The Best Decision I Ever Made - My Journey To Becoming A Touchdown Tiger

So this week it is ten years since I decided to sign up to play American Football for Tarannau Aberystwyth. Ten years. TEN.

I had always loved American Football and university was my first chance at playing it properly. I still remember messaging the head coach to tell him about the "super cool" unkitted games I had been organising with Steve at home prior to Uni. I had no idea I sounded like a melvin, but the passion was there. I still remember turning up to the trial day hungover and wanting to put a marker down to try and impress people. My 11 stone frame  (as shown in that beautiful rookie roster photo above) was a bit underwhelming for the position I wanted to play at linebacker, but my attitude was good and I was determined to smash people and prove my worth. I was lucky enough to be joined on this adventure with my best mate Steve, who through what is now a very fortunate turn of events, ended up going to Aber as well. He met his wife there and has no regrets either about how he got there.

I've had a bit of a rough year but when I noticed a Facebook post I had written ten years ago about signing up & rookie day it made me do a lot of reflecting. That one decision to join the team has had an amazing and long lasting impact on my life. As you know I now coach at The University of Exeter and we recently completed "Football 101" which is our induction to life as a Demon and clearly shows the rules of our program. In that talk, another coach stated that "Some of the people in this room will be your friends for life.". It couldn't have been more true a statement. It resonated with me and perfectly summed up my 10 years since joining Tarannau.

I ended up becoming best man for that head coach I messaged like a Melvin, having lived for two years with him and Steve, where we built a friendship that will last forever. I was face timing him and his two kids the other day and remembered how much love I have for that man. I have been a groomsman at two other weddings and am currently booked to go to the Caribbean for a third Aber wedding. I now live within walking distance of some of my closest friends from Uni and in life. I learned how to lift weights and built friendships through it. These friends I now share a football field again with at Wyverns. Joining Tarannau gave me my first taste of coaching which has now led to something that has been my rock in the last year and something I now don't think I can live without.

So a short blog today to end the writing drought but an important message. That ten years has flown by and I regret none of it. The decision I made was the best one in my life and will continue to lead to prosperity and happiness. If any of my current players manage to read this, Coach Lydon was correct. Football is family and you will make friends for life by joining up and playing this great sport. You may not realise it now but when you get older and reflect back, it's impact will shock you.

I leave you with a photo from this season just gone. Not only did I get to share the field with Steve again but we both became Touchdown Tigers finally, in the same game. Football is family. The last ten years have been great. I love you all and can't wait for the next ten. #57 becomes #27

COWTCHA!

So I should probably explain the title before I crack on writing this post. It's a memory of when I first remembered culture being funny but important. We were wandering around lost, having become victim to Amsterdam North (If you've been, you'll know what this is) and were discussing the idea of having a Wolfpack magazine every week with different articles written by all the boys. Shaft was toying with the idea of "The World According To Shaft" which on some weeks would be deep & interesting and on other weeks would be two blank pages because he was too lazy to write anything. We were seeing all this beautiful Dutch architecture and started to realise we were getting an unexpected and unplanned experience of culture, on a lads trip Gentleman's Sojourn to Amsterdam. So we decided it would be a key feature but with a twist of a cockney wideboy writing it every week, thus coined the term of "Cowtcha". So there, a completely nonsensical and pointless explanation of why when I say "culture" I always think of that trip and how it impacted me. I took 16 blokes on a stag do to Amsterdam and we had the most amazing time. Everyone bought in despite the varied range of backgrounds and ages. We got smashed, drank a beer bike dry, sang rugby songs washing glasses behind a bar, did a lot of philosophical talking and every single person got on with each other and enjoyed.

Why is this relevant you ask?

