Learning to win the Hard Knocks way
How a TV show is using the psychology of rugby training to transform the futures of a team of young men
As millions of people across the world get ready for Rugby World Cup fever, a gripping new reality TV series is proving that sport can do much more than make a country proud. School of Hard Knocks, which returns for its eighth series on Sky Sports in August, takes a team of participants who face unemployment, drug addiction and crime on a daily basis and uses the psychology, discipline and teamwork of rugby to transform their mindsets and empower them to create a better future for themselves.
School of Hard Knocks is a social inclusion scheme that uses sport to teach participants crucial life lessons and core values to facilitate change on a day-to-day basis. The course is designed to deal not only with social issues such as crime and citizenship, but also potentially debilitating psychological problems like depression and addiction, to transform the long-term life and career prospects of participants.
Working with leading motivational psychologist Paul Boross, World Cup winner Will Greenwood and Wales and British Lions legend Scott Quinnell, the School of Hard Knocks team face a gruelling training regime to take them out of their physical and mental comfort zones. By focusing the participants on the skills needed in rugby, the team developed the confidence, discipline, respect, preparation, communication, determination and self-motivation skills required to succeed in a highly competitive job market.
Rugby Union is a perfect sport for such a scheme as the tactical need for all shapes and sizes makes it a highly inclusive game. This year’s squad of players include individuals who had been through custodial sentences and living in hostels, with one participant called, Caine, actually being referred to the show by the probation service in order to help address his challenging behaviour and issues with authority. After almost being excluded from the programme, Caine had a real moment of epiphany when he recognised the life-changing opportunity, and from that point has had an enormous sea change in attitude to become a conscientious, hard-working man who is now working towards qualifications to mentor young offenders.
“Of course rugby training requires huge physical effort, but it has been fascinating to see how the psychology of the sport has transformed the mindset of the participants” says Paul Boross, the Team Psychologist. “All of the participants in School of Hard Knocks joined us with huge potential, but it has been the individuals who were able to change the way they think, communicate and work with others that have thrived and become real winners, and it has been inspirational to witness and be part of that.”
Known as The Pitch Doctor, Paul Boross is an internationally recognised authority on communication, presentation, performance and the art and science of persuasion. Paul is the author of three bestselling books on pitching in presentation skills including the Amazon #1 The Pitching Bible. His work with young people facing extreme circumstances in School of Hard Knocks helps illustrate how, with the right coaching and motivation, it is possible to turn around the lives of anybody who is willing to invest in change and commit to the process.
School of Hard Knocks starts on 15th August on Sky Sports (repeated every following Monday on Sky 2), with the first episode broadcast after the England v France match at Twickenham.
