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“You’re either fucking in or you’re out Iain”
Mick McCarthy Ipswich Town training ground September 2014.
In 2014 I needed to get an internship for college. My dad sorted Ipswich Town. I was 21 and I was really not great with dealing with people. A nervous disposition. I knew how to behave as a player or someone already connected to certain training environments but this was the mecca. This was where I wanted to to end up a few years before.
Day one
I’m trying to find my feet as I walk down one corridor and Stephen Hunt had just had a nightmare game for the reserves who were playing that morning and had stormed inside. Not knowing whether to look up or down I decided I would look him straight in the eye and was met with “What the fuck are you looking at” right sorry Hunty.
Next, I was told to go over the road to the first team training session. Grand I was thinking, stand there and watch the session. Right, handy enough I thought.
So I go over and I’m thinking I don’t want to stand at the side of the pitch, I’m only here 10 mins, I’ll stand back closer to the trees. I see Mick McCarthy talking to Lee O’Neill, head of sports science, getting distracted as he is working out the correct system to play at the weekend. Ipswich are currently in the Premier League playoff positions. He then shouts “You’re either fucking in or you’re out Iain get over here”
I go over, stand beside the manager and now I’m on the sideline listening to Mick McCarthy when I hear “Paddy McPotato get the balls in there” the goalkeeping coach Smithy says. Some casual Irish racism, no worries… I was nervous now and making mistakes.
I get one ball at a time from the opposite pitch. I can feel eyes on me “why the fuck get one ball at a time bring the bag with you as you do it potato head” ok I was thinking what I’ll do is I’ll kick them back now to where the ball bag is. First one I kick straight at Mark Kennedy the U21 manager. “fuck sake go back to the Leinster Senior League will ya” so overall not a great start but I stayed for 7 months.
Stephen Hunt turned out to be really sound, offering to bring me to lunch one day with him and his brother Noel. Smithy turned out to be sound too. The manager was so accommodating towards me. I was in the middle of the dressing room by the end and out on the pitch at Portman Road on a regular basis. Most of my time was spent with Liam Manning, just sacked as head coach of Norwich City, Ger Nash, manager of Cork City up until last year, and Mark Kennedy as mentioned, who was the most expensive teenage transfer in history when Liverpool bought him for 1.5 million pounds in 1996. It was an invaluable experience about how to develop elite sports people of all ages.
Mick McCarthy had flaws in his tactical approach to the game but what he did better than others was the environment he created at the club. Everybody said this about him and I soon came to realise it.
Every day he would greet each member of staff and player with a handshake. There would be no phones in the canteen. Win or lose the manager you would meet in the morning was the same.
There was not a lot of confrontation because there was consistency in his leadership style. Players and staff were so aligned with to the same approach. No arseholes was the rule.
Normally in these environments you can feel the pressure but he seemed to be really good at creating that bubble where the group didn’t feel it from the outside.
So, how does this all apply to Yellow Belly CrossFit?
Two things.
The first thing is that there is always so much outside noise for you and I. Just like at Ipswich Town at the time where there is media and fans for us there is Instagram telling you to do this Hyrox or that. Let’s do that half marathon or that 5k. Let’s do this CrossFit comp or that. Don’t eat that apple eat this one. All great pursuits but what we try and do is very similar to what he did. Lets focus on the training this week. Don’t mind the outside noise focus on the goals of this 6 week cycle. Let’s improve these metrics.
Clear consistent focus.
What about the environment?
A new member feels the way I felt that first day. Where to stand? Where to look? How to behave?
We try to create an environment where you are challenged, where you are pushed but also one where you have a solid base of support. Where you’re met with a friendly face. The same face and the same character each day.
So let’s keep growing together and maybe don’t call someone McPotato.
See you in class,
Iain