Well recently I've been doing a lot of reflecting on culture. How to build it within a team, how to know you've got it right and whether or not you can create it effectively. What made me think about this a lot, was the end of the 2019 Wyvern's season. Our second in the league and third including associate. I looked back at the last 3 end of season photos and couldn't help but notice the volume of turnover of players. However, this season has undoubtedly been the best season in Wyvern history and the club feels more like a family now than it ever has. When you factor in we have transferred players in from 5 other clubs as well as bringing in some guys from 3 universities, it is a bold claim to make.

Ever since I started at the Wyverns, it was always clear, we were a family club where everyone was welcome. A club that wanted to be a positive influence on the community it was in. Pay your subs, turn up to training, don't be a dick and it will all be fine. Of course, we have had our fair share of dickheads, but overall the ethos remains the same. We have attracted like minded players, avoided local mercenaries and evolved as a team. Our culture has deepened and improved this year. We have been a positive influence on new teammates, even when they initially had some behaviours that didn't align. The love in that team is unbridled. The love in the defensive locker room is so strong, offensive players want to shower with us post game! My best friend Steve is one of those transfers in and he was initially only going to play one year, to have one last season playing linebacker alongside his butty fach, yours truly. He travels from Cardiff every week for games and training but due to how great this team is, he has committed to coming back next year and for many years to come. There were no cliques, everyone was welcoming and I know he has made friends for life. We had one Uni player join (the first Demon to become a Wyvern) and he enjoyed it so much that two other players transferred in from their home clubs and stayed in Exeter to play football with us all summer. We had people watch our games and get the bug, wanting to resurrect playing careers or coach in a new environment. Each and every person who joined added value and became a true Wyvern. Once a Wyvern, always a Wyvern.

2019 Defense - Hit Squad - Secondary To None - Bellybackers - Grown Ass Men

Now that I've finished waxing lyrical about Wyverns, I will go back to my point. Culture within a team is extremely important. I have learnt a lot about it this season, both at Demons and at Wyverns. I hope to weave the cultures together over time, bringing the best bits from one to the other. I listened to a lecture from Georgia Tech DC Andrew Thacker ( @_CoachThacker ) on culture over the weekend. He explained it simply, no matter what the definition is, culture is only as important as the people within it. You can tell people anything you like but unless every person is on board, living and breathing it, then it won't work. It's not about fancy gimmicks. It's about knowing who you want to be and sticking to your values. I learnt about creating a message and sticking to it, team building and how important it is, kick ass promotional graphics and how your team (or defense) can create an identity. It capped off a great weekend at the coaching convention and really got me thinking.

You can create culture effectively if you work at it and always stick to your values. How do I know we have got it right? The team got closer & stronger and new players all fell in line whilst loving every minute. We went 4-4, avenged a big loss against a previously Division 1 opponent, welcomed new players to the team and became a stronger, more loving family. It was great. Everyone is welcome, you will love being a part of it. Long may it continue. Long live Cowtcha.

Somerset Wyverns 2019

I'm Fine - Something I've Never Experienced Before

So I've been planning to write this post for a while. I had it planned before the last 2 posts were written & published. I had it planned to post in good time after my last post. I had it planned to not leave it nearly a month. I had it planned because it was important to me to get it off my chest & important for people to hear the story, even if it only reaches 1 person. I was putting it off however. I was making excuses to not write. I was telling myself I was busy or not in the correct frame of mind or had more important things to do. Truth is, I've had two weeks off work and I sit here with only 4 days left of that and realised I could have written this at any point in that time. I was choosing not to, not because of any of those reasons. I was choosing not to because I guess I was scared. Scared to see what reaction (if any) it would get. Scared to see what words would spill out of my brain and onto this blog & therefore the entire Internet. Scared to see if I would be judged. Scared to see if people would just look at it as bandwagon jumping.

