From the Coaching Manual
Talking Balls Comments
Inspirational words for the next generation From Gaelic Football Skills by Michael O’Sullivan.
“While playing, the young player may release such feelings as frustration, insecurity, fear, bewilderment and confusion. By playing out these feelings, he brings them to the surface, gets them out into the open, faces them, learns to control them and abandons them. Through participation the player can become emotionally stable, mature and capable of controlling his emotions in a game situation.”
Talking Balls came upon this classic volume when we were reddin out the attic and by God we’re happy we did. To clarify things a bit we thought the following pointers may help you deal with these tell-tale signs:
Frustration: player may throw his hurley over the wire, pull on the medical bag or even his strike his own helmet; often this emotion can lead to an assault on an opponent. Commentators often refer to players getting frustrated as an excuse for inexcusable stupidity.
Insecurity: the young player may feign injury or even call in sick to school to avoid playing a game; he/she may say ‘if I don’t play well in midfield can you put me back to corner forward’; other symptoms include tears after missing a score usually accompanied by verbal abuse of the ‘you’re a useless f***in so and so etc’ sort. Best addressed by avoiding excessive critical abuse and coaches laying off the sports psychology they picked up from reading too many sports autobiographies. Rule of thumb: Amateur psychologists = professional arses.
Fear: generally brought on by playing in a grade too far above them or by marking a big lump of a fella who would break one of your lad’s spindly legs with a flick of his thumb. Fear can be caused by unsporting comments like ‘I’ll break you if you touch that ball again…’ There can also be a fear to tackle, shoot, block or even catch the ball. Natural lack of aggression or competitiveness can lead to the player being branded a yella b**tard. Now we wouldn’t want that would we?
Bewilderment: always good to touch on this in your team talk at half-time lest your players kick the ball the road they were facing in the first half as soon as they get possession from the throw-in. ‘Don’t be bewildered now lads…’ isn’t heard that often in dressing rooms but it should be. Can also be brought on by a clash with the big opposing full back or by marking a player whose boots they couldn’t even lace. Some players can go through an entire season looking bewildered. This is caused by bewilderment.
Confusion: most commonly occurs after the pre-match team talk or after being told they are coming on as a sub. ‘Am I right corner forward or left corner forward’ (as if it matters). This player has usually satisfied him or herself with the prospect of an evening kicking the ball up and down the sidelines with the other nine subs until faced with the terrifying prospect of actually playing. Bad coaches breed confusion.
If you can successfully identify these symptoms in your young players and deal with them the players will become emotionally stable, mature and capable of controlling his emotions in a game situation. Remember though, the potentially disastrous consequences if you fail? Your players will turn out just like every other GAA player the length and breadth of the country. Now that’s a price worth paying isn’t it?
Next week, from the Coaching Manual – encouraging young players by bringing them to county games and discussing what they have seen. I bet you can’t wait to read that one?
