Getting old is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is something we cannot avoid.
On New Year’s Day this year, one of my 21-year-old twin boys said to me, “Guess what Dad, you will be 80 next year!”
It was only then that I realised, yes, I am getting a bit older. But a challenge also crossed my mind and got me thinking.
I had to retire from coaching when I was at Manly in the early 1990s. At that time, I was also coaching Queensland.
But following a number of heart attacks, strokes and a brain haemorrhage, my body convinced me to retire, or maybe I would fall off my perch.
But, you know what, the fire coaching developed in my guts has never gone out.
I have pondered over this issue for many years, should I put my head in the coaching cage again or shouldn’t I?
Obviously, the game has changed since back in the day when I was coaching, or has it?
With more time, more money and sports science backing them up, the players are certainly on average bigger, stronger and maybe even faster.
Some would argue more skilful as well, we will never really know – but it would be hard to argue against the players being much better prepared now than ever. But so they should be, they are professional fulltime rugby league players.
So, back to coaching, should I even consider such a crazy thing, maybe I have some brain damage left over from the brain haemorrhage. Yeah, maybe I do, but that still doesn’t put the fire out in my guts.
I fully accept there are a lot of changes, but one thing in my opinion has never changed.
Coaching is an art, not a science!
Will I put my head back in the cage – I’m certainly going to think about it.
