The new management team set goals to rebuild the respect and mana in the club, and get to the premier-grade finals, manager Claudia Maaka said.
“Because it’s one of the oldest clubs in Gisborne, we wanted to give respect to the old boys of YMP,” she said.
“There’s so much history, and we want to reignite that. It comes with mana and respect that’s gone into the club.”
The focus on community has paid dividends for the team, achieving both of the goals they set out to accomplish this year.
This year the YMP team have had no off-field incidents and only one red card.
The card was for a dangerous tackle but Maaka said that after reviewing the video they presented a case that mitigating factors existed.
The mandatory two-week stand-down for receiving a red card was overturned as a result.
The management staff are committed to the change in culture. They all come from Tokomaru Bay and make the two-and-a-half-hour round trip to town three times a week for training and games.
Maaka said a lot of time went into being in management. They were the first to arrive and the last to leave, ensuring the team could focus fully on the game.
While the management were involved only with the premier team, she said their behaviour influenced the wider club.
“It starts in-house but it filters out. We have the younger kids in JAB, in netball, in hockey. It extends further than just the club.”
The club started training in early January and made sure they continued their training throughout lockdown.
Maaka said the management’s ethos was that if they expected the team to be role models, they had to lead by example and get involved, too.
“We’re in it together. It’s the whole team, not just the managers and the coaches.”
A highlight during lockdown was a challenge given to the team to make their exercises more interesting. The management staff all got involved, too.
“We had to video ourselves doing it, which was the biggest challenge,” Maaka said.
“We posted it on our private (Facebook) page so they could see us and make fun of us. It’s about having fun and keeping their spirits up.
“Our whole focus this year is promoting the boys to look after their mental health. The majority of rugby is a mental game.”
A major part of the YMP team’s change in culture had been that the leadership inside the team had stepped up to the plate.
Maaka said a core group of players had taken it upon themselves to advocate for the boys.
The leadership group comprised about 10 players who acted as go-betweens for players and coaches, she said.
“The majority are players who have played for YMP for the last 10 years, along with a couple of players who are new but have really good leadership skills.
“For example, our vice-captain (Te Peehi Fairlie) has been the sober driver for the whole season for all the boys.
“It’s a huge shift for the team from last year . . . coming on the back of great leadership from our captain Shayde Skudder.”
