Favourite Drill: Niamh Donnelly, Antrim camog

SOMETHING we do in a camogie training session, and something that everyone has done, is a tackling drill. This would involve two in the middle, one attacker and one defender, and four on the outside.

The four on the outside are passing the ball in and the attacker has to get the ball, and they can only pass to the player in the opposite diagonal once they get past their player.

You get the ball from one diagonal to the opposite diagonal. Then you go to the next diagonal. You have to go for 30 or 40 seconds. You can’t do it for too long. If it is too long then you are gasping for air, and then you are holding onto the other girl just to keep you up. The attacker and the defender will switch roles after the drill finishes.

In this drill you are working on using all your strength to stop them if you are a defender. You are doing everything you can to stop them from getting by you. Alternatively if you are the attacker then you use your strength to get by the defender. I think that drill works on your strength, your hunger, your desire. I think there are a lot of things that you can do with that drill, even though it is so simple.

You might be in that drill for 30 or 40 seconds but after it you are spent. It will put into play everything that you have been doing in training.

You have to battle for the ball, get it up, then try and get past the other player. I really like to do that drill to see where I am at. I will do that drill against some of the stronger girls on the team, and I can see how I’m doing.

For the attacker you are learning about movement. You can’t charge, you have to be able to move your weight and dummy. for the defender you have to make yourself your big. You have to shuffle and get your arms wide. You can’t push, so you have to move your body in a certain way. It is all about getting close to your player.