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