Until January 2019 I can honestly say I have never experienced a mental health problem my entire life. I reflect back and think I had occasional low mood but on the whole I was happy with my existence. I had been around people who had genuinely suffered and battled for years with their own issues. I felt I had it all figured out. Fiance, house, good job, two dogs, cat, active social life & plenty of hobbies. Then it all came crashing down and everything I had worked for was falling apart and slipping through my fingers. I felt I had no control over it. My relationship ended and the animals went with it. My house went on the market. For the first time ever since starting work, I didn't get a job I applied for. Not once, but twice. This battered my self confidence and belief in my own abilities. For the first time ever I was waking up in the morning and not wanting to get out of bed. Those who know me really well, will know I'm a bit of a lunatic early riser so this feeling was really out of character for me. Did I/Do I think I was depressed? Honestly, no. I hadn't had a diagnosis from a professional and didn't think I was feeling low enough to go speak to someone about it. I did find myself putting less effort into things & putting off doing tasks that needed to be done. Making excuses about why I shouldn't exercise (even though it always makes me feel better, I'm writing this after a gym session), making excuses to not see friends for social occasions.

Through talking to friends, work colleagues, teammates and new people, I begun to realise that more people are struggling than they let on. I found out my best friend had been depressed for the best part of a year and I barely noticed. As a people manager, I have helped people through mental health issues and have experienced first hand how positive it can be if you support someone and help them turn things around. It made me realise that support, talking about it and being part of something are all super positive steps in feeling happy and recovering from a mental health issue. I was fortunate that January was the beginning of an intense period of football coaching at Exeter, which included a deeper than expected playoff run (as previously mentioned in other posts). Wyverns training had begun and between it all, I dove in head first and immersed myself in football. I can truly say, the only time I have felt myself this year so far, has been on a football field. It's the only time when I am 100% comfortable with who I am and fully confident in myself as a person. It's more than just X's and O's to me. It's more than just a violent game of chess. It's an expression of passion & love for not just the sport but the people I choose to do it with.

It wasn't until yesterday when I removed my house keys to give back that I noticed I was still carrying a personal & loving key ring from my previous relationship on my keys. It's significance meant so much when it was given to me but now I've come to know that it either had a false meaning or the feeling just simply faded over time. I chose to throw it away at a spot where we used to walk the dogs, when I left the village for the last time. It gave me great closure and although that key ring contained fond memories, this action signified the end of my current chapter.

The good news is, I am well on the way to being happy again. I have taken my own and Ufford's advice from a previous breakup (you'll need to go back to 2012/13 archives for that post) and have got back into the gym. I have fully moved house and gotten closure on the past. My diet will be back on track when I return to work next week. I have plans that are worth looking forward to. I don't regret anything from the last 6 years. I look back on it fondly as 6 good years but knowing that people and plans change. You only learn from your mistakes and I feel I will be a better person going forward. I will be someone aware of their own mental health pitfalls and able to have coping mechanisms ready in case something happens again.

To sign off this post, I am well aware that most people out there are suffering with worse issues than what I have experienced. I just wanted to share how I was feeling, what caused it and what I was doing to get better. What works for me may not work for many others. However, if this post makes even one person feel supported, or know they have someone to reach out to, it will have served it's purpose. My friends, teammates and colleagues have been brilliant. I cannot thank you enough. You know who you are.


You can easily see a broken leg but you can't see a broken brain.

It's okay to not be okay.

Football is family.

Without it I wouldn't have the courage to write this post or get this out of my head.

If anyone would like to talk about this, just reach out.

Dan

Final note - Check Out This Fantastic Mental Health Movement That We Actively Support At The Somerset Wyverns -  https://www.facebook.com/LiftingTheLidMHAC/

S-M-R-T D'oh, I mean S-M-A-R-T

So above is my favourite ever moment from The Simpsons. Every time I see it, it reminds me of being back in 16 Prospect Street in uni with Steve & Phil. It was a running in joke that doesn't seem relevant to a blog that's been mainly focusing on football and coaching lately?

