp said.
``If they go out there with the same attitude tomorrow we will be playing in the final."
The players respected coach Greg Richardson and responded well to his direction, he said.
``Despite the players all coming from different clubs, the team connected as one," he said. ``If you've got harmony as a group, that's important."
Three Coast teams will be in action in Wollongong.
The under-16s and under-13s both clash with Group 20 (Leeton region), while the under-14s meet Group 16 (Pambula region).
The under-13s kick off at 10.30am, the under-16s at 11.45am and the under-14s at 1pm.
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