The Coaches/Administrators Thread - All Sports

Started by Dinny Breen, October 27, 2015, 11:02:52 AM

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StephenC

Brilliant thread.

I've been helping out with the U6's this year. It's about 40% coaching and 60% babysitting, but I really enjoyed every bit of it.

ardchieftain

Quote from: finbar o tool on October 27, 2015, 05:17:56 PM
Quote from: illdecide on October 27, 2015, 12:40:49 PM

I was told if i wanted to coach next year that from U16 upwards you will have to have level 1 coaching badge in place...have any of you heard this?

"The policy, approved by GAA Central Council last June on the back of a recommendation from the Football Review Committee and a proposal from the National Games Development Committee, will require all Inter-County management teams in both hurling and football to contain an Award 2 coach from 2016. All Club management teams must contain an Award 1 Coach. From 2018 the Head Coach in both cases must be qualified at the appropriate level."

the above is taken from - https://www.gaa.ie/coaching-and-games-development/news/1101142013-mandatory-coaching-standards-for-2016-announced-at-liberty-insurance-gaa-games-development-conference/

whether this will be enforced or not is another thing i suppose.
i have been trying since last December to get a coaching course and there has been nothing. they only run around this time of year, off season, October/November time. i just missed out on last years. if they are bringing in the above rule the GAA need to make coaching courses way more available to people.

Have to agree regarding the lack of coaching courses. Been helping out for 3 years now and will only get doing the foundation course next month!

finbar o tool

like i said, probably up to U10 would be acceptable to give a medal to all, at the end of the day, up to that age it IS all about turning up. getting them interested, getting them hooked.
as for the blitz idea, i wouldnt be for that, at that age the kids like the familiarity of their friends and it would knock them about throwing them in with strangers. i think there is already a rule in place that all kids get game time. not sure of what age that goes up to, U12 at least.
agree more coaches are needed. if you have big numbers you cant just lump them all together and throw in a ball, you would need 3/4 coaches running 3/4 mini games to ensure the kids get plenty of time on the ball. ive seen it before where you have 20/25 kids all playing in one game, the ball stays up one end of the pitch pinging around for 5 mins when the kids at the other end are leaning on the hurls chatting and picking their noses!!
young kids up to U12 must be kept entertained and busy!
U16 is a tough group to manage, they're not quite adults but they like to think they are!
An amateur requires a personal commitment that money cannot buy

BenDover

With the games we played with our U6s this worked well for us and would imagine it would do for everyone else:

  • Games were limited to 8-9 a side this suited our numbers as we'd usually have 25-30
    for a pitch we'd use a distance of 45yards
    then split this into 3 zones (DEF/MF/FWD) of 15 yards each.
Getting the kids used to the idea of staying in their zone was pretty easy, turn over possession every time they strayed into the next zone and they soon realise their boundary. Using zones is also an easy way to switch the kids into different positions. Every kid gets plenty of time on the ball during the game as well.

Billys Boots

Like Declan, I'm a coach in a football club - have coached for 10 years and am taking U17s this year.  I've a UEFA Youth Cert which qualifies me to coach up to U18s.  I always thought I'd have no interest in coaching at senior/adult level, and Declan's comments would appear to back up that thinking.  I understand that I'm moving back to some sort of 'coach the coaches' role from next season as the club tries to implement a football development plan.  As Dinny says, ego is the main issue we face on a daily basis - I don't think I'm looking forward to a role where I am to be 'instructing' those who already know everything.
My hands are stained with thistle milk ...

Dinny Breen



I've always like this.

As for pushy parents, unless they are a volunteer with the club their opinion doesn't matter  ;)
#newbridgeornowhere

muppet

Quote from: AZOffaly on October 27, 2015, 12:55:39 PM
Quote from: Dinny Breen on October 27, 2015, 12:49:44 PM
Quote from: AZOffaly on October 27, 2015, 12:30:10 PM
It is 'formally' in the GAA at Go-Games etc, however some coaches were pulling the piss and it has almost become self defeating. It is more 'advantageous' (quotes intentional) to turn up with 14 or 15 for a 13 a side Go Games, as the rule is all players have to get at least a half. If we turn up with 18 or 19, then we have to play them all (rightly). So some clubs were actually leaving lads at home! Talk about short sighted  ::)

I was aware of this in go-games, fantastic initiative but sad to hear coaches manipulating it, again ego is hard to contain.

I have a simple rule for all my teams if you are in the squad and are fit you get substantial game time and these are 15 year old up to 20 year old young men, it helps it rugby though that you can make 12 inter-changes, roll on roll off. I have lost games because of it but I have never lost a player because of it.

Also I had a young player who had to give up rugby and GAA because he signed schoolboy forms for a soccer club in Dublin and his "contract" forbid him from playing other sports! Is this a common occurrence?

That happened me. I was told I would have to give up the GAA if I wanted to play soccer in Athlone. I was on the minor panel at the time, so I turned them down.

