Man Management is very difficult to get right

A few weeks back I got a phone call from a coach who was taking the plunge into club management this season for the first time and was looking to bounce a few idea’s my way for us to share.

One of the final questions he asked me over the phone was, “What in my opinion will be his biggest challenge in Management?” I haven’t been a Gaelic Football manager for a long time, between school, club and county teams the guts of 15 years, but I have no doubt if it was 35 years’ experience I would still give the same answer, Man Management.

In my profession, teaching, the only real power you have left is your personality to deal with different pupils and difficult parents. You are constantly man managing all the time and it can be very challenging.

Coaching and Managing a Gaelic Football team is exactly the same. You are dealing with different personalities and characters all the time. Not one single player will be the same as anyone else.

You will have the shy introverts who won’t say much and are very hard to work out, the boisterous extroverts who will challenge you verbally and plenty to say, you will have players with high pressured jobs who arrive in the changing room with everything in their heads except football.

There will be students with exam stresses, older players with families, these just some of the examples and despite all this you will be expected to try and create, bond and maintain a spirit and togetherness in up to maybe 30 adults.

The Crossmaglen Tv documentary was aired by the BBC this week and it was very evident the togetherness and special passion these young men have for their club.

Their pride and commitment to their town and club through years of adversity has created something very special that very few clubs can match but despite all this it was very clear from the documentary the different types of players that needed differing man management throughout from both Oisin and John!

No manager is exempt when it comes to having to handle and deal with different players and to juggle that tricky art of man management.

Here are some ways you can help yourself;

1. Encourage player feedback

Don’t hesitate to canvas the opinions of your more senior players within the panel, gain their feedback on training, opposition, your own style, it all helps. Obviously there is a fine line between democracy in a group and player power, but it’s extremely foolish to attempt to rule a modern group of players with an old school authoritarian school principal style, it’s ignorant and it simply won’t work. Other methods of gaining players feedback are discreetly speaking to players before, after training, organising one on ones throughout the year, this will particular help those quieter players who aren’t so keen on speaking in a group environment.

2. Dealing with disillusioned or disgruntled players

I think it’s very important every player has a clearly defined role within the group and that role is valued. Players who are cast aside and don’t feel part of the group are obviously going to eventually become disillusioned and separate from the group. Football is an emotional game, and of course emotional moments are nearly virtually impossible to avoid but try to resolve contentious situations immediately and don’t let them fester, this can be unhealthy. Don’t shy away from confrontation when it rears its ugly head, meet it, greet it and deal with it in a mature manner.

3. Create a spirit and a consistent camaraderie among the group

Remember as a manager/coach you are dealing with a large number of young men with differing personalities and needs. Not one single thing will “float everyone’s boat” you might have to make allowances for certain individuals whether that be as a result of family matters, social issues or work problems. The one resounding factor still remains the same though, it’s not just about winning leagues or championships but the different challenges faced each year with a bunch of players and trying to put all the elements together to make a team whether it’s with school, club or county. The challenge always remains to create a spirit / an atmosphere and a winning mentality and through effective man management we can all achieve this.