Ulster GAA Elite Camp 2009
The Annual Ulster GAA 3 day Elite camp took place from the 29th June to the 1st July in the Sports Science facilities of the University of Ulster, Jordanstown.
The camp brought together 90 (Under 16) players in total, forty five from each code of Football and Hurling, which were made up of the most promising players from each of the 9 counties in Ulster.
Throughout the duration of the camp, the players benefited from the knowledge and expertise of the SINI staff in Jordanstown as well as some of the top coaches in today’s game, while simultaneously gaining access to the world class facilities that are in the University.
The players are afforded the opportunity to improve their own knowledge in different areas which will ultimately enable them to improve their own game, such as:
- Movement Competencies & Running Techniques
- Nutrition/Hydration
- Fitness Testing
- Core Stability/Speed & Flexibility/Injury Prevention
- Ice Baths
- Lifestyle issues
- Dynamic Warm-Ups
- Skills Test
In addition, the players were videoed performing a range of different skills based tasks, such as blocking, kicking, striking, lifting and catching. They immediately got video feedback and then went and performed the skill again to improve in the areas required.
On top of that, there were field based sessions were players were accessed on different skills and then developed. Areas such as Support play on and off the Ball, Attacking/Defensive Play, Striking, Catching/Breaking Ball, Tackling/Blocking, Hooking, Lifting and Goalkeeping Skills were covered (3 goalkeepers)
Also there were Small/Full Sided games were some players had Heart Rate Monitors and GPS Tracking Systems attached and later they got feedback on how hard they worked as well as the areas of the pitch they covered.
Each year, we also invite a leading figure within the world of Gaelic Games to come and give a talk to the players. Past camps have seen Kieran Mc Geeney, Terence Mc Naughton, Sean Cavanagh and Peter Canavan and this year we had the honour of having Neill McManus who indeed was on the camp himself a few years ago and like our past speakers he gave the players some food for thought by describing what he feels it takes to get you to the top.
Indicative of the effect that these camps have on our youth of today is provided when alot of the past ‘pupils of the camp have gone on to represent their county at minor, U21 and even at Senior levels. Indeed, one of them, Niall Mc Parland who is a currant Down minor football player was reflecting recently on his own experiences in the camp last year
