Profiling Players, Fitness Assessment, Coach ability Roger Keenan – Coach Development Manager

Aims To examine the concept of profiling players in Gaelic Games To explore the most appropriate criteria for profiling To look at tools that might help to clarify the key issues To explore ways to confirm progress To analyse the best environment for nurturing players To examine the role of the coach in nurturing talent To examine the critical factors that determine long-term success – coach-ability 2Award 2 Tactical Prowess

Outcomes On completion of this module participants will: Be able to utilise mechanisms which will enhance player development Be able to deploy strategies to check for player progress Be able to recognise the key factors for long-term growth Be aware of the role the coach should play in nurturing and developing players

Roger Keenan – Coach Education Manager Coaching: 2001 – Manager/Gortin beaten in Intermediate Final Replay/Promoted through the league 2003 – Manager/Gortin Intermediate Championship winners 2005 – Manager/Carrickmore Senior Championship Winners – Tyrone Development Squads 2007 – Ardboe – Coach/Tyrone Minors(2 Ulster/2 All-Irelands) – Coach/UUJ Sigerson(2007 beaten finalists/2008 Sigerson Winners) Employment: 1985 – 2003 – Factory Manager 2003 – 2005 – Tyrone Coaching & Games Manager 2005 – 2009 – GAA HP Manager 2009 – Present – Coach Education Manager 04/05/201504/05/201504/05/2015

Where are we now? GAA Performance Ladder Provincial Strategy……………… Under 10 / 12 Under 14 / 16 Under 18/21 Senior Development Squads Ulster Under 17 Minor Under 21 Sigerson Senior Provincial Ireland School & Club Regional Squads International / Provincial County, Higher Education & Development Squads PARTICIPATION PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION Nursery/Participation Talent ID

Nature verses Nurture?

Current Methods for Talent ID The Process of Identifying Talent:  Scouting/observation  Trials  Blitz  Club Games  Referral/Clubs, Schools, Coaches  Training Camps  Current Form  Profiling/ Benchmarking (IRFU)

“All that glistens is not gold” 8Award 2 Tactical Prowess

Task 1(In Groups)–What are the qualities that make a good club player? What we are looking for in good club players? What are the 3 key areas? Can they be measured? How can it be measured? How do we check for progress?

Evaluation Self -Evaluation Coach-Evaluation Peer-Evaluation

11Award 2 Tactical Prowess

12Award 2 Tactical Prowess

Key Areas? (Assessment) Physical Based Assessment? Skills Based Assessment? Functional Based Assessment? Characteristics of Winners (coach- ability)? Training Load & Social Diary? Record Keeping

14Award 2 Tactical Prowess

Analyse your Coaching

Competencies

Prompts

Task 2(In Groups) – Discuss the benefits of player profiling ? To establish a baseline for team/individuals What gets measured gets improved! To focus on the critical areas for success To inform our training programme for team/individual To monitor the effectiveness of our training programme To motivate players & team To establish norms for physical, technical, and psychological development To create a pathway for success for others to follow To embrace best practice

Interpretation & Talent Confirmation(checking for progress) Has there been significant progress in the critical areas? Compare percentage differences(individual/team) Comparisons within positions may be useful Compare results with benchmark data Provide individual feedback to players in the form of a hard copy of their results Realistic individual targets should be reset for each player using their scores

Eg. Team Summary Football U16

Summary The initial assessment is used to establish the strengths, weaknesses, and priorities for development for each player, allowing an individualized programme to be prescribed. This represents a baseline level and further evaluations allow the effectiveness of the individualized training programme to be determined. Although sports performance is multifaceted, improvements in functional movement and physical fitness should facilitate enhanced performance during competition. For any structured yearly training, the coach and sports physiologist should decide on and plan all testing dates in advance. Generally appropriate testing times are at the beginning and end of each training phase, allowing assessment of the effectiveness of each phase. The coach can then use this information to plan the next training phase at both the team and individual level.

Task 3 (In Groups) - Discuss How can we positively influence the number of players who make it to senior club level? Key actions List in order of priority Are they evident in your club?

‘ Player centred, coach driven’ Lifestyle Management Technical Development Mental Toughness Tactical Development Coach Performance Analysis Personal Support (family / friends) Core Strength Sports Science Players Club Life (ownership) Fun

Task 4(Coach ability) Discuss! What is coach-ability? What are the traits of a player who has it? How do we recognise it? Can we nurture it?

25Award 2 Tactical Prowess

Profile model (coach-ability) Constructive Evaluation Mental Toughness Mindset Motivational & Working Traits Learning Style Coach Player/Athlete (Coachability)

Talent that fails To maximise your potential you need to have the mental capabilities to deal with setbacks and successes “The mind messes up more performances than the body” Jimmy Bolt

Constructive evaluation “one of the characteristics of a top player is that they are able to deliver a genuinely honest assessment of their own performance and ability” Arsene Wenger Constructive Evaluation

Self - Assessment

Talent Profile

Mindset “I want to win all tournaments, but being the best me – that’s a little more important” Tiger Woods Mindset

Mindsets A Mindset is a belief Fixed Mindset (FMS) Growth Mindset (GMS)

Fixed Mindset Commonly found in talented individuals Symptoms of a FMS: Labelling Low effort syndrome This is the path of stagnation! Never tell your players that they are naturally gifted/talented!! Probably safe to tell Peter Canavan / Darragh O’Sé

Growth Mindset Aware that talents can be developed/improved Abilities are build over time – long-term view “Coach-ability” See commitment and perseverance as a skill to be worked on Above average but not always the most genetically talented This is the path of opportunity & success

Mental Toughness “Without addressing the mental deficiencies we are limiting the chances of producing professional footballers” Jose Mourinho Mental Toughness

The 5 Internal C’s Inner Competitiveness, Inner Commitment Control (Emotion & Life) Challenge Confidence (Abilities & Interpersonal)

Inner Competitiveness, Inner Commitment “The body should never tell the mind it is tired, the mind has the strength to out will and Push the body” General George Patton “Winners never quit, and quitters never won”

Confidence & Commitment “Some players dream of success, others wake up and work hard to achieve it”

Motivational & Working Traits “it’s important that I am able to establish the right level of communication, this is very important for successful management” Arsene Wenger M&W Traits

The brain is like a muscle, the more you work on the inside the more it shows on the outside Constructive Evaluation Mental Toughness Mindset Language & Behaviour Learning Style Coach Player/Athlete

Guiding Philosophy 41 "On a good team there are no superstars. There are great players who show they are great players by being able to play with others as a team. They have the ability to be superstars, but if they fit into a good team, they make sacrifices, they do things necessary to help the team win" ---Red Holzman ---Dianne Holum

42 Change your limiting Beliefs!

Questions??? Thank you!