Psychology loves the word social.
Social identity. Social facilitation. Social comparison. Social learning. Social loafing. Social proof. Social cohesion.
There is a good reason it keeps appearing.
Human beings are extraordinarily influenced by the people around them. And that makes these theories particularly relevant to rugby.
A player doesn't simply arrive at training carrying their own ability, confidence and motivation. They walk into a social environment containing teammates, coaches, friends, rivals, leaders, parents and supporters.
All of them can change how that player behaves.
Understanding a few of these theories might therefore help us understand why the same Combe player can behave like a completely different person depending upon the environment we put them in.

Social Identity – "Who Are We?"
Social Identity Theory suggests that part of our sense of who we are comes from the groups to which we belong.
We don't just think:
"I'm Tom."
We also think:
"I'm a rugby player."
"I'm a forward."
And hopefully:
"I'm a Combe player."
Once belonging to a group becomes important, its standards start influencing our behaviour.
If the accepted identity of a squad is "We train properly", new players tend to train properly.
If it becomes "Tuesday nights aren't taken too seriously", guess what happens?
So don't just tell players what to do. Remind them who they are.
"This is how we defend at Combe."
"We look after each other."
"We don't blame teammates for mistakes."
Small phrases, repeated consistently, gradually create a shared identity.
Eventually players begin policing those standards themselves.
That's when culture becomes real.

Social Facilitation – "Everyone's Watching Me"
Something interesting happens when other people watch us.
Our arousal levels increase.
For skills we know well, that can improve performance. For difficult or unfamiliar skills, it can make performance worse.
Imagine an experienced goal kicker taking a straightforward kick while everyone watches.
They'll probably cope.
Now imagine a nervous U14 who has only recently started kicking.
Suddenly those 25 teammates standing behind the posts become very significant.
The same thing happens when coaches announce:
"Right, everyone watch these two."
For one player that creates excitement.
For another, terror.
So pressure needs to be introduced progressively.
Practise the skill privately. Then within a group. Then competitively. Then perhaps with everyone watching.
Pressure can be trained just like passing or tackling.

Social Comparison – "Am I As Good As Them?"
Players constantly compare themselves with other players.
Usually without telling us.
"He's starting and I'm on the bench."
"She's training with the older age group."
"He's quicker than me."
Social Comparison Theory suggests that we partly judge ourselves by comparing ourselves with others.
Sometimes that's useful. Seeing somebody slightly better can provide a target.
But constant comparison can also damage confidence, particularly in youth rugby where players develop physically at dramatically different rates.
So perhaps coaches can create another comparison:
Player versus previous player.
Instead of:
"You need to be as strong as Jack."
try:
"You're much stronger in contact than you were three months ago."
The question changes from:
"Am I better than him?"
to:
"Am I getting better than me?"
That's a much healthier competition.

Social Learning – They're Watching You
Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory essentially tells us that people learn by observing other people.
Which should make every coach slightly uncomfortable.
Because players aren't only listening to what we say.
They're watching what we do.
Tell players to respect referees and then spend Saturday afternoon screaming at one and you've delivered a very powerful coaching session.
Just not the one you intended.
Players watch senior players too.
How does the captain react after being substituted?
Who welcomes the new player?
Who puts the tackle bags away?
How does an experienced player respond when a youngster makes a mistake?
Those behaviours quietly teach everyone:
"This is what someone like us does."
So identify your best behavioural role models, not merely your best rugby players.
Good behaviour is contagious.
Unfortunately, so is bad behaviour.

Next time…
So far, our "social" theories have mainly looked at how other people affect the individual player.
But something else happens when individuals become a group.
Responsibility can disappear. Players copy what everyone else is doing. Teams can become great friends without necessarily becoming a great team.

In Part Two we'll look at social loafing, social proof and social cohesion — and consider why one of the coach's most important jobs might be becoming the team's Social Architect.