Integrating New Players, Load Management & What GAA Can Learn From Rugby? - Donnacha Mulcahy
Sign up for my free weekly GAA coaching insights here:👉 https://fhs-performance.kit.com/4d8709e773In this episode of Coach’s Lab, Dr John Murphy is joined by Donnacha Mulcahy, Lecturer in Strength & Conditioning at TUS and S&C Coach with the Tipperary Senior Hurling and Football teams.Donnacha has worked across GAA, rugby, and schools rugby systems, giving him a unique view of what connects and separates elite sport, youth development, and coach education in Ireland.Together we discuss:🏋️♂️ Integrating new players into adult panels and managing different training ages📊 Monitoring load, jump testing, and profiling in intercounty squads⚡ Preparing underage athletes for the physical demands of senior sport🔄 Lessons GAA can learn from rugby’s structured coach-education model🤝 How to balance theory, experience, and enjoyment in S&C🧠 Why “keeping it simple” often delivers the best resultsDonnacha’s blend of academic insight and on-the-ground coaching experience makes this one a must-listen for anyone serious about athlete development in Gaelic Games.Follow Coach’s Lab for more conversations on Gaelic Games, coaching, youth development, and applied sports science.#GAA #StrengthAndConditioning #Coaching #AthleteDevelopment #SportsScience #GaelicFootball #Hurling
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Building Athletes for the Game, Not the Gym | Stephen Walsh
📩 Sign up for my free weekly GAA coaching insights here:👉 https://fhs-performance.kit.com/4d8709e773Follow Stephen Walsh:📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sw_elite/🏋️ Atlas High Performance Gym: https://www.atlashpc.ie/In this episode of Coach’s Lab, I’m joined by Stephen Walsh – S&C coach and owner of Atlas High Performance in Limerick. Stephen works with athletes across 14+ sports, from GAA to soccer, Irish dancing to golf, and shares how he applies simple, effective training principles to very different contexts.We cover:🏋️ Stephen’s gym session framework and why it works across multiple sports⚡ The balance between general athletic development and sport-specific training👟 Practical examples: sprint prep, plyos, loaded jumps, strength & resilience work📈 How to individualise training without overcomplicating it🤝 The role of collaboration, coach education, and creating sustainable pathways for athletes and coachesWhether you’re a coach, athlete, or parent, you’ll take away practical ideas for structuring sessions, avoiding over-specialisation, and building athletic qualities that transfer to the pitch (or stage).🔔 Don’t forget to follow the show for more conversations on Gaelic Games, S&C, coaching, and youth development.#GAA #StrengthAndConditioning #Coaching #AthleteDevelopment #SportsScience
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How Skills Really Develop in Gaelic Games | Philip O’Callaghan
Weekly GAA Coaching insights (my list): https://fhs-performance.kit.com/4d8709e773Philip’s newsletter (skill acquisition + practice design): https://mrtenniscoach.substack.com/How do players really develop skill in Gaelic Games? In this episode, Skill Acquisition expert Philip O’Callaghan joins me to unpack the science and practice of learning.We explore:Why skills are best understood as problem-solvingHow to design training that truly represents the gameThe Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) explained in plain languageWhen to use opposed vs unopposed practiceIsolating “slices” of the game to accelerate learningPhilip shares practical examples coaches can apply straight away — from shaping small-sided games to tweaking constraints that bring skills to life.If you coach Hurling or Gaelic Football, this conversation gives you a clear framework to design sessions that create smarter, more adaptable players.#GAA #Coaching #SkillAcquisition #ConstraintsLedApproach #EcologicalDynamics #PracticeDesign
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Practical Agility Training for Hurling & Football w Paul Talty
👉 Sign up for weekly GAA Coaching insights here: https://fhs-performance.kit.com/4d8709e773Agility is more than just running around cones. In this episode, I chat with Paul Talty — S&C coach and PhD researcher on Change of Direction and Agility in Gaelic Games.We cover:The real difference between change of direction and agilityWhy decision-making and anticipation matter as much as speedKey findings from Paul’s research on Gaelic FootballHow coaches can prepare players for sharp cuts, turns and 1v1 battlesPaul has coached with the Mayo Senior Footballers, worked across top GAA clubs, and spent 5 years as Head of Performance with Swim Ireland, travelling to two Olympic Games.This episode blends science, coaching, and practical takeaways for anyone serious about improving agility in Hurling or Football.#GAA #Coaching #Agility #StrengthAndConditioning
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Fuelling All-Ireland Champions | John O’Connor, Target Nutrition
How do All-Ireland winning GAA players actually fuel themselves — not just with protein and carbs, but with the habits, systems and support that make eating well possible?In this episode of Coach’s Lab, I chat with John O’Connor (Target Nutritionist & Kerry Senior Football nutritionist) about how he helps players eat better in real-world environments.We discuss:Why behaviour change is more important than nutrition factsBuilding structures & routines that stickThe role of caterers, coaches, physios & parents in fuelling playersPractical, low-budget ideas for clubs to improve post-training nutritionHelping young players and families build long-term eating habitsThis isn’t about grams of protein or fancy supplements — it’s about realistic strategies coaches, parents, and players can use to make nutrition work.Join my free email list for weekly coaching, nutrition & performance tips in GAA: https://fhs-performance.kit.com/4d8709e773You can find john on Instagram: @target.nutrition
Ireland