Over a few weeks with Singapore Rugby, we had the usual conversations about not having enough time on the pitch and sessions finishing later than planned. Rather than just accepting it, we started looking at where the time was actually going across both the men's and women's programmes.
In week one, we recorded more than 45 minutes of dead time. By week two, we were averaging around 25.
The first step was simply gathering the information and sharing it with the coaching teams. Where were we losing time? Which breaks were necessary? Where could we be better organised?
The heat in Singapore means regular water breaks are essential. We were never going to take those away, but we could make them work better. Was the water where the players were working? Did the support staff know when and where the next break would be? Were we starting the clock when the players stopped, or after they had already taken 30 seconds to walk over and breathe?
The same applied to our work-to-rest ratios. If the plan says 60 seconds on and 60 seconds off, that should not become 30 seconds to breathe, a walk to the water, 60 seconds of rest and then a hot review. An extra 30 seconds across six repetitions adds another three minutes to the session. These small leaks quickly become quite big ones.
We also looked at our hot reviews. Coaches notice loads during an activity, but the players do not need to hear all of it immediately. What was the focus going into the activity? What does the whole group need now? What could be a separate one-to-one conversation?
The women's team also liked having two breaths and a team call after activities. I loved the connection it created, so removing it would have missed the point. Instead, we blocked activities together and became clearer about when we could afford to spend that time.
This was not about squeezing more work into every minute or taking away the bits the players valued. It was about becoming more intentional with the time we already had.
Before asking for a longer session, it is probably worth finding out where the current one is going.