Coach's Lab with John Murphy

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How do you condition players so they’re fit enough for the game — without leaving them cooked, flat, or under-recovered?
In this episode, I’m joined by Ciaran Boyle, S&C coach with Tipperary Senior Camogie, to discuss a more individualised approach to conditioning using speed-endurance profiling and micro-dosing speed.
We cover:
Why one-size-fits-all conditioning often fails

Speed-based, endurance-based and hybrid player profiles

MAS, Max Sprint Speed and Anaerobic Speed Reserve explained simply

Why two players with the same MAS can respond very differently

How to manage different profiles within the same squad

Micro-dosing speed to maintain performance in-season

Straight-line vs curved sprinting and progression

Managing load, recovery and congested schedules

A practical conversation for GAA, Camogie and LGFA coaches looking to improve fitness while keeping players healthy and available.

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How well are young athletes actually supported to fuel themselves properly?
In this episode, I’m joined by Paul O’Sullivan, performance nutritionist working with the Cork senior hurlers and across underage and development squads. We move beyond calorie counts and food lists to talk about habits, behaviour change, and the environments young athletes grow up in.
We discuss:
Why adolescence places huge energy demands on athletes

Common fuelling mistakes in teenage players

Why carbohydrates are often under-fuelled

Protein myths in youth sport

Eating around the school day and busy training schedules

The role of parents in shaping positive nutrition behaviours

Avoiding diet culture and harmful language with young athletes

Teaching cooking and food prep skills

Supplements, body composition and safeguarding

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This episode is essential listening for parents, coaches, S&C practitioners and teachers working with young athletes who want to support performance without creating anxiety around food.

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Lavin’s Game Sense Coaching resources: https://www.gamesensecoaching.com/
What is Game Sense — and how do coaches actually develop it?
In this episode, I’m joined by the Lavin brothers, creators of the Game Sense Coaching framework, to break down how games-based coaching improves decision-making, skill execution, and understanding in Gaelic Games.
We discuss:
What Game Sense really means beyond the buzzword

Why skills must be learned in game-like contexts

Using Whole–Part–Whole through games, not drills

How to design better games using space, numbers and rules

Common mistakes in games-based coaching

The coach behaviours that matter most: observation, questioning and restraint

A practical, coach-friendly conversation for anyone working in GAA, schools or youth sport who wants to design better sessions and develop smarter players.

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How do we combine strength, speed, skill, and decision-making in a way that actually transfers to the game? In this episode, I chat with Stephen Casey, an S&C coach and skill acquisition practitioner working across GAA and rugby, to explore the messy reality of performance.
We discuss:
• Why siloed training often fails to improve match performance
• Agility as a decision-making challenge, not a cone drill
• When strength work improves kicking… and when it won’t
• Using constraints to improve skill, agility & game understanding
• Why racing & chasing develops speed better than most drills
• KPIs (MAS, CMJ, 0–10m, GPS) — useful or misleading?
• How to design games that develop physical, technical & tactical qualities
• The importance of individualising training instead of chasing generic numbers
A brilliant episode for any coach trying to blend S&C, skill acquisition and game-based coaching into one coherent model.

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What separates good coaches from truly great ones?
In this episode, I’m joined by Paul Kilgannon, Coach Developer and Performance Consultant, to explore the building blocks of coaching craft: your philosophy, your skills, your tools, and how you influence the people around you.
We discuss:
Why simplicity is a superpower in coaching

Coaching skills vs coaching tools — and how to use each properly

How to shape your coaching philosophy (“This Is Me”)

Designing purposeful sessions, questions, games & conversations

Backroom teams: roles, relationships and psychological safety

Reflective practice — how to genuinely improve as a coach

What’s undervalued and overrated in modern coaching

If you coach in GAA or any sport, this episode will help you rethink how you plan, communicate, and build the environments where athletes learn and perform.