Connie proves minds matter in dressing room
Building a team might not be rocket science – but it is an art. And behavioural coach Connie McLaughlin wants to prove exactly how much.
A two-year study into her work with 54 players at Motherwell, Kilmarnock and Falkirk has seen confidence, resilience and togetherness of their dressing rooms rocket.
The University of the West of Scotland are currently adopting the former Radio Clyde and BBC presenter’s programme in the belief it can work for their students.
But Mc L a u g h l i n , currently in negotiations to work with two Engl ish Premier League clubs, believes football can also benefit enormously from the kind of culture change Brendan Rodgers has introduced at Celtic.
She said: “The game has become obsessed with stats and data analysis. Players wear GPS for sports science and the data is amazing.
“But players are human. The body and the mind are one. If one’s not working properly, the other won’t function properly either.
“So a club have to ask what they can do to help their players feel valued, seen and heard.
“I’ve spent two years supporting the manager and players and encouraging a culture whe r e p l a y e r s feel conf ident, safe and that things are instinctively going to come off.
“Si r Alex Ferg uson created a culture where he bonded young players together.
“Team cohesion isn’t about taking players go-karting. Nights out and all that are important but we need to be smarter.
“If we’re using GPS for the body, this is effectively GPS for the mind.”
The things McLaughlin i s me a s u r ing se em intangible – how do you define a player’s confidence as a number? She said: “The stats are all there.
“Confidence increased by 47 per cent, resilience, the ability to put a bad pass or a defeat behind you, was up by 42 per cent
“The win ratio of Falkirk went up 32 per cent.
“Our data strongly s u g ge s t s the Te am Co h e s i o n p r o g r am improves togetherness by 122 per cent.
“Players reported feeling more confident while stress was reduced by 37 per cent.
“People were sceptical and thought the players wouldn’t be into it but once you start empowering them it creates a response.”
McLaughl in bel ieves Rodgers has created the right culture at Parkhead.
She said: “I spoke to some of the Celtic boys about the way Brendan treats them and the way he conducts himself.
“He allows them to feel they’re part of something.
“The way players feel is impacted by what ’ s happening around them.
“I’ve seen it in the past, where dressing rooms can be a struggle for certain personalities. We have to foster an environment where everyone is heard.
“If there are cliques or factions, it’s about trying to encourage communication.
“It may not be rocket science but there is an art to it.”