A weekly section of information for GAA Coach’s
WEEK 1 Wednesday 24th February 2021
Its looking like after the Easter break again we will be back out on the playing fields. So in the meantime we as clubs/coaches have a lot of things to plan organise and deliver between now and then. This lockdown gives every club the opportunity to upskill by completing the Online Foundation Award in Hurling & Football and registering for one of our many GAA coach education webinars.
A Full list of TURAS Player Pathway webinars have been sent to all Clubs and they are also highlighted on social media along with the Microsoft form for registration.
March Coach Education Webinars
NUrsery Dual 4-6 Monday 1st March 7.30pm – 8.30pm
Early Go games 7-9 football wednesday 3rd march 7.30pm – 8.30pm
early go games 7-9 hurling monday 8th march 7.30pm – 8.30pm
late go game 10-11 football wednesday 1oth march 7.30pm – 8.30pm
late go games 10-11 hurling tuesday 16th march 7.30pm – 8.30pm
early teenage 12-13 football thursday 18th match 7.30pm – 8.30pm
early teenage 12-13 hurling monday 22nd march 7.30pm – 8.30pm
mid teenage 14-15 Football wednesday 24th march 7.30pm – 8.30pm
mid teenage 14-15 hurling friday 26th march 7.30pm – 8.30pm
late teenage 16-17 football monday 29th march 7.30pm – 8.30pm
late teenage 16-17 hurling tuesday 30th march 7.30pm – 8.30pm
Courses currently online
Wicklow E-Learning Dual Foundation Ballinakill 2021 053
Wicklow E-Learning Foundation Hurling Ballinakill 2021 052
Wicklow E-Learning Foundation Football Ballinakill 2021 051
Wicklow E-Learning Foundation Football Kilcoole 2021 050
Wicklow E-Learning Dual Foundation Bray 2021 049
Wicklow E-Learning Dual Foundation Eire Og 2021 048
Wicklow E-Learning Foundation Football Tinahely 2021 046
To register for a learning.gaa.ie account, please click here http://learning.gaa.ie/
- Click “Register” in the top left hand corner
- Complete the Registration Form
- If you are asked for “Registration Type” select “Without GAA Membership Number”
- Click “Create My New Account”
- You will be sent an email with a link to “Confirm Your New Account” (This can occasionally go into a Spam Folder)
To enrol on the E-Learning Foundation Course
- Login on http://learning.gaa.ie/
- Read the “Site Policy Agreement” and click “Yes” to continue
- Complete the form with the fields marked with a red asterisk *
- Click “Update Profile”
- You will now be taken back to the home page
- Click the “GAA Courses” tab (this is located at the top of the homepage next to “Planner” & “ePortfolio tabs)
- Click the “Coach” tab
- Click the “Leinster” tab
- Click the “Wicklow” tab
- Click the “E-Learning” tab
- Click on the Wicklow E-Learning Course that you would like to do. (Please select a venue that will suit you when practical takes place)
- Enter the enrolment key “Enrol Me”
- Complete online material over the next few weeks in your own time
- Paul Garrigan will email out practical date to each coach when online material has been completed and restrictions have been lifted
- PLEASE NOTE THAT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE CERTIFICATION YOU MUST ALSO COMPLETE A CHILD SAFEGUARDING COURSE. This course can be arranged through the Children’s Officer in your clubAny issues registering on logging in please contact Paul Garrigan @ paul.garrigan.gda.wicklow@gaa.ie
Organising your Coaching/Management teams.
All clubs should be very busy organising their coaching/management teams for 2021 by keeping a close eye on the safeguarding regulations in regards to 2 coaches to every 10 children in that age group.
GAA Garda vetting
WE HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BY THE NATIONAL GARDA VETTING BUREAU THAT AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED TO AMEND VETTING LEGISLATION THAT WILL STIPULATE THAT THE VETTING CARIED OUT ON AN INDIVIDUAL IN THE GAA AND ELSEWHERE SHALL IN FUTURE HAVE A 3-YR. RECOGNITION PERIOD. To date all recognised vetting organisations had the right to set their own re-vetting period. The GAA, Camogie and LGFA previously agreed a 5 yr. re vetting or recognition period, as per our Code of Behaviour (Underage), and this will now change to a 3-yr. recognition period for our volunteers and staff. This new 3-yr. vetting recognition will apply for all vetting carried out on our behalf for those who work with children, whether it is via the Garda National Vetting Bureau or Access NI.
