'Coach' Parker key to Ospreys' growth
Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:06
Now one of the senior pro's at the Ospreys, Sonny Parker says he is happy to be passing on some of his considerable experience to the new wave of backs coming through at the region.
The centre, who became an Ospreys centurion when he completed his 100th appearance for the region at the end of last season, has been working on a one-to-one basis with some of the younger centres in the squad, such as Jonathan Spratt and Gareth Owen, and most recently, Ashley Beck.
A native New Zealander, Parker has proven to be a great servant to Welsh rugby since first arriving in the country in 1999, gaining 31 caps for his adopted nation. It is at the Ospreys though, where he has had the biggest impact since signing for the region in the summer of 2004, making 116 appearances to date and scoring 24 tries.
Speaking about his mentoring role with the younger Ospreys, Parker says that it's something that has grown naturally during his time with the region, as he has matured into one of the senior players in the group.
"I've taken some of the younger boys under my wing a little bit," said Parker to the clubs official website.
"With any young player starting out, you want them to do well and to improve in what they do, so you want to help them. When I was starting out, it was very old school, and it was a hard environment for young players. I wouldn't say it was sink or swim, but it was definitely the case that if you made mistakes it wouldn’t be constructive criticism that you can learn from that came your way, it would be negative.
"I'm completely the opposite way. If I see someone is struggling, I want to help them, reassure them, and make them realise that everyone makes mistakes. What is important is they learn from it. You have to be positive around the boys, on the pitch, in training, wherever you are in the Ospreys environment."
According to Parker, while he is happy working with youngsters who play in all positions around the field, naturally, he has a connection with those who play in the centre position.
Despite the obvious threat to his own place in the starting XV from the up and coming centres, he says that what is most important is that the Ospreys grow a bigger pool of players to select from, even if it means that he loses out to one of the youngsters.
"I don't try and single anyone out,
"If anyone wants any help, they know that I'm available, but naturally, centres will feel more comfortable working with me and vice versa. I'm certainly not an expert in the requirements of playing at prop so I won't be rushing to tell anyone how to do that, but I can certainly still help with feedback or whatever, if they think it's appropriate."
Talking about the importance of player development Parker said: "At a lot of clubs, they are scared to keep the youngsters in there, unless they are absolutely outstanding. The thing is, unless you are playing regularly, it can be easy to cast someone aside and say that they aren't going to make it, based on just a few appearances, where perhaps because of their lack of experience, or their confidence is low, they didn't really do themselves justice.
"Not everyone bursts onto the scene at 18 or 19, you can be older, in your mid twenties before really starting to come through. It’s about seeing potential in someone and doing what you can to help them along to hopefully fulfil that."
Head Coach Sean Holley hailed Parker for the work he does away from the pitch, paying tribute to his professionalism and loyalty to the region.
"There’s no doubt about it, Sonny is a very loyal player who has contributed enormously to the Ospreys achievements since he joined us six years ago and who is an extremely dedicated professional."
Adding: "This extra responsibility has allowed him to continue developing as a player himself, despite his status as one of the senior professionals. He realises that being seen as a role model by others in the group means that he is more accountable for his own performances, and that he need to be more prepared for activities in the training environment, and this has been reflected by improved performance levels."
With thanks to the Ospreys.
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