St. Mary's Magherafelt Foundation Coaching Award

On Tuesday 8th December twenty 6th form students from St. Mary's Magherafelt continued with their foundation coaching award. Richard Ferris delivered a number of classroom based workshops with the students in the morning.

Followed by some work in the gym going through the various stages and activities of the GAA Fundamentals. The new coaches worked extremely hard throughout the day and applied themselves really well. The final stage of their foundation award will be to do a practical session with some children from the local primary school. The coaches will be assessed and given feedback and personal improvement goals. Well done to all involved.

Coach Education Courses

The playing season is now complete for underage players in 2009. Our attentions now turn to schools, coach education and indoor games over the winter.

We have been working hard to get good quality courses for coaches to enjoy and pick up a few tips for next year’s playing season. Here’s what’s planned over the next couple of weeks:

• Wednesday 7th October - Fundamentals for Kids @ Roe Valley Leisure Centre 7.30pm - Tutor is Richard Ferris
• Tuesday 13th October - Games for Children @ Bellaghy GAC 8.00pm - Tutor Diarmuid Scullion
• Wednesday 14th October - Gaelic Start Coaching Seminar @ Lavey GAC 7.00pm - Tutor Shane McCann
• Saturday 17th October - Fundamentals for Kids @ Lavey GAC 11.00am - Tutor Diarmuid Scullion

These coaching courses are available for everyone to attend. All CPD courses are free of charge. Please try and get out and support these courses, no matter how experienced a coach you maybe you'll pick up something new at every course.

Derry City GAA Summer Camps

Summer Camp for Key Stage 1 Children - 5 to 8 year olds

From Monday 13th July to Friday 17th July Derry GAA are hosting a summer camp in Celtic Park for children aged between 5 and 8 years old. Everyone is welcome to attend the camp which is Free of charge. Please register with myself on chris.collins.gm.derry@gaa.ie

Summer Camp for Key Stage 2 Children - 9 to 12 year olds

From Monday the 10th to Friday the 14th August we are hosting a camp in Celtic Park for 9 to 12 year olds, everyone is welcome to attend. There will be a charge of £5 payable on the day of arrival. Please register your place with me via email.

Vhí Cul Camps 2009

As July is fast approaching Brian Smith Derry's Vhí Cul Camp coordinator begins to feel the pressure! Last year we had 2200 children through the Cul camps and we're expecting similiar numbers this year despite the economic downturn.

We are holding camps at the following clubs:

30/06/09 - 03/07/09
Castledawson, Glen, Greenlough, Slaughtneil

07/07/09 - 10/07/09
Kilrea, Lissan, Claudy

14/07/09 - 17/07/09

Ballymaguigan, Steelstown

21/07/09 - 24/07/09
Coleraine

28/07/09 - 31/07/09

Ballerin, Swatragh, Newbridge

04/08/09 - 07/08/09
Lavey, Bellaghy, Glen, Loup

11/08/09 - 14/08/09
Magherafelt, Desertmartin

17/08/09 - 20/08/09

Glenullin

18/08/09 - 21/08/09
Slaughtmanus, Drumsurn

The camps are targeted for boys and girls aged between 7 and 13. The cost to attend a camp are £30 for the first child in family, with reductions of £25 and £20 for the second and third respectively. Each child will get a strip, bag and water bottle to take home as well as some top class coaching from our coaches. If your child would like to attend any camp please contact your club coordinator or the County coordinator: Brian Smith, 79 Iniscarn Road, Magherafelt, BT45 5NQ. Tel 07918 703912.

Oak Leaf School of Excellence Huge Success

The first Oak Leaf School of Excellence for Under 14 Footballers got of to a flying start. 78 young players were treated to a day of coaching led by Tony Scullion in the sunshine at Banagher.

The next School of Excellence will be announced in the coming days.

Special thanks to Paul Simpson, Ashleen McCaul and Shauna McCallion who ably assisted, to Banagher for the use of their grounds and to all the lads who made the effort to turn out.

Year 9 Vocational Schools Football Coaching Day

The Year 9's enjoyed a coaching day today in Owenbeg. Seven vocational schools attended with close to 150 pupils taking part. The day had coaching in the morning and games in the afternoon. Tony Scullion, Derry Legend was coaching defensive play, Richard Ferris, Derry minor manager concentrated on tackling, Paul Rouse former Tyrone player coached attacking play, Gary Mallon, Armagh senior coach focused on Kicking skills and Diarmuid Scullion, Bellaghy coach was running the lads through conditioned games. Paul Callaghan, Former Donegal Goalkeeping coach took the 8 GK's for a two hour session.

By 12 noon the players had built up quite an appetite, after digging into the sandwiches the schools rounded an excellent day off with games against each other.

