Pathways to the Future

Body

Proposals for Implementation of the Pathways Report

Context
Kilmacud Crokes Ladies Football is one of the most successful in the country in terms of numbers playing, competitions won, high quality coaching generally and friendly atmosphere. This success can only be maintained where there is ongoing analysis and a willingness to look for means of continued learning and improvement.

The view of the sub-committee on the areas needing further consideration are summarised in the following paragraph in the "Pathways to the Future" Report:

"A number of issues are considered to be relevant to the future of games development and coaching at Kilmacud Crokes Ladies Football:
1. Ensuring that KC Ladies Football is at the forefront of progress in games development and coaching.
2. Passing on lessons learned to not only new inexperienced coaches, but also among existing coaches.
3. Learning further from our successes and, more particularly, our failures.
4. Improving further the service we provide in developing athletic development, football skills and social interaction.
5. Creating greater awareness of psychological aspects.
6. Improving team fitness.
7. Emphasising a teamwork behaviour at all levels (working together to achieve excellence).
8. Winning 'the critical matches', or alternatively, ensuring our success in competitions matches the potential abilities of our players.
9. Developing a Kilmacud Crokes Ladies Football playing style."

The overall objective of the "Pathways" Report is to set out a pathway where each individual player, each team and management team would act together as a group or TOTAL TEAM to achieve the full potential of the player, the team and the Club. In preparing the Report, a decision was made not to consider or include implementation issues. The Report is therefore intended to strengthen and add to the 'foundation' of the club as a means of enabling further progress to be made by 'building on' this 'foundation'. Consequently, a successful implementation process and a continuing games development and coaching process is needed to ensure that the Report benefits the Club.


2012 Games Development & Coaching Plan - Issues and Recommendations

1. Terms of Reference and Guidance for Managers and Mentors
Managers and mentors have a responsibility to comply with the Ladies Football Committee 'Terms of Reference and Guidance for Managers and Mentors' - see Appendix 4 in Pathways Report for details. This provides the basis for the conduct of each manager and mentor.

The "Pathways to the Future" Report, which is over 50 pages long, contains a lot of information and advice; this can be off-putting for readers. However, it is intended as a resource and is meant to be digested in 'small bites'.


2. Nursery
The role of the Nursery is critical. For the girls, coaches and prospective managers, effective organisation, sufficient and trained coaches, and adequate facilities from the outset increase the likelihood of success. Consequently, it is vital that the Nursery is given a high priority.


3. Development of Psychological Aspects
This is an aspect that requires further consideration and development; however, it is a complex area that may require professional advice, and input using expertise present in Kilmacud Crokes GAA Club, as a means of achieving progress.


4. Continued Learning
An underlying theme in the Pathways Report is the benefit of continued learning - from discussion among management teams, from mistakes, from the Club Coach, etc. Greater efforts to achieve this would be beneficial.

5. Role of Club Coach
Paraic McDonald is an experienced and excellent coach and 'teacher'. However, he reports to the Men's Section and, while he assists Ladies Football on a regular basis, it is on an 'informal and ad hoc basis' (quote from KC LF Section 15th Annual Report). Therefore his role regarding Ladies Football needs to be formalised so that the optimum benefit for Ladies Football is achieved.

6. Schools
The introduction and/or the participation of girls to Ladies Football at school is a vital means of encouraging girls to start to play Ladies Football and, once started, to develop their skills and interest in Ladies Football. One of the recommendations in the "Pathways" Report is that a Schools Liaison Officer be appointed. Further details are given in one of the sections in the "Pathways" Report.


7. Drills
Interesting and focussed drills are an ongoing requirement for coaches. While many drills are contained in the Coaching and Development Manual (2006) on the KC Ladies Football website, a set of new drills, influenced by the principles in the "Pathways", Report would be beneficial.

8 Evaluation of Progress


9. Developing a Games Development & Coaching Process
In order to successfully implement the recommendations given above, it is considered that the Ladies Football Committee will need to give priority to instigating and agreeing an implementation process. Our view is that a Games Development and Coaching sub-committee would help provide an effective means of ensuring that there is an adequate focus on this aspect. However, it is recommended that governance regarding the role of this sub-committee and the Ladies Football Committee should be clarified at the outset. If the sub-committee is set up with responsibilities to undertake work on games development & coaching and if this sub-committee is to be effective, then it is considered that adequate authority must given to enable the sub-committee to undertake their role without having to refer all decisions to the Ladies Football Committee for approval. The sub-committee, if formed, should be expected to: a) keep the Ladies Football Chairperson informed; b) report on a regular basis to the Ladies Football Committee; and c) refer major issues to the Ladies Football Committee for approval.


Games Development & Coaching Sub-committee
January 2012

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