Introduction: Seeing data delivered in a new light
Creative non-fiction (CNF) is a method of delivering the “results” of qualitative data. While it is factually true to the data regarding the lived experience of any one subject, it allows for maintenance of anonymity by allowing creative license regarding other factors, such as time, place and identity of characters and/or creation of new supporting characters. The data for this narrative was collected through a semi-structured pilot interview. I believe CNF might be a more effective way to deliver information to a non-scientific audience, the general public.
Through the lens of reflection and anticipation: A Creative Non-Fiction
It was pre-season again. The Boyz all arrived and registered yesterday. They had a session on the field today, and the first conditioning session with me in the varsity gym, everyone all together. That’s my role still, performance staff for the varsity rugby team. Been here for years. Now here we all are, at the start of a new season, at the pre-season team orientation and welcome BBQ. Look at those boyz, all energized, ready to go, just like when I went to pre-season training camp. I am energized by their energy. Oooh, involuntary little shrug and smile…my muscles tense momentarily in that new season excitement. The vibe is fun still, and the players are primed to just work and play rugby with the rest of the boyz. They’ll train hard, take it seriously and do what they can do. It’s hard, training camp, but fun at the same time. It lasts, what, two, two and a half weeks? Then classes start and we are in-season. Here come some first years. They look young, not in their full grown man bodies yet. But that will change quickly. I remember it was during that post-season before my last year I played, I got stronger and heavier, maybe not faster, but my performance went up. I knew my strengths, and by then, I understood rugby a bit better. “Hello boyz, be sure you foam roll again tonight, don’t want you needing the athletic trainer after the first day of pre-season. Your recovery protocol is the key to staying uninjured this season.”
“Will do Marco. We were wondering, did you play here back in the day?”
I nodded at the three of them “Mm hmm. Yeah, I played. My role was to win scrums, support the ball carrier, be the ball carrier if I had to. I never made the fancy plays. My last year on the team our captain made a lot of fancy plays. He went on to get drafted.” My role was actually more on the outside, especially after my injury, my role was more to help the other players. I remember after I got injured that last year, that captain cared enough to reach out to me directly to see if I was OK. Everyone on that team seemed to care just a little more that year than in the previous years I played.
They nodded at me. “Yeah, we all have our roles in rugby. Did you end up staying with the role you came to university with? Or did you change it up once you got to the university level. We were just wondering if that will happen with us new guys.”
I chuckled under my breath…”well, boyz, I was here during those transition years. In fact, I never played rugby until I got to university! I came in from the outside, and so I didn’t have the same connections with other guys who have been playing the game for a while already. But, I worked, I learned the game. Those first years it was hard…different…the team was divided. There was varsity, and a B team, and an academy level team, and it was rare that we trained or played together. I was on academy that first year, and we didn’t have access to anything that the varsity players did. Sometimes we did captains runs with the B team, but the problem was academy was practicing basics on Tuesdays, then on Thursdays we’d try to do a captain’s run with the B team, but there was no overlap, so we ended up practicing the B team’s game plan that we had never even seen!”
The first years had a confused and worried look on their faces. “That doesn’t make any sense. It’s not like that now? I thought we would all be together!”
“No, it is not like that now. My last year, that is when the system really started to change, to more like it is now, but now it is even more integrated than back then. That last year I played, interaction went up. Academy started to come out and do captain’s runs at the same time as varsity. Anyone on the sport, whether they are varsity or academy, did their captains runs together. We were invited to all of the extra conditioning sessions, and combat sessions, we really got to see each other that year, whereas before then academy players barely even saw the varsity players. I finally made varsity that last year.”
The three were nodding, one asked “and now? How does it work now?”
I smiled to myself, glad of the evolution of this team towards cohesion. “We are one team now, all practicing together, even though we break out in groups sometimes, you’ll see how it works. Then when it comes to games, that’s when selection happens.” I remember those first few years I was there, guys were fighting to get higher spots, mad at each other after the selection. But by the last year I played there were good players who got along well. That is when the personalities and culture shift on the team was noticeable. The coaches were trying to bring in a new team culture, and the leadership group that last year encouraged a better atmosphere. Encouraged making healthier choices, including choices around drinking alcohol. Those leaders, and the coaches, discouraged drinking and going out for no reason when you have something important the next day. That was a new thing back then, now it is just the normal culture on the team. Part of the key to growth and success.
The three players were looking at their pre-season schedule. It was all mapped out for them. Every hour of every day. “Hey, what is the EI session?”
AHHH, yes, Emotional Intelligence training. My last year was the first year we had it. It was done by a student intern. She just retired a year or so ago from being the university’s EI facilitator. She was old that first year and was ancient by the time she retired! It has come a long way since the first year it was on the pre-season schedule. “Boyz, that’s where you learn how to recognize emotions. And you’d be surprised what happens in those sessions. You’ll see, you’ll get to know your teammates better. It’s a place where you’ll see those more prominent players share their concerns and weaknesses. It humanizes them. I remember the EI session where our captain was almost in tears while telling about how he had to console his friend after a career ending injury. And he was THE guy that year, a really good athlete, recognized for how athletic he was. In EI, you will see what skills guys have outside of their athletic skills. Your vision switches.” The Boyz were looking a bit quizzical, do I detect a bit of skepticism in their demeanor? “You know, emotions are high when you get around games.
You see a lot of anger, sadness…you can see when someone looks defeated after a game or after a play, you’ll notice it. And then it’s just knowing how each player deals with those emotions, and if you are a person who can help, or if they’re a person that just needs to be left alone, in which case you don’t bother them with random stuff that will bother them more.” I didn’t mention it to the boyz, but they may learn about the non-verbal communications you notice as well. I remember that captain my last year. He apologized to us for not playing well, the team let him know they messed up, too. Compassion. That brings to mind the game we lost the day before Thanksgiving that year. The coach told us to not worry about it, go home and decompress, enjoy Thanksgiving. We didn’t review that loss until we got back to school after the break.
“Well, that sounds OK, I just hope those sessions aren’t too early in the morning!”
A booming deep voice fills the air “OK Boyz, food is ready! Go refuel yourselves, then we will start the introductions after you’re done eating!”
I get at the end of the line. This is a real BBQ, better than the days of pizza and apples. Although we liked that just fine back in the day. I remember how easy it was for me to talk to the coaches back then. I was able to share with them my knowledge that I gained in school and from working at the gym. We might talk for two hours in the coaches office about a rugby topic, maybe a motor learning idea, skill acquisition, maybe a training idea. But during a game, the communication was short and efficient. Both with the coach, and between the players. Some of the guys will have an easier time communicating with the younger assistant coach. Closer to their age, and just different personality than the head coach. But communication on the whole is fairly important. The players will still talk a lot on game plan, what they want to do.
The coach’s booming voice interrupted my thought. “And now, Marco, can you please stand up? Boyz, this is Marco, most of you met him today in the first strength and conditioning session, he is on our performance staff. Marco, can you say a few words?”
“Communication is definitely important for making intentions clear for individuals, as well as for the team.” Oh, geez, I just finished my interrupted thought out loud! “My door is open and you can have the confidence to talk to me anytime. My intention is to make you stronger, quicker, and help you to improve your performance no matter what your role on the team is. Learn your role, everyone has a job, and they are equally important. Know how you fit into the system. Proper understanding of roles, knowing what you need to do, and knowing how that fits within the greater plan of the game, that is what is going to contribute to your performance the most.” Pause, wait for it, “And Boyz, THAT is how we will get the championship again!
Hoots, hollers, cheers and smiles fill the air.