1. Psychological Focus
GAA Award 1 1

2. Award 1 Psychological Focus Outcomes
By the end of the session participants will be able to
Identify the motivators for participation for Children
Outline the reasons that Children dropout
Identify methods of ensuring that sessions and games are enjoyable and challenging

3. Why do children play sport?
Question
Why do children play sport?
To Have Fun
To improve their skills
To be with friends
To do something they're good at
For the excitement of competition
To become physically fit
To be part of a team
For the challenge of competition
To learn new skills
To succeed or win
Tutor Notes:
Focus on the rights of the child. In groups or in pairs discuss the issue and outline what needs the child has in the coaching environment. 3

4. Why do children drop out of sport? Rank in order of importance:
Overemphasis on winning
Lost Interest
Not having fun
Time consuming
Coach was a poor teacher
Too much pressure
Tired of playing
Need more study time
Coaches play favorites
The Sport was boring
Tutor Notes:
Tutor Led Discussion or Flip Chart Sheet activity. What must the coach do to make sure that players stay involved. 4

5. Participation Vs Drop Out
Drop out can take place because of factors that are internal to the game and factors that are external to the game.
In dealing with internal factors there are two constant determining factors in relation to Participation and Drop Out from sport:
Enjoyment
Challenging
Tutor Notes:
Research has shown that the most important aspects of sport that keeps youth players involved is that the activity is enjoyable and challenging.

6. What can be done to ensure training remains enjoyable and challenging?
Varying Exercise and Training Routines
Vary Training Sequence
Vary Location
Different Mentors
Maintains Motivation
Stimulates Interest
Ensures that the Player does not Go Stale/ Become Bored/ Adapt too to One Routine in an overly negative manner
Tutor Notes:
Tutor Led Discussion or Flip Chart Sheet activity. What must the coach do to make sure that training stays enjoyable and challenging.

7. Challenging? Understand Individual Needs within the Team
Set appropriate Activities and Contexts to promote enjoyment and challenge
Set SMARTER Goals
MAGIC principles
-motivation
-age appropriate
-growth (progression)
-individual
-child centred
Tutor Notes:
Some suggestions for keeping activities challenging. The key here is setting the appropriate challenge, whether that be through goal setting.

8. GAA Award 1 – Playing Facts Outcomes
By the end of this Module participants will :
Be able to define Playing Facts
Be able to identify playing facts (related to the ideal player) to be identified
Be able to use a skills challenge to monitor player development 8
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9. Question Why do we need the Playing Facts? Playing Facts
Increases Motivation
Protects Players from the World of Opinion
Helps Players set realistic goals
Helps Players stay in reality
Depersonalises Issues
Gives Players the right type of attention
Playing Facts
Playing Facts –
Tutor to ask why we need Playing Facts. Can be a Tutor Led Discussion or a Group Flip Chart Task.
Tutor Further Information:
The analysis of our games is being used to create a bank of information that we can use to develop the games – you need to know the game to set out a coaching programme for it! Research by Damien Young, Hugh Gilmore, Niall Moyna has all helped in the improvement in our Games
Other reasons?

10. Question The OTú Model – Playing Facts
What do we mean by Playing Facts?
The ability identify strengths and areas where improvement is required and to understand/accept why changes may be required if the team is to achieve its full potential.
Feedback on performance
Evidence
Key Events
Tutor Notes:
Tutor to ask what we mean by Playing Facts? Use Definition – ‘The ability identify strengths and areas where improvement is required and to understand/accept why changes may be required if the team is to achieve its full potential..’
The Playing Facts can be used to inform coaching prior to, during and after performance.
Outline that we will get into Playing Facts more in Playing Facts Section of the Course
Tutor Further Information:
The analysis of our games is being used to create a bank of information that we can use to develop the games – you need to know the game to set out a coaching programme for it! Research by Damien Young, Hugh Gilmore, Niall Moyna has all helped in the improvement in our Games 10
Skill Development 10

11. The U Can Skill Awards
A simple skills challenge for players aged 7 – 12
Divided into 5 star levels
1 Star – 5 Star challenges.
1 Star are more simple skills, progressing up to 5 Star more challenging skills
3 Levels within each Star - Gold, Silver and Bronze
Coach awards the players with a score based on their ability to perform the Challenge
All participants receive a minimum of a Bronze award
Can use the U Can Passport to record the child's progress
Tutor Note:
How do we conduct the analysis? Explanation of each
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of analysis.
Tutor Led Discussion or Group Work with Flip Chart

12. The value of playing facts…
"The value of stats here is that it reduces the extent to which a player is prejudiced by a coach. Stats might show that the player who is a 'bottler‘ is actually, say, the best tackler in the team, while the team's hero, who is afforded the privilege of the halo effect, is actually contributing very little beyond, say, scoring from frees.“
Kieran Shannon, Sunday Tribune, October 2007 12
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13. The U Can Skill Awards Tutor Note:
How do we conduct the analysis? Explanation of each
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of analysis.
Tutor Led Discussion or Group Work with Flip Chart

14. Playing Facts Outcomes Review
Are you now able to:
Identify the motivators for participation for Children
Outline the reasons that Children dropout
Identify methods of ensuring that sessions and games are enjoyable and challenging
Define Playing Facts
Identify the benefits to the accumulation and analysis of the playing facts
Identify playing facts to be identified
Transfer the knowledge gained from analysis of the Playing Facts and implement in a coaching session
Explain the U Can awards 14
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15. Thank you 15

16. What is your version of the Ideal Player?
Committed
Two Sided
Eagar
Good Decision Maker
Works well with
Team mates
Can Move off the left and right feet
Confident
Tutor Note:
When were looking at Playing Facts, we match the players that we have against the Ideal Player?
Tutor Led Discussion or Flip Chart Sheets in Groups. Participants to identify the Ideal Player, their characteristics. Focus on the skill and movement ability of players.
Tutor to emphasise the need to ensure that players are two sided, able to move and control their body etc.
Perform all of the Skills 16