Diarmaid Marsden and Shane McCann

Club Coaching Structures, Content and Style – Programme

for Development

Who are the key personnel

involved in a club coaching

structure?

• Coaching Officer• Coaching Administrator• Club / School Liaison Officer• Children’s Officer• Head Coaches• Assistant Coaches• Equipment Coordinator• Parent Helpers

What are the key roles, duties and qualities of these personnel?

Coaching officer

• Oversees and conducts entire coaching and games programme

• Establish coaching committee• Oversee appointment of coaching teams• Devise and implement club coaching plan • Implement best practice with regard to coach

education and qualifications• Implement and monitor club/school link

Coaching officer

Skills and Qualities•Should be knowledgeable•Ability to lead and adapt•Effective communicator•Organised•Facilitator – sharing of ideas and learning•Delegator•Monitoring and evaluating

Coaching Administrator• Administrative functions of the coaching committee• Schedule and notify coaches about coach meetings• Draft reports as required for exec committee• Attend county board /divisional board meetings• Point of contact for county board (in conjunction with

club secretary) – notify fixtures and changes to relevant personnel

• Coordinate registration process for underage players• Assistance to children’s officer

Club / School Liaison Officer

• Sets up and creates link with club and local school(s)

• Communicates regularly between club and school• Organises club coaching during/after school• Promotes club activity within school – notice

board / distribution of flyers• Sharing of facilities• Supply of equipment, jerseys etc…..

Children’s Officer• Promote a child centred approach to coaching• Understand GAA code of ethics, child protection

procedures, rules and regulations• Implement best practice in the club with regard to child

protection guidelines• Establish and maintain club complaints procedures• Ensure all coaches are Access NI checked or have Garda

Vetting checks• Communicate regularly with coaching officer and club

coaches

Head Coach

• Coordinates and directs all coaching and games activity at the respective age level

• Point of contact for parents and players• Ensure age appropriate coaching is carried out• Promote fair play and respect with players• Ensure every player gets equal opportunity to play,

compete and develop• Responsibility for team selection in conjunction

with assistant coaches

Head Coach

• Delegate duties to assistant coaches and parent helpers

• Devise programme of coaching and session plans in conjunction with assistant coaches

• Responsibility to ensure team fulfils fixtures and attend Go games blitzes

• Mentor assistant coaches and parent helpers so that they can develop as coaches

• Commitment!

Assistant Coach / Parent Helper

• Carries out duties as directed by head coach• Willing to learn – observe fellow coaches, attend

workshops, gain coaching qualifications• Responsible for delivery of certain aspects of

coaching• Ambition - to be head coach and develop• Role on match day – team selection, transport,

looking after a team, umpire, jerseys, water etc..

Equipment Coordinator

• Audit existing equipment within club – at all age levels

• Responsible for dealing with and ordering new equipment

• Storage of equipment and access for coaches• Club to have generic equipment e.g. ladders,

tackle pads, but each team will have their own equipment e.g. balls and bibs

• First Aid kits

Club / School Links

• Stats from Antrim – number of kids receiving GAA coaching who are actually playing for local club

Urban School A - BelfastP4 Total No of Kids Playing for Club %

2009 82 12 14.632010 52 13 25.002013 70 8 11.43

Urban School A - BelfastP7 Total No of Kids Playing for Club %

2010 70 18 25.71

2013 74 17 22.97

Urban School A – Belfast – P4Urban School A – Belfast – P4

Comparison Analysis

Urban School B - Belfast

Urban School B - Belfast

Rural Club

Rural Club - AP2-P4 Total No of Kids Playing for Club %2009 50 12 24.002010 56 21 37.502013 57 26 45.61

Rural Club - B2013

Figures Total No of Kids Playing for Club %P5 16 12 75.00P6 20 8 40.00P7 21 11 52.38

Key Ingredients to a Successful Partnership

• Structure• Shared Vision and Plan• Clear & transparent policies and procedures• Team work• Monitoring and Evaluation• Performance Culture

Differences between clubs!

