Coaching & Games – Regional Foundation Course

Twenty-four under age coaches participated in a Foundation Coaching course in Ballymore Primary School earlier this month, the four clubs were Ballymore Eustace GAA, Eadestown GFC, Naas GAA and Kill GAA.

In the theory part of the course the following was covered:

• Movement in Gaelic Football: (ABC’s – Agility Balance Coordination, RJT’s – Running Jumping Throwing and CPS’s – Catching Passing Striking)

• Issues faced by juvenile players.

• How to create a positive environment

• Good practice on the side-line

• Skill Development

• Coaching a skill using the IDEA method (Introduce, Demonstrate, Execute, Attend).

• How to modify activities using the STEP method (Space, Time, Equipment, Players).

In the Practical session, the coaches were split into small groups, using skill-cards as a reference each group were designated a skill.

• Demonstrate the skill listing the key points

• Plan an activity to improve the skill

• Using the fellow participants to show the activity

• Coach attends to the activity

• Brief discussion on a progression or regression of the activity using the STEP method

• The Course tutor then used Gagné ‘conditions of learning’ approach to summarise each short session.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mairead Flynn Principle of Ballymore Primary School for the use of the facilities, Liam McLoughlin (Eadestown GAA Coaching Officer), Mike Broderick (Ballymore GAA Coaching Officer), Sean Cullen (Kill GAA Coaching Officer) and Sean Guerin (Naas GAA Under-Age Football Chairman).

David Murphy Kildare – GAA Coaching and Games Development Administrator