As regards the coaches thing, my position on this in our club is that if we are sitting in the pub congratulating ourselves as coaches because we won an U14 championship, but we only did so because we had a couple of big strong lads and everything went through them, and ignored all our 'weaker players', then we have failed as coaches, not succeeded. In 4 years time the big lads will be the same size as everyone else, and we'll have lost the so called weaker players.

I would think that a contract with an U-16 wouldn't be enforceable. Anyone with a legal background able to confirm?


As for coaching, my young lad's club asked me to train as a coach, but work interfered unfortunately so I couldn't make it. The club probably won't run another course for a while. Is there anywhere else I can go to get the relevant qualifications?
MWWSI 2017

Billys Boots

I think most of the 'big' football clubs don't want the distractions of other sports from U16 onward.  In fact, actually (in North Dublin anyway) the GAA switch U15/16 games to Sundays only for that year - have always interpreted that as a ploy to make kids decide.  It fails miserably in that (in our parish anyway) there's neither a football team or a gaelic football team at U15 for that year.  And it all falls back into place for U16, as if nothing had happened. 
My hands are stained with thistle milk ...

Rudi

Quote from: ardchieftain on October 27, 2015, 07:47:33 PM
Quote from: finbar o tool on October 27, 2015, 05:17:56 PM
Quote from: illdecide on October 27, 2015, 12:40:49 PM

I was told if i wanted to coach next year that from U16 upwards you will have to have level 1 coaching badge in place...have any of you heard this?

"The policy, approved by GAA Central Council last June on the back of a recommendation from the Football Review Committee and a proposal from the National Games Development Committee, will require all Inter-County management teams in both hurling and football to contain an Award 2 coach from 2016. All Club management teams must contain an Award 1 Coach. From 2018 the Head Coach in both cases must be qualified at the appropriate level."

the above is taken from - https://www.gaa.ie/coaching-and-games-development/news/1101142013-mandatory-coaching-standards-for-2016-announced-at-liberty-insurance-gaa-games-development-conference/

whether this will be enforced or not is another thing i suppose.
i have been trying since last December to get a coaching course and there has been nothing. they only run around this time of year, off season, October/November time. i just missed out on last years. if they are bringing in the above rule the GAA need to make coaching courses way more available to people.

Have to agree regarding the lack of coaching courses. Been helping out for 3 years now and will only get doing the foundation course next month!

I did the foundation course 1/2 was theory and 1/2 was drills with football. Thought it was a waste of time to be honest. Jobs for the boys type thing.Think any future coach should be put with experienced coach for 3 weeks, after that sink or swim. Have to say I really enjoyed year, worked with U-8's, parents were great too. We had 40 girls and boys between 5 coaches. We did a 10 min warm up with footballs. 30 mins of drills (picking up, fist pass, foot pass, tackling, solo, catch etc. ) Finished up with 25 minute condition game, broke into 2 groups based on standard.
Next year we hope to develop spacial awareness and picking out a pass among the kids, however at that age group don't think it may be possible. The go games are great, as long as the competing teams are not unbalanced.

Super thread by the way.

Dinny Breen

Johan Forsberg  is a professional Ice Hockey player at Luleå Hockey. In October 2015 he posted a stunning open letter to ALL young Swedish Ice Hockey players on his Facebook page. This was a response to the ongoing, often polarised debate in Sweden with regard to early talent identification, early selection and elite programs. This emotional message is relevant to all youth sports. I urge you to share it with as many people as possible. This is a must read for all children, parents, coaches, Governing Bodies and club stakeholders.

To all young ice hockey players

I never got to play in TV- Pucken (An elite Swedish national Ice Hockey tournament for district teams of boys under 15 years of age)

I was very bad at skating, among other things and I have not been much better since.

I remember the tears and shame. I wanted to quit playing ice hockey

I threw the equipment in a corner at home in the garage and felt no joy for my friends who got a place in the elite camp.

I felt no joy

Only sorrow

Real sorrow

But I wiped my tears and continued to train, continued to have fun and tried to convince myself that sport had a deeper meaning

Community, joy, dreams

And also other tears

Now I sit hear smelling of sweat after another day at work as a professional hockey player

I never really learned to skate properly

But I learned that everything does not end even if it feels like it has

That life, sport and the future is what it is

Bumpy

And to all young ice hockey players

Support each, be a good friend

Have fun and enjoy

Sport is more that blood, sweat and tears

More than sorrow

Don't forget that

Love and Respect

Johan Forsberg – Luleå Hockey.
#newbridgeornowhere

AZOffaly

Quote from: Dinny Breen on November 02, 2015, 11:22:05 AM
Johan Forsberg  is a professional Ice Hockey player at Luleå Hockey. In October 2015 he posted a stunning open letter to ALL young Swedish Ice Hockey players on his Facebook page. This was a response to the ongoing, often polarised debate in Sweden with regard to early talent identification, early selection and elite programs. This emotional message is relevant to all youth sports. I urge you to share it with as many people as possible. This is a must read for all children, parents, coaches, Governing Bodies and club stakeholders.

