But here’s the reality: those tools, while useful at times, are not the magic fix we’ve been led to believe. In fact, the biggest misconception in Gaelic football recovery is treating it like a 30-minute ‘tick-the-box’ session, rather than a 24/7 lifestyle choice. Recovery isn’t a single session “Have you done your recovery?” is a common […]
PATRICK MORRISON: What’s my situation?
June 2, 2025
By Patrick Morrison THE role of the goalkeeper in Gaelic football has vastly increased over the last 25 years. The skillset of the modern-day goalkeeper has expanded exponentially as well as the levels of performance they are expected to complete their roles to. Even so, the fundamental skills and abilities that a goalkeeper is expected […]
PATRICK MORRISON: Goalkeepers must know their WHY
May 27, 2025
By Patrick Morrison AS a goalkeeper it is necessary to have a solid set of reasons as to WHY you play the position. With the levels of skill and abilities a goalkeeper needs to have ever increasing and the weight of expectation to reproduce those skills to the highest of standards on a consistent basis, […]
PATRICK MORRISON: Rethink your restarts
May 20, 2025
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not your enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” This is a quotation taken […]
JOHN McMAHON: Working hard or not hard enough
April 29, 2025
THE goal of training in general should be to do as much as possible, as often as possible & keep improving. Unfortunately, the reality of training is not so simple. While training does trigger positive adaptations and benefits performance in the long-term, this comes at the price of the breakdown of the body and impaired […]
PATRICK MORRISON: Effective communication
April 14, 2025
By Patrick Morrison WHAT is Effective Communication? Communication is any form of information that is relayed between two interfacing entities. Whether it be audible, visual, hand signals or even just body language if it sends a message to be received it is deemed as communication. Goalkeepers are in that precarious position of play developing in […]
PATRICK MORRISON: The young goalkeeper
April 7, 2025
By Patrick Morrison CHILDREN are curious and insightful individuals who explore and learn through the process of trial and error just as nature intended. Their world is loaded with all kinds of imaginary, games and toys. All a child wants to do is explore their world through the medium of play. And what child has […]
PATRICK MORRISON: Look after your gloves
April 2, 2025
By Patrick Morrison EVERYWHERE I go whenever I am coaching goalkeepers I am always asked about what gloves I think are the best to use. What is the best make, the best cut, what is the best fit, etc. In reality there is no perfect pair of gloves that is best for everyone. Just like […]
JOHN McMAHON: Don’t make these mistakes!
April 1, 2025
FOR our GAA athletes during the pre-season phase, the focus lies on developing robust athletes who can withstand the rigours of back-to-back matches and the continuous demands of a competitive season. This involves exposing athletes to chronic load in terms of both volume and high-speed running. Additionally, agility and contact training play crucial roles in creating […]
PATRICK MORRISON: It’s ‘CANI’ not ‘CAN I?’
March 25, 2025
By Patrick Morrison ALL goalkeepers want to improve. It doesn’t matter what age, level or reason for playing as a goalkeeper, we all want to feel as if we are becoming better ‘keepers week on week. That said, it is important to realise that the amount you improve, and the rate of improvement are vastly […]