Well it is relevant. It's relevant to something I find very important to football, coaching and life in general. When I started in Exeter, I did this for our first game and it worked wonders. We came out fast and achieved 80% of what we wanted to. An almost perfect start to the season. I've since introduced it to Wyverns for the defense and it has helped focus us in the games I have played in so far this season. I've experimented with when and how to do it, using both technology and an old fashioned approach. Guessed what it is yet? Yep that's right, I'm talking about goal setting. Specifically SMART goal setting and how it can provide you with something to aim for. It doesn't guarantee success but it can put you in positions to be successful.

So what does it stand for?

S - Specific - Being specific when setting goals is key. It means you are detailed in what you want to achieve.
M - Measurable - Being able to quantify your success. Follows on from the detailed specifics, this is the measurement to prove you have been successful or not.
A - Achievable - So now you can measure it, you've got to be able to achieve it. Your goal needs to be achievable to get people motivated to work towards it.
R - Realistic - Pairs nicely with achievable but ensures you don't overreach and become vulnerable. You don't want players playing purely to achieve a statistical goal.
T - Timely - It has to have a time constraint, so you know how long you need to work to achieve your goal.

This model I learnt in work but is widely available on the internet. I've not researched who coined the term and I've seen several variations on the A and R letters. By the time it got to me, it has probably been regurgitated so much that it's far from the original model. Who knows?

Finding the best way to set goals has been a challenge. I face different constraints with each team I'm apart of. With Exeter I get an hour classroom time a week and dedicate half of that in game weeks to set goals. This approach with a full room of people can be quite hectic with lots of voices, but can also be the most efficient. I attempted a live stream on Facebook with Wyverns to try to beat our geographical difficulties and lack of midweek training. We set our goals and learnt plenty, but there was a significant delay between the live stream and the comments, so I spent a lot of the time talking to myself or missing responses to my questions. It's a very surreal experience to be talking to a screen and awaiting for feedback to come in comment form. With a delay.

Either way, it provides a great source of focus for us and allows us to aim for tangible targets that can lead to us being successful in our endeavours. I will now share with you the first iteration of goals for our away season opener against newly relegated Bath Killer Bees:

"Goals give you focus. Goals allow you to measure progress. Goals keep you locked in and free from distractions. Goals help you overcome obstacles. Goals give you motivation. 

I’m a massive believer in goal setting both professionally, personally and in my sporting life. They help you achieve what you didn’t think was possible. They aren’t the be all and end all, but they are important on a path to success. This is why I wanted us to set goals as a defense, not just for this week, but for every game. We will use these as a benchmark to measure our success and dominate teams. This is the first of many posts from me that will display our goals. Let’s own these as a unit and ensure we do our part (and more) to earn that W on Sunday. 

1. Shutout
2. No blown contains.
3. No pass completed over 20 yards.
4. 2 turnovers.
5. Defense scores points. 

Let’s bring it on Sunday and send a message to the division about this defense. Remember, do your job first, then be great. 

Coach 

#BleedGreen "

So we hit 4 out of 5 of these. I thought they were so ambitious we were straying past realistic, however they still felt achievable. We shut bath out, scored the only TD of the game with a pick 6, got 4 turnovers, 8 sacks and didn't blow a contain. The pass completed over 20 yards was on the last drive with nothing but rookies on the field so we were so close to nailing all 5 week one. Once you achieve a goal, you set yourself loftier targets in the next game but you also have to be realistic to your opponent to not over reach. You are constantly working towards improvement. Constantly trying to better yourselves as players and coaches. I thrive from goal setting and just wanted to share a step in my process with you that you may find useful. 

On a sidenote about my blog, for those of you that are new fans, this is where I spill my thoughts about a variety of things to. You'll mostly find football and coaching but will see other views I have on subjects like movies, film and life in general. Some of the older posts shows how regularly I did this in uni, two hiatus' later and I'm trying to start it back up again. It's unbelievably cathartic to be able to write and know that even one person can take some value from it. All feedback, likes & shares are welcome but I'm fairly sure there's a specific niche of people that will like this blog. 