The schools that took part were St. Mary's Limavady, St. Patrick's Dungiven, St. Joseph's Derry, St. Patrick's and St. Brigid's Claudy, St. Colm's Draperstown, St. Mary's Clady and Dominican College Portstewart.

Thanks to all the teachers and pupils who took part and a particular word of thanks to the coaches who kindly agreed to spend the day coaching the lads.

Holy Family Celebrate 125 Years

Friday 24th April was a day of celebrations throughout the school to mark the 125th anniversary of the existence of the GAA. Holy Family, Magherafelt really got into the swing of it with fun GAA coaching for every child in the school and some spot prizes sponsored by Gaelic Life along the way. All the children and staff also got the chance to dawn their club or county colours on Friday. The event was very well supported by O'Donovan Rossa club, they provided coaches who put the 500 children through their paces throughout the day. Seamus Mc Cloy, county chairman and Anthony Mc Swiggan county vice chairman arrived in the afternoon to present certificates to all those who worked with the children throughout the day.

Coaching Tips By Philip Kerr - Tip 5

He's fit...but not 'match fit'.

How many times have you heard someone say of a player.....He's fit, but he's not match fit.?
What does it mean? How can we be sure that a player is match fit? What can we do to get players match fit?

Match fitness can only come through playing games. Unfortunately, some have taken this to mean that a player needs to wait for a competitive game against another team before he can work on his match fitness. This is not true.

As I have said already, the only way to get match fit is to play games. If the right game is played in training then the coach can not only bring a player up to speed in terms of match fitness but can also set the limits for all players.

You see, match fitness is about how quickly a player can make a decision, how well he can react to a situation, how aware he is of the play around him. It has to be founded on physical fitness [particularly sharpness] but it is a 'brain' thing more than anything else.

When you hear people say that a player can't cope with the speed of the game, it doesn't mean that he cannot run as fast as the other players. It means his thinking, his reactions and his awareness are not as sharp as they should be.
So....what can coaches do?

The best games are based on the clock. Try playing a game, with normal rules except for the condition which allows each player a maximum of 3 seconds on the ball. Just count 1,2,3 when a player is in possession. This is better than calling for one toe-tap and/or one bounce. The best way to play this is to use one coach to referee and another to run the 3 second rule and blow only when this is broken.

If players really respond, cut it to 2 seconds. You will really only be able to do this after a number of weeks working on the former.

Another way to use the clock, is to decide on a certain number of seconds during which a team may score. Imagine the keeper kicks the ball out and a player gathers the ball at midfield. The coach/referee calls out a countdown......10, 9, 8 ,7 etc. The team must shoot for a score before 0 is reached. If the opposition wins the ball, the coach decides on the number from which to start the countdown [e.g. the opposition wins the ball only 45m from the goal. The coach needs to speed up their play, so he begins the countdown from 5.]

There are many modifications to such games...all based on working towards match fitness at speeds where opponents cannot hope to compete.

Coaching Tips By Philip Kerr - Tip 3

Gaelic Football's Lost Tribe [The Half-Forwards]

Flavour of the month is to by-pass this group when attacking and employ them more and more as defenders who track back to block opposition attacks and close in to look for breaks from midfield.

A centre-half forward must be a creative player...one who orchestrates, who has great passing ability [preferably with both feet] and who has a tactical brain.

Wing half-forwards must be blessed with both stamina and pace, for they are link players who have to fetch, carry and support more often than any other group.

So, how about looking at your own team! Have you a playmaker pulling the strings at CHF? Do your wing forwards have the necessary characteristics to take them through a game? Or have you created three extra defenders who help the defence and watch long balls fly over their heads at such a rate that a Derby horse would do well to get up in support?

Oh...and one more thing they should be able to do.......SCORE now and again!

Coaching Tips By Philip Kerr - Tip 2

Drills v Games
As players develop, their technique improves more rapidly than any other part of their game. They can usually learn to kick, catch, fist,block, solo etc. with a fair degree of comfort. The better players often practise these skills at home and come on faster than those who only rely on drills in coaching sessions once or twice a week.

What they find more difficult is to develop the ability to make the right decision in a game - when to pass, who to pass to, where to run, how to pass. A coach who prepares a squad through sessions filled with drills, is only working at one part of the game.

How can a drill solve problems like 'forwards bunching' or 'lack of midfield support' or 'no width' or 'poor use of quick frees'? The answer is...it CAN'T!

If a player is a poor kicker of the ball, there is work done to solve that problem. What are we doing to help the player who takes the wrong option more often than the right one in a game?
Get working at games. Remember...Games = Problems. Start solving the problems!