•Urban v Rural

•Decide for yourself…………

Case Studies Club A

GlenClub BClonoe

Club CCushendall

Club DBallinascreen

Club EOmagh

Club FClan na Gael

No. of Players (children)

145 (F) 145 (F + L) 130 (H + C) 240 (F, H, L + C)

230 (all codes) 200 (F, L + C)

No. of Players (youth)

90 (F) 120 (F + L) 104 (H + C) 160 (all codes) 165 (all codes) 140 (F, L + C)

No. of Players (adult)

75 (F) 68 (F) 114 (H + C) 134 ( All codes)

75 (F) 95 (F + C)

No. of coaches

41 (F) 33 (F) 30 (H + C) 64 (All codes) 50 (All codes) 50 (All codes)

Codes offered

F, C, L F, L H + C F, H, C, L Handball and Rounders

F, H, L, C, Handball

F, L, C

Club School Link

Yes (club coach teaching in school, link with schools coaches)

Yes (shared facilities but no club coaching input)

Yes – club provides equipment and financial support.

Yes very strong link with 5 primary schools. Club coach in each school every week

Yes – annual football competition – could be better coordinated

Yes – provide after school coaching in all codesShare facilities

Club A Glen

Club BClonoe

Club CCushendall

Club DBallinascreen

Club EOmagh

Club FClan na Gael

Coach Committee and Coach Education

Yes - regular

Just started over last few years

Yes – as required

Yes – all new coaches and U8 players -foundation award

Yes – as required

Yes – as required but could be more frequent

Success Underage

County and Provincial titles at Feile, U16 and U18 level over last 5 years

U13, U16 leagues(F)U14, U16 leagues and championships (L)

County and provincial hurling titles in recent years

Regular feile success at all codesU18 hurling success (county and provincial)

Last success in boys or girls was in 2012

Boys – U16 div 2 league and shield last yearGirls – U12 and U16 Div 2 championship finalists

Success Senior

Reserve Championship

Senior (2), reserve (3) and U21 (1) championships recent (F)

County and provincial hurling and camogie titles 2008 / 2011

Senior county finalists in all 4 codes this year

No recent success

3 reserve championships in last 4 years

Case Studies

Case Studies - general• Supportive committee• Good input of senior players• Pro-active volunteers• Quality coaches eager to improve• Top of the range facilities• Strong representation on county squads• Club is the main hub of the community• Large numbers - strength is that club offers all codes• Development is child centred• Success breeds Success – tradition!

• Where is your club now?• What do you want to achieve?–Short term / long term

• How do you plan to get there??????

What you are doing well in your club with regard to Club Coaching and Games that you need to keep doing

What are the bad things that your club does with regard to coaching that you must stop doing

.Good numbers of coaches in place.Coach education good – all coaches have Foundation award (min).Awareness of child protection is good.Always transport available for games.Club always fulfils fixtures.Club organises internal blitzes for u8, u10 and u12 age groups

.Coaching “Off the cuff”.Abuse of referees by coaches and players.Training sessions are regular.Work that coaches do is not always acknowledged by club.Poor communication from our coaches.Lose children from u14 upwards

What your club does occasionally with regard to Coaching and Games that you need to do consistently

What your club currently doesn’t do, with regard to coaching and games, that you must start doing

.Coaching committee meetings.Away days/trips for kids.Youth – fitness testing.Skills testing and benchmarking.PR of all activity that is going on.Recruitment of players – nursery programme.Communication between coaching teams.Internal coach education workshops.Skill specific workshops – goalkeeping, free taking.Emphasise the history and tradition of the club

.Plan for coaching sessions.Age appropriate coaching.No plan for games programme.No winter programme.No sense of club identity – need to start creating this.Recruitment of more volunteers.Senior players assisting with coaching teams.No proper established club/school link (primary or secondary)

• Questions?