Ulster GAA Level 3 Diploma Courses
The Ulster GAA in partnership with OCNNI will be running two fully accredited courses in autumn 2011. These Diploma Courses in GAA Performance Sports Coaching and GAA Sports Management will be pitched at the same difficulty and complexity as A-Level or Leaving Cert. The objective is to reward the hard work undertaken by many volunteers in clubs and schools and provide them with the opportunity to bring this into a formal qualification. In times of economic hardship and unemployment, the GAA Club environment can help people develop new skills and competencies that they can use when seeking employment.
Our long term vision is to have a number of mandatory units / modules that we Ulster GAA offer our volunteers. These will build into certificates in respective areas. If the volunteer over time takes a number of these they can begin to build a qualification at level 3 / 4 by taking these mandatory modules and then by accessing further optional modules that exist within the Qualifications Credit Framework. This we envisage would potentially build into a “Degree in GAA Related Studies”.
These courses will be held on a weekly basis in the evening time in Armagh, day to be confirmed. Level 3 Diploma in GAA Performance Sports Coaching will be run pre-Christmas while Ulster GAA Team Management Programme will be held in the New Year.
Applications for the Diploma in GAA Performance Sports Coaching are now open and should be returned by Tuesday 27th September 2011.
Level 3 Diploma in GAA Performance Sports Coaching
Preparation for performance in Gaelic Games has moved on considerable in recent years to incorporate many new technologies and approaches to preparing players and teams. This programme pulls together the key components involved in planning and implementing a successful yearly plan.
This programme is being delivered to meet the increasing needs of coaches who want to coach at the top level within club, college and county team structures. It recognises that these GAA Coaches need to be skilled up in all aspects of coaching, mentoring and sport education.
This interactive programme is being delivered by GAA and Coaching Ireland Qualified Tutors and practicing managers and the subject areas will evolve around the following topics. This programme provides the basis to build further qualifications that are currently being delivered to volunteers. See table below:
| Mandatory Module | GAA Performance Sports Coaching | Credits |
| Unit 1 | Building for Team Success | 10 |
| Unit 2 | Planning and Periodisation | 10 |
| Unit 3 | Technology and Physical Preparation | 10 |
| Unit 4 | Strategies for Improving Performance | 10 |
Ulster GAA Team Management Programme
This programme is being delivered at the request of coaches who have made the transition from coach to manager. It recognises that coaching and managing have significant similarities but it also recognises that they are different. The series of workshops will take the coach/manager through a programme that will help explore the critical managerial areas to help develop understanding, competencies and abilities to apply critical thinking, problem solving and decision making skills.
This interactive programme is being delivered by GAA and Coaching Ireland Qualified Tutors and practicing managers and the subject areas will evolve around the following topics. This programme provides the basis to build further qualifications that are currently being delivered to volunteers. See table below:
| Mandatory | GAA Sports Management | Credits (36 – 40) |
| Unit 1 | Making Plans and Decisions in Sports Contexts | 10 |
| Unit 2 | Building Team Success | 10 |
| Unit 3 | Managing Change and Conflict | 10 |
| Unit 4 | Role of the Manager in the Sports Context | 10 |
It is envisaged that candidates applying for these two courses will need to have a minimum of Award 1 and be actively involved with their adult club, college or county team. See application form below. (Application Forms for the Team Management Course will be available pre-Christmas).