Coaching Tips By Philip Kerr - Tip 1

The Four Storey Coaching Model

Each player aspires to be the best. Each coach tries to bring the best out in players. One of the better ways to do this is to check for ways to improve individual players.
A top player should have four main qualities:
Superb Technique / Athleticism / Speed of Thought / Ability to be a Teamplayer

Think about your coaching sessions. In every session you should be working to develop at least three of these qualities, one on top of the other. If not, you're not really coaching. If you need to change, do it now!

A group of five year-olds might practise bouncing [technique], running and dodging [atleticism], tag-belt tig [speed of thought] and relays [teamplay].

A group of eight year-olds may work on kicking with either foot [technique], races [athleticism], two-touch football [speed of thought] and a 7 a-side game [teamplay]

A squad of senior players may work on various drills [technique], sprints [athleticism], conditioned games [speed of thought] and backs v forwards [teamplay].

Derry City P.S. Gaelic Football Blitz

Templemore Sports Complex was the venue on Wednesday for the feeder schools of Doire Trasna and Ardmore (Good Shepherd, Chapel Road, Trench Road, Glendermott) to attended a Gaelic Football Blitz. There were 182 children in total, using 4 pitches the children played a hand-pass game scoring into a zone based on the last six weeks coaching programme at their schools. The event organised by Paul Simpson was supported by NWIFE who brought 26 of their Sports students along to help co-ordinate and referee the games and gain valuable experience of working with a large group of children. The feedback from the teachers was excellent.

Communication, Communication, Communication

As the title would suggest this post is about communication! We have run quite a few coaching events so far this season already and we are entering an extremely busy time of year. This year we will use the Teamer service to update coaches what's going on by sending them text messages. It is also of critical importance that when we send out an email it goes to the intended people.

I am updating my email circulation list. If you would like to receice emails from me about what's going on in coaching and games please send an email to ccollins@derry.gaa.ie to get on the circulation list. On the other hand if your on my list and would like to be removed from it send me an email to ask to remove your email address.

I will resend the club contact sheet for 2009, if your club has not completed the form please do so and return as it is very important for teams organising their Lynco Go Games.

Year 9 Football Coaching Day

Following from the success of last years Year 9 Coaching Day, we have decided to run the same event on Wednesday 6th May for Year 9 students in Derry at Derry's Centre of Excellence, Owenbeg. 25 schools have been invited to attend. Last year we had Tony Scullion, Gary Mallon, Paul Callaghan, Nicholas Walsh, Ryan Mellon and Paul Rouse among others all in giving the lads a few pointers.



The Coaching Day will be followed up with a Year 9 seven aside blitz on Wednesday 25th May which should be an excellent opportunity for the players to demonstrate their skills.

New Foundation Coaches @ St. Mary's Magherafelt

11 Lower Sixth St. Mary's students have been working hard over the past 7 weeks to gain their child protection and new foundation awards. They will deliver a coaching day for the schools feeder primary schools later in the year to put into practice what they have learnt.

Cross Community Hurling Team

It is hoped that a Cross Community School Hurling Team will be established in the Limavady area to take part in a Year 11 Hurling Competition planned for the 29th April in Cookstown. The team will be know as the Roe-Valley Learning Community Cuchullains, it will consist of five boys from each of the following Schools, St. Mary’s Limavady, St. Patrick’s Dungiven, Limavady High and Limavady Grammar School.

Kevin Hinphey will coach the team once or twice a week after school on Wednesday afternoons, hoping to begin on Wednesday 25th March. The Blitz will take place on April 29th in Cookstown with teams from Armagh, Enniskillen, Belfast and Limavady. The winning team will represent Ulster in the American GAA Youth Games on the first week in August. (Five boys and one teacher from each school plus the manager). An Ulster Select will also be chosen from the four teams to play a challenge match against Scotland in Shinty.

GAA STATS SOFTWARE

This software has been created by a local Lavey man. Ryan was at Derry's Coaching Conference last year displaying his device and he has been spending the last year or so marketing his software throughout Ireland.

The website is http://www.gaastats.com/

I have been personally using the software for the past 6 month's and I find it excellent. It's very easy to use and the feedback it generates for coaches and players is invaluable. Here are some testimonials from people who have used this device:

"GAASTATS software provides our players and management with an insight into aspects of skill execution that we could not even dream of getting with pen and paper. We believe that the personalised software that GAAstats.com provide will benefit each of our players and make them even more aware of their performance levels. All players want feedback, this is a fast easy to use tool that does not require any specialist training or IT skills. Feedback for the players is clear, concise and to the point, numbers never lie. The fact that the software can be adapted to suit the needs of the team is a massive bonus. I feel the software would benefit a team in any sport"

- Jason Ryan, Wexford Senior football manager.

