Coach's Lab with John Murphy

In this episode, we dive deep into a controversial topic in youth coaching: Should young players, particularly U14 to Minor, engage in isolated conditioning — running without the ball?

We explore:

• How background and past experiences shape coaching opinions

• Survey results from coaches, parents, and athletes

• Why context — not tradition — should dictate your conditioning choices

• The hidden cost of focusing on fitness over skill development

• How to support multi-sport players without overloading them

• When isolated running might be beneficial (and how to frame it positively)

• Real stories from coaching mistakes and lessons learned

• Why balancing fitness, skill, and tactical awareness is key to long-term success

👉 Whether you’re a GAA coach, a parent, or a sports educator, this episode will help you make better decisions that truly support young athletes' development — not just in fitness, but in their future careers too.

In part 2 of the conversation with Petey, we looked at how he has redefined success in youth sport.

In his time as Director of Rugby at Terenure College, he has seen huge improvements in the amount of players taking up and being retained in Rugby as they've reduced the focus on winning trophies at younger ages.

We discussed the main changes he has made which have led to numerous benefits across the entire school.

In part 1 of the discussion with Petey Shaw, we dive into his PhD research on the plight of multi-sport youth athletes in Ireland.

We hear so much about the benefits of playing a wide range of sports but what are the specific benefits and what, if any, are the drawbacks or consequences.

Be sure to tune in next week where we look at optimal environments for youth sports and how we can redefine success for underage sports teams.

I'm joined by a man with an extensive background across a range of sports including GAA, Basketball & Aussie Rules. Kevin Mulcahy has a wealth of experience in coaching the physical, technical and tactical of many codes. He has deep understanding of how they all impact on each other which has led to him becoming a thought leader in the planning of coaching across both the short and long term.

The Coaching Cohort Free Trial link: https://design_the_game.circle.so/join?invitation_token=d441047cd5b673946faf7969ab7a9d57783edb9e-93cd6c30-a732-4130-a237-188adc5ba2c6

Ballyhoura Strength & Socialise Class for rural men [Charleville GAA] |  [Starting April 9th 2025]  
No fancy gear needed—just bring yourself!
Let’s get moving together—because staying strong means staying independent. 
Would you or someone you know benefit? Fill out the Google form below or send it to people you think who has a male family member or friend that would benefit. 
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScuIIQjaRHtGmN2y6GB3daMVQU9cJ4mevqdf_3Y_VOQPPbwkQ/viewform?usp=dialog
Or Contact Aoife at 0862063411 or email at [email protected]

Three questions answered in a little bit of depth.

Would Hyrox or Crossfit benefit GAA performance?

Are Drink Bans beneficial for GAA teams?

How can S&Cs strike a balance between physical prep and hurling skills?

If you want to book in for a consultation call or have questions answered on the podcast: [email protected]

The Future Leaders is the largest Transition Year programme in Ireland. It started when Eoghan Hanley (the man behind a movement) wanted to involve a whole TY Year group in a tournament for 1st and 2nd Year hurlers. 10 years later and 10s of thousands of students have developed invaluable skills in nutrition, journalism, photography, coaching, refereeing, performance analysis, wellbeing and so much more.

Hear how it all started, some of the main highlights and plans for future evolution.

https://www.instagram.com/gaafutureleader/

Having worked with countless players and teams across ages and levels, 4 issues or mistakes keep cropping up. Today I discuss what they are, implications of each one and, most importantly, how we can try to prevent them from happening.

If you'd like any nutrition questions answered or want to schedule a nutrition consultancy call, just email [email protected]

Dr Emma Cowley is a post-doctoral researcher at TUS focusing on closing the gender data gap. She has authored numerous academic publications looking at the gap in sport science research between males and females. Her current role seeks to close that gap and increase the amount of sport science research conducted, specifically on the island of Ireland.

Following a query from a coach during the week I discussed how we can use Self Determination Theory in our coaching.

SDT is one of the most popular theories of motivation and can be used to enhance both intrinsic motivation and wellbeing in our players.

This podcast explains what SDT is and gives examples of how we can utilise it in our coaching.

Karol Dillon is an experienced Gaelic Football coach from Kerry and coming near the end of his PhD studies looking at bilateral, or two-sided, Gaelic Footballers.

We look at:

- how common it is to truly use both sides in Gaelic Football or LGFA

- How coaches and parents can support the development of both sides

- The importance of environment and motivation when trying develop the weaker or non-dominant side in players

- Why it's never too late to improve your weaker side