Waterford legend Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh was at our Coaching Clinic in Valley Rovers in February 2023 — see full video only at https://www.patreon.com/OurGame”
Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh used his segment at the Valley Rovers Coaching Clinic to get across the value of thinking.
The modern game asks so much more of players, so building your sessions to increase the flexibility and adaptiveness of those on the field is important.
The Stradbally man ran through a range of drills and activities covering a variety of areas at our Cork clinic, aimed at players of all levels (while explaining they must be adjusted for age grades).
Brick explains a drills he likes to use with players of different age groups. One v one, and then doing a demonstration for the rest of the players to start into the activity with confidence.
“It’s just a little bit of fun for them… It’s just getting them on their toes, just a bit of fun… when I was playing, I really enjoyed it.
“It’s not hurling-related, but you’re working on your feet, the call, listening,” he adds.
“Everything is thinking — speed of thought, speed of mind. You can have all the (physical) speed in the world but, if you’re going the wrong way, it’s not much good to you.”
Brick also gave out some advice for speeding up the waiting-around time in between drills, and getting the players to be part of the solution.
“There’s nothing wrong with getting players to set up a lot of drills for ye, and getting them to collect the balls.
“Obviously I played with a lot of different managers, and who was very good at using the players… give them maybe a little ‘punishment’, a few press-ups, whatever if they’re last in.
“Davy (Fitzgerald) used be brilliant at it — they’re used to be a lot of balls on the field, we used to have them all in within ten to 15 seconds.
“Where you’re doing it with underage, they might just get in on 15, but in reality it could be 35 seconds.”
See the extended video only at Patreon.com/OurGame
