By Michael McMullan We had relatives staying with us from Canada and the US recently. After a few days in Paris, they jetted across to Ireland. Before checking in with us, they took in Limerick’s hurling semi-final win over Clare. As we shot the breeze over dinner, they were asking all sorts of questions about […]
WHENEVER I am coaching goalkeepers around the country, there are eight main goalkeeping areas that I will coach them in. These eight areas are, in my opinion, the main areas involved within the goalkeeping position and incorporate every possibility that a goalkeeper may face during competitive games. My eight goalkeeping areas are technical, activation, goalkeeping conditioning, […]
SO, what is this? Let’s think back to our younger days playing Gaelic Games. I often recall having a warmup to start the session. It was usually a couple of laps around the pitch followed by stretches. We would then perform a few drills for the main body of the session, with a match at […]
“This compass does not point north… It points to the thing you want most in this world.” – Captain Jack Sparrow THIS is a quote from Hollywood blockbuster movie ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ starring Johnny Depp as the flamboyant and estranged pirate Captain Jack Sparrow. The film follows the serendipitous antihero as he bumbles his way […]
IN modern Gaelic football, strength and conditioning is no longer just about gym programmes, sprint sessions, or GPS numbers. The best S and C coaches in the GAA understand something far more important, how they communicate with players. A coach can have all the knowledge in the world, but if players don’t connect with the message, […]
IN a previous article, I have focused on how teams need to put more concerted efforts into providing adequate structures in place in regard to their goalkeepers and more specifically their youth goalkeepers. I have outlined the importance of getting the correct training methods specific to the position while also stressing the importance they have to […]
THIS week’s title stokes memories of that famous 1990 number one single of the same name, from Irish singer Sinead O’Connor. The song, originally written and sung by Prince, depicts the emotions of a heartbroken lover going through a difficult break-up and for the purpose of this week’s article it is a very fitting analogy […]
WHEN the season kicks in, everything changes in Gaelic football. Games come thick and fast, recovery becomes the priority, and training time is limited. But one challenge always remains: how do you maintain fitness levels without overloading players? This is where smart in-season conditioning comes into play and one of the most effective tools coaches can use […]
With the football season in full swing at all levels of the game, goalkeepers the length and breadth of the country will be training hard trying to improve their competitive performance. Another part of their game they will be looking at, or should be at this stage, is their mindset and in particular how to deal […]
By Patrick Morrison WATCHING the provincial games over the weekend, I cannot help but notice how many kick-out options goalkeepers would have if they were truly able to kick with both feet comfortably. Those goalkeepers who can kick equally with both feet are at a definitive advantage as they are extremely hard to read and […]
