1. Physical Fitness - Adult
GAA Award 1 Course

2. GAA Award 1 – Physical Fitness Outcomes
By the end of this Module participants will be able to:
Identify the physical requirement of Adult players to play Hurling
Describe the components of physical fitness
Organise activities to develop the components of Physical Fitness
Tutor Notes:
Outcomes to be achieved in this module.
Will look at the physical requirements to play Hurling
The components of Physical Fitness
We will practice the prganisation of activities to develop the components of fitness
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3. The OTú Model – Physical Fitness
What do we mean by Physical Fitness?
The ability to perform the underlying techniques of the game and to respond quickly to the signs, sounds and signals experienced during the game.
Tutor Notes:
Tutor to ask what we mean by Physical Fitness? Use Definition – ‘The ability to perform the underlying techniques of the game and to respond quickly to the signs, sounds and signals experienced during the game.’
Fitness is about being able to perform the various tasks repeatedly.
Tutor Further Information:
The physical demands of Gaelic games have increased dramatically in the last 15 years. On average players cover a distance of 10km per game, moving at a variety of different speeds, in numerous directions and over both long and short distances.
Skill Development

4. What are the Physical Fitness requirements to play Hurling?
Tutor Notes:
Need to adequately define what the physical fitness requirements to play adult hurling.
Question:
Do hurlers need to have
endurance like Sonia O’Sullivan
The same speed as Usain Bolt – World Record holder for 100m
Strength like a strong man competition
These are all extremes in the different areas of fitness, Hurlers need some of each to perform at their best
Skill Development

5. Components of Physical Fitness for Gaelic Games
Sleep
Sleep
Speed
Suppleness
Tutor Notes:
The components of physical fitness for Hurling
Speed
Stamina – Endurance
Strength
Suppleness – Flexibility
All surrounded by Sleep – Recovery and Rest.
Portrayed as 5 S’s to help with remembering them.
To play Hurling, players need to have some of each of these. Too much of one to the neglect of others will result in an unbalanced player.
Further info on each of these components in the following slides.
Stamina
Strength
Sleep
Sleep

6. Components of Physical Fitness for Gaelic Games
Speed:
Is a general term to refer to quick movement
Players require many different types of speed to perform:
Reaction speed, including speed off the mark
Acceleration/Agility speed
Sprinting speed
Speed endurance
Speed is largely genetically determined, and while players may not be able to improve their innate ability, they can with proper practice, be made to realise their full potential.
Tutor Notes:
Speed for Hurling.
Players need different forms of speed to perform – reactive speed (speed off the mark, to the breaking ball etc), acceleration (ability to change speed and direction), Sprinting speed (top speed over a distance), speed endurance (ability to maintain speed over a distance and time)
Its important to remember that speed is largely genetic – some people are genetically more likely to be fast than others. However through proper training players can become quicker

7. Components of Physical Fitness for Gaelic Games
Stamina
Is often called endurance and refers to the ability to maintain performance over the duration of a game.
Developing stamina involves performing a range of different activities including:
Continuous Running
Fartlek Running
Longer, Slower Interval Running
Shorter, Faster Interval Running
Tutor Notes:
Stamina is often called endurance and is the ability to maintain performance
Developing stamina can involve the use of continuous running, Fartlek running (increasing and slowing the speed of performance over a long run), interval training (interaction of faster and slower running)
Similarly to speed, stamina can be largely genetic, but through training players can increase their stamina.

8. Components of Physical Fitness for Gaelic Games
Suppleness
Refers to flexibility - and is related to the range of motion possible at the variety of joints of the body. The greater the range of motion of a joint, the greater the range over which the muscles surrounding that joint can operate and thus work more efficiently.
Developing suppleness involves performing a range of different activities including:
Static Stretching
PNF Stretching
Dynamic Stretching
Tutor Notes:
Suppleness is referred to as flexibility and is related to the range of motion of a body joint.
Flexibility can be developed using static stretching – holding the stretch for a period of time, PNF stretching – stretching with the aid of a partner, dynamic stretching – moving the joint through its range of motion
The use of dynamic stretches, slow controlled movement through the full range of motion are the most appropriate exercises for warming-up.
By contrast, static stretches are more appropriate for the warm-down.

