Fresh ideas put Kildare coaches in action
A sold-out clinic brought more than 70 hurling mentors together for an interactive learning session at Maynooth University. Pitch-side demonstrations and direct discussions gave participants practical ways to develop players across five areas of the game.
More than 70 hurling coaches gathered at Maynooth University for a sold-out development clinic that put questions and practical demonstrations at the heart of the session.
The panel included Kildare senior manager Brian Dowling, Kildare U20 coach Johnny Enright and Dublin goalkeeping coach Paul Dermody. Their presentations covered defending, attacking, goalkeeping, skill development and athletic development.
Coaches watched from the stand as the experts and players worked on the pitch, with attendees encouraged to discuss the principles and games being demonstrated. Kildare Games Development Administrator John Doran said the format offered an alternative to listening to a talk in a hall.
“What worked really well was that the attendees got to tease things out with the guest speaker,” Doran told GAA.ie. A youth coach, for example, could ask how a particular game might work with an U15 group.
The aim, he said, was to help coaches develop their own thinking rather than simply collect new games. “It worked well and the feedback has been absolutely incredible.”