A similar 3-yr. recognition period applies to all levels of safeguarding training delivered by the Gaelic Games Associations. Clubs must check that all persons, work with children on their behalf, and whose vetting falls outside of this new 3-year time frame, are re-vetted now. Remember it is not permitted for a person to work with children in the GAA unless they have been satisfactorily vetted as per the new 3-year recognition period, have also attended relevant child safeguarding training and have a minimum coaching qualification. If you or any of your colleagues fall into the 3-year time frame and require to be re-vetted please commence this process by completing the Vetting Identification Validation Form, along with required ID Documents, to your Children’s Officer and then proceed to complete the vetting process at https://www.gaa.ie/the-gaa/ child-welfare-and-protection/vetting Until a coach or any other person working with children has been vetted, has attended safeguarding training and has a coaching qualification they are not permitted to work with children in any of the Gaelic Games Associations.
Virtual Safeguarding 1 Workshop
The Virtual Safeguarding 1 Workshop is a live interactive programme, delivered by a Tutor via a virtual classroom platform. Clubs are asked with the assistance of their Children’s Officer to draw up a list of those who require Child Safeguarding 1 training and particularly new coaches who then liaises with the County Children’s Officer, the person responsible for coordinating safeguarding training within the County. The County Children’s Officer will contact Michelle Harte and agree on the available time slots and dates for delivering the workshop. All queries should be forwarded to safeguardingonline@gaa.ie for any Club hosting safeguarding course online the minimum number is 12 coaches.
Online Safeguarding Refresher Programme
The online Safeguarding Refresher programme is always available as an online programme and may be accessed at https://learning.gaa.ie/ safeguardingrefresher. Applicants click in and complete the programme at any time and once completed it has a 3-yr. recognition period.
Looking ahead
Over the coming weeks we will highlight our programmes and activities and structures that have a direct effect on clubs and coach’s in the county. We also invite emails from Wicklow People readers if they would like any topic or area covered in more detail in our “Coach’s News” section. Coaches can email their queries and questions to hugh.kenny.gamesmanager.wicklow@gaa.ie and we can address them by providing the relevant information as the weeks go by.
Thanks to the Wicklow people for giving us this opportunity not only to promote Wicklow GAA but to identify with coaches and provide weekly updates through this section of Coach’s News.
Quote of the week:
A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning. – Billy Jean King Former US Tennis Player
Our GPO in Eire Og Greystones Kevin Spain sent me an email during the week and I think it’s is very fitting that this is included in our first edition of “Coach’s News” see below.
The Dedicated Wicklow GAA Coach – A Philosopher?
Why do you coach? A fundamental question to ask yourself as you prepare for the long-awaited return to GAA pitches around the County. Fundamental perhaps, but when is the last time you considered the question or even better, shared your answer? Let me help you nail it down with a series of questions so you can know your ‘Why’ and with that create your very own Coaching Philosophy to guide your progress and ensure that you are the kind of coach you wish to be.
Who was the coach that you have the fondest memories of during your time as a player? Perhaps there was more than one, although even elite professional athletes will have little difficulty in whittling down the long list of coaches they have had through their careers. So, what was the impact this coach had on you? Did they teach you or take you to your next level? What was it they did that others did not? Was it to challenge you, support you, believe in you or question you? Was it simply that they gave you their time and attention?
How do you coach? As a Dedicated Wicklow GAA coach what are your coaching values? A list of the aspirational coaching values is easy to come by. Fairness, Competitiveness, Integrity, Objectiveness, Relentlessness. But listing what is truly of most value to you as a coach, your highest priorities and living those values as you coach is far more important than claiming aspirational ones. It might be helpful to consider how players would describe your highest priorities as a coach. Consider not only what you demand of players but also what is it you exemplify.
What are you good at in terms of coaching? Perhaps your coaching strengths are, leadership, tactical, personal connection, technical, planning, psychological, conditioning, innovation. Do you employ your true strengths? If you are using other people’s strengths, you may be denying yourself and others the possibility of you getting even better at what you do very well. Know your coaching ‘Super Strength’ and use it unsparingly. Finally, when you coach whose needs do you serve? Is it your own, your fellow coaches, the club, the team or perhaps the needs of the individual players?
The invitation now is to consider the above few questions (actually, quite a few!) and ink what you think. Hone it down to a sentence or two and you now have your very own coaching philosophy, your guiding principles to live by. You can enjoy your coaching by being your authentic self, just like the coach who first came to mind at the start of reading this piece.
Here is a challenge for you as we finish up, if that one coach is still around why not reach out and say thank you to them. Recently I did just that, 30 years after the event.
