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New York GAA Useful Contacts:
Name Role
Michael O Sullivan Hurling Development
Administrator
Simon Gillespie Games Development
Officer
John Riordan PRO
Contact No
(646) 431 – 0600
(914) 573 – 8761
(917) 767 – 2362
Email hurling@newyorkgaa.com nygaagdo@gmail.com
PRO@newyorkgaa.com

Coaching Information & Pointers:
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Try identify the number of children you will have, this helps determine how many helpers you will need. Ideally it should be at most 8-10 kids per 1 adult/helper.
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Plan your session (See attached Session Template) – This ensures the session runs on time and you and the other coaches know who is doing what, for how long, etc.
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It is important to keep the session fun. From experience, children at under 8 have a short attention span so it is important to keep them interested. Drills should be short, easy to understand and have quick, simple variations.
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When introducing a warm up activity, hurling drill or game it is vital that we use the IDEA
Concept. That is;
 Introduce: Introduce the game/drill
 Demonstrate: Demonstrate the skill, what is expected
 Execute: Execute the activity
 Attend: Attend to the drill/game, and provide feedback.
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It is important that when using the IDEA and throughout the session, we use age appropriate
language. Remember that these are not adults
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All feedback should be positive: “Well Done”, “Good Effort”. Try not to use phrases such as
“Unlucky” or “Hard Luck”.
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When adding variations or changing the difficulty of a drill, follow the STEP Principle:
 S = Space
 T = Task
 E = Equipment
 P = Players
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Each player should get 200+ touches in each session.
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This is why we should not have large numbers in groups, keep groups to 3 or 4 at a max
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Warm ups should incorporate the ball, this is where some coaches (at all levels) fall down
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Refer to the New York GAA Hurling Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD) Plan to ensure that the kids are training the correct physical and hurling specific skills.

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NY GAA Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD) Plan For Under Age Hurling/Camogie
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Developing Agility, Balance, Co-ordination (ABC’s)
Developing Running, Jumping, Throwing (RJT’s)
Catching & Striking
Fun Warm Up Games
Basic Hurling Skills (Dribbling, catch, ground strike)
Incorporate correct hurling grip through out
Small sided games
Use bigger sliothars, tennis balls, bean bags, etc. to develop fundamentals quicker
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Further development of FMS (fundamental mov’t skills)
Learning of overall sport specific skills
Player:Ball Ratio = 3:1
Introducing basic flexibility/stretching work
Warm up: dynamic, agility, quickness, change of directions
Warm downs: static
Introduce & develop knowledge of warm ups/downs, hydration, etc.
Small sided, conditioned games preferred
150+ touches per person per session
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More importance on sport specific skills
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Ball work should be priority
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Player:Ball Ratio = 2:1
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Mix of Conditioned Games & Structured Games
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Position specific training
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Flexibility training becomes very important due to growth spurts.
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200+ touchers per person per session
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*** Consult this Plan to ensure that your session is in the right phase of training, and incorporates the areas related to that phase

Warm Ups:
Why do a warm up?
 Prepares the body for physical activity
 Warms and loosens the muscles up
 Prevents Injuries
 Helps coach to get the players to focus in on the session
What should my warm up include?
 Dynamic movements such as high knees, heel flicks, one legged hops, kangaroo jumps
 Dynamic stretches such as lunges, squats, hamstring kicks, etc.
 Static stretches can be used but only hold them for 3-4 seconds
 Warm ups should include the ball as much as possible. Aim is 150+ touches on the ball!
Sample Warm Up:
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Mark out a square grid (15mx15m)
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Simple enough to start -> get the players jogging in and around the square, changing directions all the time
Try to avoid them running in straight lines around the square
Coach calls a movement; high knees, one legged hops, etc.
Introduce balls: start with hand passing to another player, get them to call the name of who is receiving.
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Change to roll lift, jab lift, etc.
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Mix in some dynamic stretches (table below) (no need to go overboard with the stretching!)
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Should talk 8-10 minutes in total
Sample Stretches:
Muscle
Hamstring
Quadricep
Groin
Calves
Type of Stretch
Dynamic
Dynamic
Dynamic
Dynamic
Name/Position
Straight leg kicks
Lunges
Over the fence
Tip toes, rocking
Length/Sets
8 kicks/2 times each leg
8 Lunges/2 times
6 each leg, 2 times
10 times, 2 sets

Upper Body
Upper Body
Dynamic
Dynamic
Shoulder rolls
Arm Rotations
10-15 secs fast,2 times
10-15 secs fast, 2 times
Paired Exercises:
Before going into the next stage of the session and if time permits, maybe set up a couple of paired exercises with the ball
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Set up like above, or even a shorter distance than 20m
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First exercise could be strikes on the ground to your partner for 30s/60s
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Progress to striking to hand
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Shorten the distance to the 5m and make it into handpass
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Change over onto non-dominant side/hand for all drills
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Get them to move off the spot, and do the exercises on the run
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This is the perfect filler exercise if the coach needs time to set up the next drill/session
5 minutes of this will result in 50-60 touches on the ball per player!

Gaining Possession

Maintaining Possession

Releasing Possession

Contesting Possession

Wall Ball Exercises - Tips
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Keep Groups Small (2-3 per group)
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Mark out “lanes” for each group
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Wall Ball Exercises are to improve touch so use the ball at all times
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Use dominant and non dominant in all drills
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Use short handed grip
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Practice the basic skills such striking, catching, batting
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Keep the drills short (5 mins per drill) so the quality is good
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Small races are good: 60sec to see how many strikes, catches, hand passes, etc. off the wall
Benefits of Wall Ball Exercises
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No negativity
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The wall is your coach – follow the wall
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The ball has to come back
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Satisfaction in striking off a wall
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Increased amount of touches (200+ is our goal per session)
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Improves technique
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Improves reactions and reflexes
Basic Drills
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Strike low off the wall and pick up
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Strike off the wall and catch
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Handpass of the wall and catch
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Strike off the wall, partner runs in and picks up and strikes off the wall
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Handpass off the wall to partner
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Strike high off the wall for partner to over head catch
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One touch flicks off the wall
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Remember to vary each drill – shorter or longer distance, non dominant side/hand only, etc.

Conditioned Activities & Games
Activities

Notes
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