Cheers

Dan

My Coaching Process

So as you can tell from my recent blogs, in the last year I have taken up a coaching position as Defensive Coordinator of Exeter University Demons American Football Team. Initially I was brought on as a LB positional coach and was voluntold for the position of Special Teams Coordinator. Cue a resignation from the previous DC and within a week I was the new DC, in my first season of coaching ever!


Now fortunately I had had an active role in supporting my coaches at Uni and this experience led me to do some X's and O's work at the Wyverns, whilst also showing others at my position, skills I had picked up over the years. I was super up for the challenge but also quite daunted by it. On reflection in the last few months, I wasn't as prepared as I could have (or should have) been. I learnt and developed over the year, stuck with what worked and scrapped what didn't. I borrowed things from experienced coaches I encountered but also showed them my skill for coaching & eye for detail.

So our season schedule went a bit like this:

• Returners Week - 3 midweek practices
• Rookie Day - 1 midweek Wednesday practice
• Non Game Weeks - Sunday & Wednesday practice weekly
• Training Camp - 2 day residential weekend camp near the end of October
• Game Weeks - Wednesday practice & classroom 

 Returners week for me was a chance to get to know the vets and learn the scheme I had been given a crash course in the week before from a part time coach who used to be DC. This I was able to pick up and practice the no-huddle playcalling before the rookies arrived. I had drills planned for these sessions and some of them were the best practices I had all year weirdly.

Rookie day is a chance for us to run a variety of drills for everyone to try and then pick who we would like on Offense and Defense. I say pick, the OC gets the first shout and I fall in line. This works for me because nobody should ever have to be convinced to play defense. If they want it enough, they'll already be asking to play there.

In non game weeks we have two practices, 5-7pm on a Wednesday and 9-11am on a Sunday. These go from scheme walk through to fundamentals to live scrimmage and can be quite intense. It's a good time to find out who of the rookies can play whilst also seeing which vets have stepped up their game. With the cyclical nature of University Sport, it is crucial that people improve year on year and that you are able to backfill graduated talent. I became less prepared for these practices during a busy time in work, which meant I did a lot of drills "on the fly" and I wasn't always at my best as a coach.

Training Camp - A wonderful weekend of bonding for the team & coaches whilst getting some detailed football work done. Every person lived and breathed football from Friday at 5pm to Sunday at 6pm. We ate meals together, we socialised together and we had fun together. This was one of my favourite aspects of the year and I felt on top of my game that weekend. It was topped off by a solid scrimmage win against a senior team on the Sunday. The other bright point of that weekend was bring Coach Jack Mullins on board. He came to watch with our teammate and his housemate Matt Robert. Jack ended up coaching on the sideline and Matt did the chains! Jack made such a good impression that he was invited aboard by the HC and OC which meant a lot to me. It showed my judgement of character and football coaching ability was respected and added significant value to the team. From that moment on, I was more organised and thoughtful with my entire process, having Jack to bounce things off and question my decisions was integral to our success this past season.

Game weeks were a different animal. Monday and Tuesday spent frantically breaking down film to deliver a scouting report to the team for a Wednesday. Wednesday practice would consist of coaches and backups running a scout team offense. It was at this point I emphasised the importance of being  a good teammate, whether that's holding bags or running offensive scout. Everything we work towards makes the defense and thus the team better. My vision for pregame was to have a calm and consistent approach that amped up the closer we got to kickoff. I wanted the pregame drills to be the same for each position group, each game. When these drills are started, it's time to switch on and go into game mode. I particularly enjoyed scouting opponents but it is labour intensive. I would watch the film four times or so, compiling a tally chart of formations, plays & tendencies. The idea to work out the top 5 or so plays for an offense, take them away and then make them beat us with something brand new. This step up was something I was complimented on by veteran players, the attention to detail and care put into the film study set a tone they'd not really had before. My top achievement for the year was designing a nickel package on the fly for a playoff game against Southampton. They had beaten us twice in the regular season and were confident. I aimed to take away their best WR who had scored 6 TD's across the two games against us. Their head coach was also the OC and had won a national title. He couldn't work out the package and the false looks I was presenting him. They had no answer and the defense turned the ball over 4 times to seal a great victory and become the most successful Demons team since it's existence.

