Paudie Kissane: Coaches can be guilty of looking for the magic drill or perfect session plan

LEARNING should be never-ending and year-round but the winter period is still traditionally the time where most upskilling takes place as bar the very successful clubs this is the quieter time of year from a club perspective.

Last Saturday well over 400 coaches attended St Joseph’s Coaching Day up in Down led by ex-Carlow, Roscommon coach and Down native Steven Poacher. There is always a high calibre of presenters plus this coaching day has built its reputation over a number of years so it is no surprise to see the huge numbers attending from countrywide.

It is with this in mind, that I would have expected a bigger attendance at the Cork GAA Strength & Conditioning conference last weekend. Yes, only in its second year but still, considering the experienced practitioners presenting plus the emphasis on strength and conditioning now, it was a missed opportunity for many.

The focus was on fitness. Presenting from a Cork GAA perspective you had senior football and hurling S&C coaches Adam Doyle and Ian Jones. Damien O’Donoghue, lead S&C at UCC Mardyke and formerly of Glasgow Warriors and Muster Rugby, and Adrian O’Brien, Tipperary football coach and St Finbarr’s hurling S&C coach, made up the line-up.

Attending workshops will never satisfy all your needs but they are very important nonetheless. As coaches, we can be so busy in our own bubbles, balancing family and professional commitments, so these events can be great to meet new coaches and reconnect with old acquaintances. 

MANAGING RISK

The new split-season has its benefits but the club season is still long. In Cork dual clubs for example, at a minimum are expected to play 18 league games in 18 weeks and six championship games in seven weeks. Developing and maintaining the different physical attributes can be tricky, alongside understanding the game plan while managing injury risk.

As coaches sometimes we can be guilty of looking for the magic drill or perfect session plan. High-Performance manager Aidan O’Connell highlighted that “methods are many but principles are few”. This is key to remember as training can be enjoyable, interesting, and varied but if you don’t have clear reason or understanding of the why behind the training prescription, the process can be undermined. This can then lead to either an increased risk of injury or subpar development.

Another key message from Páirc Uí Chaoimh is there are many ways to skin a cat. This makes strength & conditioning exciting and challenging. There are many tools that can be used but as a coach, you just must be clear about what physical element you are trying to develop and how appropriate the methods are, depending on training age, time of the week, and phase of the season.

Routine is important, as it’s easier for the player to organise for the other 22 hours of the day. 

The body gets accustomed to training hard or having certain type of sessions on certain days which can maximise performance and reduce risk of injury. 

SPIKE

Training is only the stimulus to improve and what you do away from the pitch or gym will determine what gains you actually make. 

Some players can be great to train but unfortunately may not get the full benefits from the hard work due to poor lifestyle habits.

Emphasis here again on the best metric is player availability. If players are training and playing consistently they are maximising the opportunity to perform well, which will ultimately dictate team results. Sometimes throwing in random challenge games at short notice or having a big spike in training load in a short period can derail the best planned program. This is not about wrapping players up in cotton wool either and avoiding injury as hard work is crucial and must be completed.

The key is knowing when it is to be done and at what dose and not just making players tired for the sake of it. A big mistake with many is thinking every session must be hell! As coaches or clubs make that effort to learn, seek new ideas, and fresh perspectives. If your vision is on maximising the development of your players well then is an easy commitment to make. 

Contact: www.pkperformance.ie or @paudiekissane