PATRICK MORRISON: Be coachable


By Patrick Morrison “THE best skill that I ever had was that I was coachable. I was like a sponge, and aggressive to learn. Being ‘coachable’ means being humble and vulnerable enough to know you’re not perfect. It means being open to honest and constructive feedback, even if it is tough to take. “Being ‘uncoachable’ […]


PATRICK MORRISON: The playoff push


By Patrick Morrison IN American sports, they split their competitions into two parts with the first part being called the Regular Season and the second part called the Post-Season, more affectionately known as the ‘playoffs.’ Every team in each sport (baseball, basketball or gridiron) will have realistic and attainable goals for their franchise. The better […]


PATRICK MORRISON: Goalkeeper should always be themselves


By Patrick Morrison ATTENTION all young aspiring goalkeepers please listen to this extremely important message; it will give you the best possible chance of becoming the best goalkeeper you can possibly be. YOU WILL NEVER BE THE NEXT ETHAN RAFFERTY, RORY BEGGAN, SHAUN PATTON, NIALL MORGAN, ANNA CARR, MONICA MCGUIRK, REBECCA LAMBE-FAGAN, etc, etc, etc. […]


SHANE RICE: The truth about recovery – Forget gadgets, focus on the fundamentals


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: Attack, attack, attack


By Patrick Morrison STEVEN Pressfield’s 2004 novel, ‘The Virtue of War’, follows the life of Alexander the Great and his story is told through the eyes of a Hellenic-Persian scribe who was serving under him during his campaigns into India. In the novel there is a quote from Alexander himself which states: “Always attack. Even […]


PATRICK MORRISON: What’s my situation?


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


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, […]


JOHN McMAHON: Mentally preparing for a big game


AS all GAA athletes know, a balanced diet, a good training regime and mental preparation are crucial for success in competitions. Yet, the years of daily sports regimes, the hours spent honing your training programme and a considered nutritional intake, count for little if you’re not in the right frame of mind before a big game. […]


Looking after the top six inches: Gareth Fox on the sporting mind


Hand in hand with the coaching side of the game is the mental preparation. Mental skills coach Gareth Fox takes a look at some key aspects of the championship arena. Michael McMullan picked his brain… A COMMON theme of the curtain coming down on Premier League football at Goodison Park was the fortress it became. […]


PATRICK MORRISON: Get your feet right


WHENEVER I am coaching, one of the most common questions I am asked is ‘what is the most important aspect of being a goalkeeper?’ My answer is always the same. There is no one aspect that is more significant than any other as mastery of the position needs a competent level of ability in all goalkeeping […]