1. Athletic Development of GAA Footballers Ian McKeown Strength and Conditioning Coach Lead Coach SINI GAA Programme

2. Introduction
Lead S&C/Athletic Development Coach GAA Programme
Philosophy
– Physical Competency
into
Athletic Performance

3. Challenge Conventional/Classical Thinking Answers “Earn the Right”
Aims of Session
Athletic Development pathway
Challenge Conventional/Classical Thinking
Answers
“Earn the Right”
SINI Programme interventions

4. SINI Football Squad 17 male / 3 female University students – QUB + UUJ
University Competition
Club Competition – 21s + Seniors
County Competition – 21s + Seniors
Ages 18-24
2/3 year Programme

5. What Makes the Best Footballers - Physically?
Strongest
Highest
Quickest
Fittest

6. Historically/Classically how do they attempt to get there?
X2 leg Loading – Back Squat/Front Squat/ Dead lift/Clean
Upper Body “Beach” Weights - isolation
Bodybuilding loading sequences
Plyos / SAQ
Interval training
LSD Training
Small-Sided/Conditioned Games/ Technical sessions

7. To get to performance levels what skills need to be there first?
Stronger – 1RM Bench / Squat
Faster – 10m
Fitter – Multi-Stage Shuttle Test - Bleep
Highest – Jump and Reach

8. But…..
Why?!!
Life is lived on 1 leg at a time!
Sport is Multi – Planar
Sport is Multi - Directional

9. Physical Competence
What “Competence” is needed to be the BEST? – Strongest/fittest/highest etc
Single Leg Ability
Trunk Endurance + Strength
General Body Function – Kinetic Chain
Upper Body Function

10. Physical Competency Football
Standing Long Jump
Forward Hop and Stick
Lateral Hop and Stick
Push up
Pull Up
Horizontal Pull up
MB Rotation
Prone Stabilization
Lateral Stabilization
Back Extension
60° Sit up
OH Squat - Bwt
Double Leg Squat
Single Leg Squat – Box
Walking Lunge

11. Results

12. Raising the Bar - World Class Athletes
Examples of what we are aiming for
Prone Stabilization – 30°
Lateral Stabilization – Star Position
OH SL Squat – Bar
20+ Pull Ups
X5 hops for distance + Stick
OH Squat + 50% Bwt

13. How do we train for this? Training = Assessment Trunk Integrity
General Body Function
Lower Body Function
Landing Skills
Upper Body Function
Pushing
Pulling
Rotation

14. Strength Training
Does have its place…
Olympic Lifting
+ Derivatives
Sessions Coupled with movement skill exercises

15. Metabolic Training - Conditioning
Running? – Off Feet
Continuous work on Movement Skills
Use of conditioned games
Importance of Warm Up

16. SINI GAA Programme Annual Planner
October – Movement Skill / Strength Development
November – Strength Dev / Hypertrophy
December – Max Strength
January – Revision Movement Skills
February – Dynamic Strength / Strength Dev
March – Dynamic Strength maintenance
April – Competition Skill + Str maintenance

17. SINI GAA Programme Weekly Timetable Oct – Dec 08
Monday – Strength Session
Tuesday – Recovery
Wednesday – Pitch Session/Match
Thursday – Prehab/Flexibility/Movement Skills Session
Friday – Strength Session
Saturday – Club Session?
Sunday – Club Session?

18. Example Strength Session – Year 2
30 minutes Injury Prevention Circuit
-Proprioception
-Eccentrics
-Kicking Prehab
-Gluteus Activation
-Landing Skills

19. Example Strength Session – Year 2
45 minutes Strength – Strength Development Phase
Deep Squat - 4x2
Chest Press – DB – 5x4
Straight Leg Deadlift – 4x8
Pull up – 4x max
Split Squat – 4x4el

20. Example of Strength Session – Year 2
7-8 minutes Power transfer
Hopping to balance
Lateral Hopping
Hopping with rotation
7-8 minutes Trunk Integrity
60° Sit up 4x30s
Side Lying Stabilization with Hip Abduction 4x10es

21. Example Strength Session – Year 1
45 minutes Strength – Strength Capacity + Lifting Skill
MB Good Morning
Sandbag Deep Squat
Inc Push up
Straight Line Deadlift – DB
Assisted Pull up
Split Squat
*Done as a Circuit

22. Re-Test Results

23. Strength Results
Year 1
Poor (1/5) Bwt Squat
X1 Bwt Back Squat
CMJ <30cm
CMJ >40cm

24. Strength Results
Year 2
x1.75 Bwt Squat
SL Squat >Parallel
CMJ >50cm
Clean + other Olympic Derivatives

25. Earn the Right to Progress
Physical
Technical
Tactical

26. Technical Skills – Earning the Right
SINI Workshops – Kicking / High Catch
Coach Assessment
Video Assessment
Physio Assessment
What is going to make this player kick better / Jump higher? (Physically)

27. Does this process work for all ages?
YES!
Senior Players
Adjustable and Fluid
Timescale considerations?
1/2/3 years?
Efficiency of Training Regime
Different priorities – injury management
Competency?
Athletic Senior players?

28. Does this process work for all ages?
YES!
Youth Players
Long Term Athlete Development
Adjust competency levels

29. Thank you
Questions ?