So right now, during a point of reflection, what have I learned? Firstly I was able to take structure and theory from my work and combine it with my passion of football to be an organised and successful coach in year one. I was able to develop myself by learning from others but also develop players along the way. I have learned that my attitude to game prep works and although it can be tough for backups, the scout is vitally important. Next year I will take something I've learnt from Wyverns and do virtual video classrooms to install scout & playbook packages. I will be far more organised for the practice weeks leading up to camp, having a week by week drill breakdown for each position group. This will allow us to cover all fundamentals and skills throughout the season prior to camp and ensure that all sessions are planned and structured, even if positional coaches aren't there. I will also look to develop my assistant coaches more & bring on board a fresh face or two. I will practice this with Scott Savage at Wyverns this summer who is a relative football novice in his first few months of coaching. He's more football smart than he thinks and I look forward to working alongside my Co-DC Alex "Yogi" Martin to get the best out of him. Most of all I have learnt that I love football and that football is family. It'll get you through tough times and it will shape the human being you are and can be in all aspects of life.

Peace out

Coach

Something I Thought I'd Never Do

Ann Mogford. Geraint Harvard. Paul Simmonite. Carwyn Phillips. Jamie Mansel. Phil "Oggy" Holding. Phil Dayus-Johnson. Tim Macy. Alec Hepburn. John "JC" Chambers. Alistair McLean. Jack Mullins.

A varied list that includes a female football (soccer) manager who was the first and only one I remember locally, an England International & Exeter Chief, some South Wales cricket & rugby legends and also some bright American Football minds from the UK.

So what do they all have in common? Well they all contributed to me doing something I thought I'd never do. Something I thought I would never be good at, have the patience for or be able to enjoy. Something I thought would replace my ability to play a sport I loved, rather than enhance it. Each person on that list had an impact, whether they knew it or not, to a big part of my life today.

Ann Mogford was the manager of Hendy Football Club's Under 7's team when I started playing. She only started doing it because her son played and we had nobody, but she soon became a great role model. She dived into getting qualification badges and was passionate about how we trained. You didn't see any other women on the sideline on rainy Sunday mornings in the mid 90's and teams would sometimes laugh at us. She built such a good team, that we didn't notice or care what was said, simply playing attractive fun football (as attractive as 6 x 7 year olds can be chasing a ball around) and we were a pretty successful side. I remember transforming from a fairly poor defender to a goal poaching machine (no offside rule definitely helped me!). She showed me that you can start anywhere on a journey and be successful, as long as you are passionate and love what you are doing, no matter whether people think you should be doing it or not.

I've loved rugby for a long time and despite football (Soccer) being my first love, rugby quickly overtook it. I loved watching Wales & Llanelli play with my dad, loved the contact and the skill required to play certain positions. When I moved to secondary school, I desperately wanted to play and be good at it and fit in with the rugby team. One problem - I was terrible. I could tackle and run, but I couldn't catch a cold and was a complete liability in a sport reliant on ball handling. So I decided to go learn to be a better player and did this by joining the mighty Felinfoel RFC. The majority of my friends played for them and they dominated everybody. I was laughed at for saying I was going to train with them. Some people respected my guts, majority ridiculed it. Paul Simmonite was in charge at the time and he made me earn my spot. H did the forwards, Caz and Simmo did the backs. He said I had to train for 6 weeks and then they would let me sign on if I proved I was good enough. So I trained. I got hammered in tackles. I dropped balls. I got run over. Then I started to improve. I started to fit in. I started to hammer people in tackles. Started to score tries. Started to show my potential. I was allowed to play my first game from the bench. I earned my first start. I'll never forget it. Treorchy RFC at home in the cup. A big side from the valleys who hadn't lost that year. First scrum was on their 5m line. Scrum half dithered and I smashed him. Bullied him into the ground. Our flanker picked it up and scored. We won comfortably and I played my first full game. At the end of the game, Simmo gave a rousing team talk and said that he and every body else should now be scared of me and that I had properly earned my name on the team sheet that day. My time at Foel was incredibly beneficial, I learnt the dark arts & dog from H which helped me one day achieve my dream of playing flanker. I learnt skill and guile from Caz, becoming a better ball handler and passer than I could have ever realised. They showed me that time dedicated to the basics was key, drilling into us how important fundamentals were from a young age.

