Tipperary GAA to the forefront of player and coach development
By Shane Brophy
Tipperary GAA have provided an update of the workings of its games development and player pathway programme to make its supporters aware of just how much work is going in at underage level to ensure the county is competitive annually in both hurling and football.
At a presentation hosted by Tipperary GAA CEO Murtagh Brennan, Games Manager Kevin Halley, as well as Games Development Administrators Paudie Malone and Davy Byrne, they outlined the massive programme of work done to provide the best possible development practices for both players and coaches.
Tipperary GAA currently employs 7 Games Development Administrators (GDA), Paudie Carey, Maggie O’Grady and Pio Kennedy coming on board this year to join Paudie Malone, Tommy Fitzgerald, Denis O’Mahoney, and David Byrne.
The primary focus of the Games Development Committee (GDC) is the delivery of the GAA games development policy and related programmes as contained in the county coaching and games development plan with a focus on establishing self-sufficient and sustainable clubs by building capacity and capability within the volunteer structure to deliver a games development programme. A key target associated with the role will be the growth and retention of coach and player participation.
Under the guidance of County Games Manager Kevin Halley, each GDA is allocated a geographical area of responsibility where they liaise with 4 – post primary schools, 10 – clubs and 20 primary schools in their area.
On top of that, three of the more experienced GDA’s have their own area of responsibility within the committee with Portroe native Paudie Malone the hurling development officer, former Tipperary senior footballer Davy Byrne the Gaelic football development officer while Maggie O’Grady in charge of coach education.
In addition to the full-time GDC staff, Tipperary GAA through its partnership with Setanta College which is only in its second year, with access to a further seven coaches, led by Ian Jones who is currently the S&C coach with the Cork senior hurlers who are preparing for the All-Ireland final this week.
Initiatives
Primary Schools Coaching Programme – is a collaboration between Tipperary County Board, 4 divisions, 71 clubs and the GDC.
This involves the employment of a local GAA coach who visits the primary schools within a parish/club and coordinates a progressive, standardised GAA development plan for the students. This ensures that every primary pupil (male and female) is receiving education on the fundamental skills throughout their formative years. The cost of this is shared between Tipperary County Board, the divisions, and the clubs.
Premier CARE (Coaching Administration Retaining Educating) Visitation Program – The Premier Care program is a new summer program of education, aimed at club coaches, and is unique to Tipperary. The main benefit of this venture is that the coaching workshop takes place directly at a club ground and tailored specifically to each clubs coaches needs. 26 clubs availed of this in May 2024 alone.
Some of the supports available include:
- Nursery Coach development
- Go Games Coach support
- On Pitch Youth Coach/Player development
- Club Athletic Development guidance
- Warm-up/Cool-down specifics
- Club Coach/Player Pathways and guidance
- Goalkeeping specific development
In terms of Goalkeeping development, this will be led by Nenagh Eire Og’s Shane Hennessy who was drafted into the Tipperary senior hurling back-room in 2024 specifically to learn from goalkeeping coach David Herity who runs goalkeeping courses.
Athletic Development Scholarship – This programme, which will be launched later this Autumn, will see the County Board subsidise a series of club workshops and coach development programmes, hosted by the world renowned Setanta College, based adjacent to Semple Stadium.
This twelve-week course will see lectures delivered through Setanta College’s online learning platform, and will cover three primary areas encompassing theoretical aspects, practical coaching, and programme management.
It will cover topics such as fitness testing, resistance training, strength & power, human anatomy, speed training, endurance conditioning, training methods & monitoring, and age & gender related programme design and periodisation.
Upon the completion of the course will be the presentation of a Certificate in Applied Athletic Performance where the student will display knowledge and understanding of key related aspects and principles of training and designing and implementing programmes of development for teams and individual athletes. They will also display the knowledge and skills related to monitoring, management, and review of team and individual development.
This aims to develop the massive potential of club coaches within the county.
Underage Development Panels
Tipperary GAA boasts an extensive underage development model designed to identify, nurture, and educate promising players across various age groups.
This model, built on a broad base, aims to capture and cultivate talent from grassroots level upwards. As players progress in age, the focus narrows, allowing for more targeted development and refinement of skills essential for success at higher levels of competition.
There are no restriction on a player to decide to choose one of hurling or football at any stage with dual players accommodated if they so wish.
Under 14 Hurling – 4 divisional teams of 24 players each, 96 players
Under 14 Football – 3 teams (South, West, Mid & North) of 24 players each, 72 players
Under 15 Hurling – 3 panels, 64 players
Under 15 Football – 2 panels, 50 players
Under 16 Hurling – 2 panels, 50 players
Under 16 Football – 2 panels, 50 players
Under 17 Hurling – Minor panel plus 2 Celtic Challenge teams
Under 17 Football – 1 Minor panel
Under 19 Hurling – 2024 saw the trialling of an under 19 panel consisting of 24 players
Setanta College Partnership
Since 2022, Tipperary GAA has forged a partnership with Setanta College, aimed at enhancing the development of its young players.
This collaboration entails Setanta providing Tipperary GAA with six dedicated coaches, including a lead coach who is currently Ian Jones, who is also the S&C Coach with the Cork senior hurlers.
These personnel are integrated into the under 14, 15 & 16 development teams in hurling and football (minors and under 20s organise their own S&C coaches) and they play a pivotal role in ensuring that players receive comprehensive training in key areas such as weight management, nutrition, sports psychology, and game understanding.
Through this eleven month programme which runs for eleven months from September to July on Tuesdays evenings and Saturday mornings in regional hubs at Cistercian College Roscrea, Thurles, and Cahir (a fourth hub planned for Clonmel), the players benefit from a holistic development approach as they progress through the county panels.
Setanta’s involvement ensures consistency in messaging and education for all players aged 13-17, facilitating a smooth transition from one grade to the next. The partnership also encompasses various workshops and sessions aimed as enhancing players physical, nutritional, and psychological wellbeing.
This partnership is also instrumental in shaping well-rounded athletes who are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel both on and off the field. It ensures that every player in the system receives the same high quality education and support, fostering their growth and development as they progress through the various grades within the county panels.
All this doesn’t come cheap and in 2023, the cost of this came to just under €200,000 through funding from Croke Park, Munster Council, Tipperary County Board, Divisional Boards, as well as financial support from local businesses.