Coach Development Programme (CDP) Webinar & Practical Workshop Programme 2023-24

October 26th, 2023

Ulster GAA has unveiled a new schedule of coaching webinars and workshops taking place over the coming few months.

The Coach Development Programme (CDP) Webinar & Practical Workshop Programme 2023-24 will explore a broad range of topics across GAA Coaching & Games and will be delivered by a variety of coaching experts.

The webinars/workshops will be free to access via MS Teams, and details of how to register are below.

What Elite GAA Players Expect (And Don’t Expect) at Half-Time – Eamon Devlin

7.30pm, Wednesday 22nd November 2023

This webinar will look at half-time lessons for coaches, including tips, traps and things to certainly avoid during half-time in games

Based on the first-ever psychological research study on GAA half-times, ‘The Elite Players’ Perspective: A Qualitative Study of Half-Time Talks in Football’.

Eamon Devlin is a coach who has worked with Armagh GAA and Hertfordshire GAA. He is a founder of Minute9, helping coaches deliver winning half-time team talks. Eamon is also a researcher of half-time talks in Gaelic Football and other sports.

Challenge Based Coaching – Philip Kerr

7.30pm, Wednesday 29th November 2023

This webinar will look at how reframing something as a challenge rather than a problem can always be refreshing. Players get to discuss, to agree and to experiment on the pitch. Coaches get to step back and learn.

Philip Kerr is a GAA Coach, tutor & author who has worked with different age groups at club, school and county level for over 30 years.

Sports Psychology for GAA Coaches – Dr. Noel Brick

7.30pm, Wednesday 14th February 2024

This webinar will focus on the role of sport psychology to develop a positive team environment. The session will introduce core psychological skills and explore how we can use sport psychology to improve performance and maximise wellbeing.

Dr Noel Brick, PhD, is a lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Ulster University. He is a Chartered Psychologist with the BPS and a Registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). His research focuses on psychological strategies that improve sporting performance and mental health in sport. Noel also has applied experience as a sport and exercise psychologist in range of performance settings, including Gaelic games at both club and inter-county levels.

Attacking Play in Gaelic Football – Mark Doran

7.45pm, Wednesday 13th March 2024

Mid Ulster Sports Arena, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, BT80 8SA

This outdoor practical session will look at creating one-vs-one scenarios inside the scoring zone and creating separation for your marquee players.

Mark Doran is a former Down county footballer who went onto coach Down U21 and Senior teams. At club level, he has managed Castlewellan to two Down Division 1 Leagues, and Ballybay to the Monaghan SFC title in 2022. Most recently Mark coached Clare senior footballers in 2022, helping them reach their first Muster SFC Final in 12 years. He currently manages the Slaughtneil senior footballers in Derry.

Back to Basics for Goalkeeping – Liam Swift

7.45pm, Wednesday 20th March 2024

Mid Ulster Sports Arena, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, BT80 8SA

This outdoor practical session will include how to coach your goalkeepers the fundamentals including footwork, handling, basic shot-stopping techniques, high ball positioning and communication.

Liam Swift is an experienced goalkeeping coach over 14 years with Monaghan, Tyrone, Dublin, Fermanagh and Leitrim teams. He has experience of coaching both men’s and ladies’ codes.