Jamie Mansel is the only person on this list to impact my life through more than one sport. He was my first PE Teacher in school and took us for football, rugby and cricket. Although football and cricket were his strong suits, he impacted my rugby game through kicking and also managed to play to my strengths in the other two so I could contribute. With cricket I wanted to be an attacking wicket taking off spinner but my skills didn't fit my ambition. Manse showed me the benefits of being a controlling bowler, and building pressure to assist others into changing the game. It was a tough conversation to have and a tough pill for me to swallow, but it made me a better person and a better player, even if I didn't know it at the time.  He showed me how finding a role & doing it well, even when you believe your strengths lie elsewhere, is a valuable skill and a crucial part of any team.

Two Winning Dafen Sides, Oggy On The Left

Phil "Oggy" Holding was a cricketing legend in South Wales. I had the pleasure of being part of one of his teams, but also sharing the field with him & his two sons. He had an unbridled passion for cricket, and in particular Dafen CC and taught me a lot about the game and being a fierce but fair competitor. This was the main thing I took from Og and was a basis for my white line mentality in sport. I will be the nicest guy until I cross that line onto the field and from then on I am a ruthless competitor who will always hold you to the rules. He showed me that you can be both a nice guy & a horrendous opponent who gives no inch.

Getting Props From Phil Before My Last Game in Aber

Phil Dayus-Johnson & Tim Macy were the first people who introduced me to actually playing the game of American Football. A game I have loved since being introduced to it by my dad, but had never had the chance to play until attending Aberystwyth University. We were a side limited by resources, staff members, talent and location, but in the three years I was there, I loved every minute. The detail and commitment to volunteering that these two gave pushed me on to strive for better for myself. Taught me to put the work into the details. Taught me how to be clinical and execute in a brand new sport. Seppo showed me that you can beat someone up, smile & pick them up off the ground, before doing it all over again the next play. He showed us that it was great to push somebody's shit in and then be a good sport and help them out after. Phil showed me that the devil is in the details and opened my eyes to film study and tactics that I had never comprehended before.

Running Out For Crediton 1st XV

In between my two stints playing American Football, I went back to play rugby at Crediton RFC. I've stepped back from this in 18/19 but it's been a tremendous season for the club and I'm super proud of them. We are fortunate enough as a club to be helped out by Alec Hepburn of Exeter Chiefs and England. He has made a lasting impact on the club but also on me. One cold Tuesday night at training, I'd run a drill quite well but a bit lazily. He'd asked me to run it again and I responded poorly, challenging him that I'd got it done properly. He was simple in his reply and just said "yeah you did Dan, but you can always do it better". An effective statement, unexpectedly stated by a prop forward to an inside centre. These words were profound for me and have stuck with me ever since. He showed me that appearances can be deceptive & that there is always more that you can do to keep moving & improving so that you don't fall behind your competitors.

Finally, the last three names on the list are all part of the Somerset Wyverns. We will start with JC, a man who got me to lead an entire position group (and a team) after 3 training sessions and 1 game. The trust he put into me to deliver, having not really known or met me, taught me a lot. Alistair was the second person (Phil being the first) in this article to gently encourage me to explore more into the game of football, beyond just playing it. He (like Phil) told me I would be good at it & that I had the analytical detail for it. Jack is a player and a guy I now see as one of my best friends. He became a foil for me at Exeter once I brought him on board, and is the only person who provides critical feedback to me whilst distracted by his own performance. JC showed me to trust my gut and delegate in people you believe in. Alistair showed me confidence in my own skills that I hadn't seen or been interested in seeing. Jack showed me how to constantly work to be better and how to do it in an uplifting manner for a team and myself.

