By Steven Poacher LAST weekend we had the two Ulster Senior Championship semi- finals and both games took a very similar pattern. There were low blocks, concession of kick-outs and long, slow bouts of laborious play. There were also some fantastic passages of play and some brilliant scores but in general it was putrid. Down […]
AFTER a riveting weekend of football, it’s fair to say the Ulster Championship is alive and well. Whilst I may bemoan the lack of jeopardy and level of shadow boxing in the current format, I thoroughly enjoyed the games. Cavan just came up short in a spirited performance and Jim McGuinness has rejuvenated Donegal again. […]
IT was back in the early nineties that I first experienced the game of basketball. As a tall primary six student I was afforded a place on the school basketball team. We were coached by Jimmy McKee (Pearse Óg) in the Christian Brothers PS and competed in a few competitions throughout the year. At the […]
EVER wondered how much time a ‘modern’ GAA player dictates to their sport? The time they invest to be at the top of their game? Below I have outlined some of these demands our GAA players face and the time they invest. I believe it’s worth reminding ourselves & be mindful of the commitment & sacrifice our […]
RECOVERY is a crucial aspect of athletic performance, especially for Gaelic footballers who endure intense physical demands on the field. In the modern era, there isn’t much between the intensity of high level club teams and inter-county setup. Implementing effective recovery techniques can not only accelerate post-match or post-training recovery but also enhance overall performance and […]
By Patrick Morrison THIS week, I was invited onto the Gaelic Life podcast ‘Gaelic Lives.’ The show was hosted by Michael McMullan and also involved ex-Derry player Gerard O’Kane, both of this stable. We mainly discussed the NFL finals that involved Ulster teams while also discussing the phenomenon of warm weather training camps and their […]
WE are currently slap-bang in the middle of the GAA jargon evolution. Terms like ‘move the ball quickly,’ ‘keep your width’ and ‘get men behind the ball’ have been replaced by ‘transitions,’ ‘tips’ and ‘low block.’ I have even found myself using such terminology and I die a little inside each time I do. The […]
By Patrick Morrison “IF you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a 100 battles. If you know yourself but not your enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” This is […]
IF you go to a coaching course looking for ideas on developing the punt pass you will be extremely disappointed as there is very limited material or ideas for coaches regarding the punt pass. If you go to a coaching course or witness a sample session you will see multiple games and drills that use the […]
IN the last 10 years the evolution of sports science and information in Gaelic games and how teams prepare and recover has improved greatly. However, with all this information available for coaches and players on this can in fact be sometimes very overwhelming. The consultation work I do with clubs and organisations helping them to fit the […]