To all young ice hockey players

I never got to play in TV- Pucken (An elite Swedish national Ice Hockey tournament for district teams of boys under 15 years of age)

I was very bad at skating, among other things and I have not been much better since.

I remember the tears and shame. I wanted to quit playing ice hockey

I threw the equipment in a corner at home in the garage and felt no joy for my friends who got a place in the elite camp.

I felt no joy

Only sorrow

Real sorrow

But I wiped my tears and continued to train, continued to have fun and tried to convince myself that sport had a deeper meaning

Community, joy, dreams

And also other tears

Now I sit hear smelling of sweat after another day at work as a professional hockey player

I never really learned to skate properly

But I learned that everything does not end even if it feels like it has

That life, sport and the future is what it is

Bumpy

And to all young ice hockey players

Support each, be a good friend

Have fun and enjoy

Sport is more that blood, sweat and tears

More than sorrow

Don't forget that

Love and Respect

Johan Forsberg – Luleå Hockey.

Very Good. Istvan Balyi, an authority on long term athlete development, spoke to our club as we formulated our coaching and development plan. He gave a very similar anecdote regarding Ice Hockey in Canada. They are apparently losing players by the thousand every year because of their emphasis on the 'elite' development, from a very young age, and he pointed out that there are many many reasons, psychological and physiological, why a child may not have the same technical proficiency or athletic ability to some of his peers, and there is no reason to sideline them and ignore them. The classic 'late developers'.


screenexile

Quote from: AZOffaly on November 02, 2015, 11:29:17 AM
Quote from: Dinny Breen on November 02, 2015, 11:22:05 AM
Johan Forsberg  is a professional Ice Hockey player at Luleå Hockey. In October 2015 he posted a stunning open letter to ALL young Swedish Ice Hockey players on his Facebook page. This was a response to the ongoing, often polarised debate in Sweden with regard to early talent identification, early selection and elite programs. This emotional message is relevant to all youth sports. I urge you to share it with as many people as possible. This is a must read for all children, parents, coaches, Governing Bodies and club stakeholders.

To all young ice hockey players

I never got to play in TV- Pucken (An elite Swedish national Ice Hockey tournament for district teams of boys under 15 years of age)

I was very bad at skating, among other things and I have not been much better since.

I remember the tears and shame. I wanted to quit playing ice hockey

I threw the equipment in a corner at home in the garage and felt no joy for my friends who got a place in the elite camp.

I felt no joy

Only sorrow

Real sorrow

But I wiped my tears and continued to train, continued to have fun and tried to convince myself that sport had a deeper meaning

Community, joy, dreams

And also other tears

Now I sit hear smelling of sweat after another day at work as a professional hockey player

I never really learned to skate properly

But I learned that everything does not end even if it feels like it has

That life, sport and the future is what it is

Bumpy

And to all young ice hockey players

Support each, be a good friend

Have fun and enjoy

Sport is more that blood, sweat and tears

More than sorrow

Don't forget that

Love and Respect

Johan Forsberg – Luleå Hockey.

Very Good. Istvan Balyi, an authority on long term athlete development, spoke to our club as we formulated our coaching and development plan. He gave a very similar anecdote regarding Ice Hockey in Canada. They are apparently losing players by the thousand every year because of their emphasis on the 'elite' development, from a very young age, and he pointed out that there are many many reasons, psychological and physiological, why a child may not have the same technical proficiency or athletic ability to some of his peers, and there is no reason to sideline them and ignore them. The classic 'late developers'.

I agree with that. I'm not sure about development squads and never have been. Maybe @ Under 17 in preparation for Minor the following year but outside of that it's just too much given the fact that lads are probably playing on School teams as well. Add to that if you're good enough you're maybe playing on 2/3 school teams and maybe you're good at Soccer/Rugby/Hurling as well then it just gets ridiculous!!

finbar o tool

have a read of this article. not related to Johan Forsbergs article above which is also very good.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/34376386

i found it very interesting. i was always of the opinion all sports need to address the mental preparedness as much as the physical/skill side of things. the GAA would benefit greatly from something like this as it is so fast paced.
An amateur requires a personal commitment that money cannot buy

AZOffaly

I work on development squads, and I am a proponent of them. It's a good way of controlling the controllables in terms of bringing coaching to the young lads. However, I am not a proponent of the culling that goes on very early. I know larger numbers can be a challenge logistically, but you can work with that. I don't see the great benefit of cutting a pile of lads every year to meet a notional number.

However bringing lads together, playing with and against better players, with hopefully good coaching, can only help all of them develop.

I would say that development squads shouldn't be the *only* good coaching kids are getting, every club should be taking the above to heart and looking after *all* their players, not just the good ones.

Dinny Breen

The IRFU now want to form a National Academy from 16s upwards. They are hoping to do away with Youths 18s and Schools 18s and form an Ireland 18s A & B. It was hard enough to get into they system as it was for the late bloomers and I think this well firmly shut the door. In theory Brian O'Driscoll probably wouldn't have made it if this was in place 20 years ago.
#newbridgeornowhere