With Somerset Wyverns After Beating Worcester. Hammer Twins #27 & #8 cuddle Jack #5. JC & Alistair also pictured.

So what do all of these people have in common? I'm sure most of you have guessed it by now, however it took some effort to write the entire piece up to this point without using the word. Something I Thought I'd Never Do? Yep, Coaching. Each person described above has impacted my coaching journey. I'm from the Dayus-Johnson coaching tree, but my branch would have withered and died without the others on here after him. The foundations & fundamentals instilled in me from a young age, to the gentle encouragement & belief in later life that has allowed me to become part of something I loved without ever knowing I loved it. The realisation that I coach every day at work and use the theory I've learnt to make me far better at a passion of mine than I thought capable. The little nuggets and things I have learnt. The ability to change someones mindset with a simple sentence. The devil in the details. I never thought I would enjoy coaching as much as playing. I'm glad you all helped to prove me wrong.


I can't thank you enough.

With Paul Habsburg after UEA Playoff Loss, my graduating Middle Linebacker & D-Captain

2019 - A Polished Turd So Far

 

It's amazing how much can change in the two years since my last blog post. I promised to myself I would write more regularly. I didn't. It's been a shorter hiatus this time around, and now I think I need writing more than I ever have before. 2019 has started with an unwanted break up that I am now working my way through, that was timed delightfully with not getting 2 separate jobs I'd applied for. Until this point, I had never failed to get the job I had interviewed for. The break up has been a peculiar one. I did not want it, but accepted it and began moving through it. I healed wounds and started to think what the future would bring. I have no real idea if it is the right decision, but it's a decision. I couldn't cope living in limbo. Now the situation has flipped and serious regret is being shown from the other side. A lot of soul searching has happened, and I have certainly learned that everything happens for a reason. What will be will be.

The one thing that has kept me going through all of this, the one thing keeping me sane, has been football. In my first season as DC at Exeter Demons, we made the Division 1 South Final. As a constant underdog, we defied the odds, going on the road and beating the 4th and 3rd seeds. My best moment was avenging two regular season losses by beating Southampton when it mattered. This was the first time I felt I had truly out-coached someone, creating a unique defensive wrinkle, that the opposition head coach could not work out how to beat. I have really enjoyed my first foray into coaching, which was made even better by bringing Jack on board from Wyverns. Through adversity in the last year, our friendship has grown to the point where I now consider him one of my closest allies. A great coach & an even better bloke, he has made the coaching time so much more worth it.

On a playing front, I've missed a lot of Wyverns training with Exeter commitments. I've still managed to have a key influence and am currently CO-DC with Yogi. Writing a scheme for a senior team is a fun challenge and installing it via video due to not being there has been a fun and interesting challenge. I've also chosen to add an eligible number (#27, shout out to PT) just in case all the stars align and I get RB/FB snaps. Couple this with Steve (#8) joining us from South Wales and this season is shaping up to be great. Season opener is a week today against Cornish Sharks. Much like Exeter we're an underdog too, our second year in the league, and teams are writing us off already. I love being an underdog and can't wait to go down to Cornwall to do a job on them. Arrive. Raise Hell. Leave.

I set out writing this blog for it to be a cathartic experience. I wanted to get my thoughts out of my head and onto digital paper, to clear my mind and attempt to achieve some closure. It has certainly worked and I can feel the benefit already. It has been painful to share how I've been feeling but I feel much better for it. My friends have been brilliant for the last few months and continue to support me daily. A quarter of 2019 gone so far and it has not been good, a few bright spots barely helping. Here's hoping that the rest of the year can bring new horizons in a new town and some new experiences. First milestone - beating the Sharks come Sunday.

#27