Coach's Lab with John Murphy

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In this episode of Coach's Lab, I sit down with Peter Wright of Petey Performance to discuss one of the most challenging aspects of coaching and athletic development: helping players return from injury and preparing them for the demands of competition.

Pete has built a reputation working with Gaelic Games athletes and other field sport players, helping bridge the gap between rehabilitation and performance. This conversation explores how coaches, physios and S&C practitioners can better prepare athletes for the realities of training and match play after injury.

Who this podcast is for:

• GAA coaches
• S&C coaches
• Physiotherapists and sports therapists
• Athletic development coaches
• Players returning from injury
• Coaches responsible for player welfare and availability

What the podcast covers:

• Return to play vs return to performance
• Building effective return-to-running progressions
• Reintroducing speed and high-speed running
• Preparing athletes for the demands of training and competition
• Criteria-based rehabilitation
• Conditioning during injury recovery
• Managing recurring soft tissue injuries
• The role of diagnosis in rehabilitation planning
• Collaboration between coaches, physios and athletes
• Health, body composition and injury risk
• Why micro-dosing speed and plyometrics can be valuable year-round

Pete's podcast:
The Athlete's Advantage Podcast

Follow Pete:
Instagram: @peteyperformance

A practical episode for anyone looking to better understand the journey from injury rehabilitation back to confident, high-level performance.

In this episode of Coach’s Lab, I’m joined by Darren Lewis, performance analysis consultant and researcher at Atlantic Technological University, to discuss his recently published paper proposing the ACE Model of Video-Based Feedback Design.

Darren has worked in professional rugby and consultancy roles across multiple sports, with a particular interest in how video analysis and feedback can better support learning, decision-making and performance.

This conversation explores how coaches and analysts can move beyond simply “showing clips” and instead design more effective, athlete-centred feedback sessions.

Who this podcast is for:

• GAA coaches

• Performance analysts

• S&C coaches

• PE teachers and coach educators

• Coaches using video feedback in team sports

• Anyone interested in coaching, learning and skill acquisition

What the podcast covers:

• The ACE model explained

• Designing effective video-based feedback sessions

• Athlete-centred vs coach-centred approaches

• Improving player engagement and discussion

• Key messages, questioning and scaffolding

• Positive vs negative feedback and athlete confidence

• Evaluating whether feedback sessions actually work

• Opposition analysis vs focusing on your own team

• Transfer of learning from meetings to match performance

• Video analysis in youth sport

• The future impact of AI on performance analysis

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Full paper discussed in this episode:
The ACE Model of Video-Based Feedback Design

Join my weekly coaching & performance email list:
https://fhs-performance.kit.com/4d8709e773

What does physical preparation look like inside two of the best club teams in Ireland?

In this episode of Coach’s Lab, I’m joined by Shane O'Rourke (Dingle) and Darragh Mulcahy (Ballygunner), the strength & conditioning coaches behind the reigning All-Ireland club football and hurling champions.

We discuss how elite club teams manage:

• Conditioning and athletic development

• Gym integration within busy club schedules

• County player management

• Recovery and load monitoring

• Second team fixtures and player availability

• Aerobic conditioning, speed and repeat sprint work

• Communication across the backroom team

• Building player buy-in and long-term trust

This is a practical conversation about the realities of club GAA and how successful teams balance performance, workload and preparation across long seasons.

A valuable listen for GAA coaches, S&C coaches, athletic development coaches and players interested in high-performance club environments.

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What do kids actually need from sport — and are we getting it wrong?

In this episode of Coach’s Lab, I sit down with Colman Noctor, child and adolescent psychotherapist, to explore the role sport plays in the psychological, social and emotional development of young people.

We move beyond drills, fitness and results to look at the real impact coaching has on children, and how small changes in approach can shape their long-term experience in sport.