9. Components of Physical Fitness for Gaelic Games
Strength
Is the ability to exert maximum force for a short period of time.
Strength is important in Gaelic games, but power of which strength is an essential ingredient, is even more important.
Power is simply a combination of speed and strength.
Developing Strength involves performing a range of different activities including:
Body Weight Exercises
Partner Resisted Exercises
Machine Resisted Exercises
Free Weight Resisted Exercises
Tutor Notes:
Strength training is often thought of as simply weight training.
Strength can be developed through a range of different types of exercise, such as Body Weight Exercises – push ups, Partner Resisted Exercises – where a partner works against the working muscles, machine resisted exercises – such as the machines in a gym, which provide resistance through a pre-defined range of motion and free weight resisted exercises – which use weights, such as dumbells/barbells that can be used in any range of motion.
While strength is important, Power is the combination of speed and strength and is an essential ingredient of Hurling.

10. Components of Physical Fitness for Gaelic Games
Sleep
Refers to relaxation and recovery from activity, in order to ensure that maximum effort can be exerted in subsequent exercises, and sessions.
Relaxation activities can be incorporated into Psychological Focus.
Recovery activities include:
Warming Down
Suppleness/Flexibility activities
Rehydrating
Refueling
Active Recovery
Tutor Notes:
Sleep refers to the recovery and relaxation activities that a player can engage in between sessions to ensure that maximum effort can be given in each session.
Important aspects of the recovery phase include
warming down (bringing the body from intense activity to normal activity),
Flexibility activities – as previous
Rehydration and Refuelling – putting back the used fluids (primarily water) and food
Active recovery – keeping active at a low level to keep the body ‘ticking over’

11. 9.99 Km What are the physical requirements for Hurling?
Analysis of All Ireland Inter County and Club fixtures: Total Distance Covered per Player
9.99 Km
No Significant difference between positions
Tutor Notes:
Analysis of top level hurling – All Ireland Semi Finals and Finals at Inter County and Club level was undertaken by Damien Young – Tipperary player. The total distance covered in a game by players was just below 10km. However the important factor is what makes up the 10km. Its not a long slow run. See following slide:
D. Young 11

12. Over the course of a game, the time spent in each speed zone:
39%
33%
Tutor Notes:
This slide breaks down the 10km covered within a game. Notice that most of the distance is covered either stationary, walking or jogging, with very little sprinting or maximum sprinting involved.
Question: does our physical training prepare players for this?
12%
11% 3% 2% 12
D. Young

13. During the Analysis:
Players gained possession while standing, walking, jogging and striding.
Further analysis shows certain activities;
Crouch into position to clash and perform a skill,
ability to move sideways,
change direction and to turn 180 degrees,
Walk backwards, skip sideways & backwards and an ability to stop & start.
Tutor Notes:
More analysis found that players got possession of the ball when they were standing, walking, jogging and striding. Players also need to perform other movements such as sideways, backwards, starting and stopping. More of this on the next slide:
Question: Does our training prepare players for this?
D. Young

14. Movement Analysis: All-Ireland Club Semi Final (5 minute period)
Direction Change
Turn to left 10.6
Turn to right 12.2
Backwards 7.4
Total 30.2
Accelerations (in steps)
< 5 steps 8
5-10 steps 3
10-15 steps 2
20+ 1
Total 15
30 changes of direction in 5 min
70% of Accelerations under 10 steps (i.e.<15m approx)
Tutor Notes:
In a 5 minute period of the game, the analysis showed that players turned left, right and backwards 30 times. Acceleration was mostly taking place within 5 steps, with 70% in less than 10 steps or 15m.
Question: Does our training prepare players for this?
(Young, D. 2002)

15. What does this tell us?
The player is constantly being challenged to accelerate and decelerate from various positions
Players gained possession while standing, walking, jogging and striding.
Players are not required to run at the same pace for any length of time.
Does our training prepare Players for this?
Tutor Notes:
Therefore a ability to turn, their agility, balance and co-ordination while moving at various speeds zones are constantly being challenged.
Training should incorporate these skills in a variety of movement patterns. A degree of strength and stability of the muscles and joints involved in the movements are required by the player to provide underlying support for these demands.
D. Young 15

16. What does this tell us? Lets go back to our drill set up…..
Will this meet the demands of the players to play Hurling?
If not, what type of activity will…
Tutor Notes:
Going back to the types of activities that were outlined in the Technical Proficiency section – do the organisation of these allow for these physical components to be developed?
D. Young 16

17. Games? Fun Games Game Play Routines Modified Games Full Games
Video clips to be inserted here
Tutor Notes:
While linear drill like activities do not meet the demands of the game, various forms of Games mirror these well. 17

18. GAA Award 1 – Physical Fitness Outcomes Review
By the end of this Module participants will be able to:
Identify the physical requirement of Adult players to play Hurling
Describe the components of physical fitness
Organise activities to develop the components of Physical Fitness
Tutor Notes:
Review of outcomes for Physical Fitness
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19. Thank you