I am delighted to have been asked to contribute the foreword for Focused for Rugby. I have known Jon Callard for more than 20 years, both as a player I coached and as a coach I worked alongside. One of Jon’s great strengths was his goal-kicking ability, a skill in which players stand alone in the big arena with all the attendant pressures that it can bring. Performing this technique successfully at all levels requires real mental clarity.
Focused for Rugby is an interactive book for both players and coaches, whatever their age and experience. This book also sets out all the information simply and explains why the mental side of the game is so important. I have to put my hand on my heart and say that I am not a massive fan of the term sport psychology, but I am a fervent believer in the importance of developing the mental skills that enable players to focus solely on the task at hand whilst actions and thoughts fight to interfere with successful execution of the job. Rugby has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, but I suspect that for the majority of coaches and players, the mental side of the game—the glue that holds together the technical, physical, and tactical sides of the game under the most hostile pressure—is the least understood and practised, which is why Focused for Rugby is very much needed!
Many coaches and players equate mental toughness with physical toughness. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have all witnessed the macho player doing the most ridiculously off-task things in the heat of battle, to the detriment of his companions and the outcome of a game. The mental side of the game demands as much regular practice as all the other elements of high-level performance. It requires much more than just dabbling now and again. The skill involves honing a mindset of great clarity under intense scrutiny to enable consistent success and not in a haphazard fashion. This skill is emphasised in Focused for Rugby as you are encouraged to practice psychological skills and monitor your own progress.
In my mind, I am perfectly clear about one thing. A coach and a group of players who use the techniques that you will read about in Focused for Rugby will be on the road to success in the sport.
Enjoy reading Focused for Rugby, and enjoy the success! Good luck.
—Brian Ashton, MBE