We discuss:

• What children need from sport at different ages
• The balance between fun, development and competition
• Why more kids are dropping out of sport
• The influence of parents, coaches and environment
• Coaching your own child and managing expectations
• What to say (and not say) after games

A thought-provoking episode for coaches, parents, teachers and anyone involved in youth sport, focused on creating environments where kids can enjoy, develop and stay involved for life.

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How you coach — and why you do what you do — often matters more than the programme itself.

In this episode, I’m joined by Orlaith Curran, Head of Athletic Performance for Women’s Sevens and Pathway in the IRFU, to explore what really matters when working with female athletes.

Rather than getting caught up in exercises or session plans, this conversation focuses on the bigger picture — coaching approach, communication, environment and understanding the athlete in front of you.

We discuss:

• Why the “how” and “why” matter more than the “what”
• Key considerations when training female athletes
• Differences in volume, intensity and conditioning demands
• Injury risk, athletic development and pathway structures
• The importance of education, buy-in and player understanding
• Building environments that support performance and development

A practical and thought-provoking episode for GAA, rugby and field sport coaches, S&C practitioners, and anyone working with female athletes.

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📥 Resources discussed in this episode:
Meaning in Youth Sport (MiYS): https://www.mic.ul.ie/sites/default/files/uploads/639/Getting%20Started%20with%20MiYS%202023%20ENG%20fnl.pdf
Voice & Choice in PE: https://www.irishprimarype.com/student-voice-in-pe/
Drowning in the Shallow – The 3Ps: https://drowningintheshallow.wordpress.com/2026/02/22/the-3ps-that-underpin-meaningful-pe/

What makes a meaningful experience in sport?

In this episode, we explore how coaches can move beyond drills and results to focus on what really matters — player experience, engagement and long-term participation.

We discuss key ideas from Meaningful Experiences in Youth Sport (MiYS), along with practical concepts like voice and choice and the 3Ps framework, and how they can be applied in real coaching environments.

We cover:

• What players actually remember from sport

• How to create engaging and enjoyable sessions

• The role of autonomy and player voice

• Balancing challenge and enjoyment

• Practical ways to improve your coaching sessions

A valuable listen for coaches, teachers, parents and anyone working with young athletes looking to create more impactful and meaningful sporting experiences.

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Should underage players be streamed by ability in Gaelic Games?

In this episode, I’m joined by David Moran, postdoctoral researcher at DCU and coach developer, to explore one of the most debated topics in youth sport — ability grouping and streaming in underage teams.

We discuss research examining the experiences of players, parents and coaches in clubs that stream players at U13, U15 and U17 level. Rather than framing streaming as simply “good” or “bad,” the conversation focuses on how it is implemented and the impact it can have on player development, challenge, belonging and motivation.

We cover:

• Why streaming is becoming more common in large clubs

• Potential benefits of appropriate challenge and stable teams

• The risks of rigid streaming structures

• Movement between teams and maintaining development opportunities

• Resource allocation across A, B and C teams

• Differences in boys’ and girls’ experiences

• Why lower-tier teams still care deeply about competing and winning

A thought-provoking conversation for coaches, club leaders, parents and coach developers navigating how best to structure underage teams in growing clubs.

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What can GAA coaches learn from elite track & field?

In this episode, I’m joined by Colm Bourke — National Indoor Long Jump Champion, coach, and host of the Track & Field Performance Podcast — to explore how sprinting and jumping principles can improve speed, power and physical preparation in team sports.

We discuss:

• Acceleration vs max velocity and how to structure speed training

• Why sprint sessions should prioritise intent over aesthetics

• Strength training: when it supports speed and when it can blunt it

• Pairing gym work with track sessions

• Profiling athletes (elastic vs force-dominant types)

• Conditioning power athletes without killing explosiveness

• Planning microcycles and building from general to specific

• The importance of reflection and coaching philosophy

This is a practical conversation for GAA, LGFA and Camogie coaches looking to sharpen their approach to speed development and weekly planning.

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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

📲 Follow Paul on Instagram: @paul_bespokecoaching

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.