"I know the new stats device is a big help to us. Not only does it give us instant information on match days but also shows you exactly what you need to work on in training, as a team and individually"

- John Mullane, All-Star Waterford Corner forward and De La Salle Captain.

Log onto the website to get more information. The software and device is not extremely expensive and it can be used for numerous teams within the club not just senior teams.

Adapting Fun Games for Hurling - Wednesday 25th March @ Owenbeg 7.30pm

Practical outdoor Session with Kevin Kelly.
The course will include games to enhance the skills required to play Hurling and Camogie and idea's on how to keep every player involved during your session. Kevin will be working with the County Minor Squad. All club coaches are welcome to attend this course. The games used can be adapted to suit players from 12 years old up.

Upcoming Primary School events excluding Derry City

All County Boys Indoor Boys Football and Camogie – Wednesday 4th March Meadowbank
· 10.00am to 2.30pm
· One team of 7 per school

North Derry Hurling and Camogie League Competition - Wednesday 22nd April Owenbeg
· Only one team per school
· 7 or 5 a side, + 3 subs. (no 9 a side)

INTO Mini 7’s Girls Football and Hurling – Thursday 23rd April Ballinascreen
· 10.00am to 3.00pm
· Only one panel of 10 per school

All Ireland Schools Days – Friday 24th April

South Derry Cross County – Tuesday 28th April Glen

North Derry Football League Competition Wednesday 29th April Owenbeg
· Only one team per school.
· 9,7, or 5 a side, + 3 subs
· Termoncanice, Altinure, Claudy and Dungiven in the 9 a side.

South Derry Hurling Championship Qualifiers – Friday 1st May Swatragh

South Derry Football Championship Qualifiers – 11th / 12th / 13th May

Into Mini 7’s Boys Football and Camogie – Thursday 21st May Ballinascreen
· 10am to 3.00pm
· Only one panel of 10 per school

North Derry Football Championship Competition Tuesday 2nd June Owenbeg
· Max. 3 teams per school
· 9,7, or 5 a side + 3 subs

South Derry Camogie Qualifiers – Wednesday 3rd June Bellaghy

South Derry Football Championship Finals Day – Thursday 11th June Ballinascreen

South Derry Track and Field – Tuesday 16th June

North Derry Camogie & Hurling Championship Tuesday 16th June Owenbeg
· Max. 3 teams per school
· 7 or 5 a side + 3 subs

North Derry meeting Wednesday 17th June
3.45pm St John's Dernaflaw

Sharon Donnelly Girls Football - Tuesday 23rd June Glen

Cumann na mBunscoil Indoor Boys Football and Camogie

The Cumann na mBunscoil indoor competition took place today in Meadowbank Sports Arena, Magherafelt 15 Camogie and 18 Football teams took part. Each school could bring 8 players, we had 260 players taking part so it was an excellent turn out.

The Groups were as follows:
Camogie
Group 1:
St. Mary's Glenview
Anahorish
Ballylifford
St. Canice Dungiven

Group 2:
New Row
St. Mary's Draperstown
St. Patrick's Glen
Tirkane P.S.

Group 3:
St. John's Swatragh
St. Eoghan's Moneyneena
Derrychrin P.S.
St. Patrick's Loup

Group 4:
St. Brigid's Mayogal
Holy Family
St. Mary's Bellaghy

Boys Football:
Group 1:
St. Brigid's Mayogall
St. Mary's Bellaghy
Altayesky P.S.
St. Eoghan's Moneyneena
Knockagin P.S.

Group2:

St. John's Swatragh

Derrychrin P.S.

St. Patrick's Loup

John Bosco's Ballynease

Ballylifford

Group 3:

St. Mary's Glenview

Anahorish P.S.

St. Canice Dungiven

New Row

St. Mary's Altinure

Group 4:
Holy Family P.S.

St. Mary's Draperstown

Tirkane
St. Patrick's Glen

In the Camogie St. Mary's Draperstown, Glenview, Holy Family and St. John's Swatragh qualified fron their groups to the Semi's.

Camogie Semi Finals:

St. Mary's Draperstown 3 vs St. Mary's Glenview 1

Holy Family 1 vs St. John's Swatragh 2

Camogie Final:

St. Mary's Draperstown 3 vs St. John's Swatragh 0

The following teams qualified from the football groups

Football Semi Finals:

St. Mary's Bellaghy 0-02 vs St. John's Swatragh 3-03

St. Mary's Draperstown 1-00 vs St Mary's Glenview 1-01

Football Finals

St. Mary's Glenview 0-02 vs St. John's Swatragh 0-01

St. Mary's Glenview and St. Mary's Draperstown will go onto Enniskillen at the end of March to represent Derry in the Ulster competition. Good luck to both schools.