Page 17 - Producing a Video to Communicate a New Model of Coaching to GAA Coaches

and refinement of my own creative process and in my collaboration with those I work

with to improve support for coaches of Gaelic Games.

1.4 Context & Background

To provide more context to the rationale for this research I will elaborate on the

significance of coaching and coach education within the GAA, and for me as a member,

a former player, current coach and employee.

The GAA, Coaching & Coach Education

Gaelic games are recognised as part of the culture of Ireland and have been governed
by the GAA since its foundation in 1884 (GAA 2016). As the basic unit of the

Association, there are over 2,300 GAA Clubs across the island of Ireland alone,

promoting the games of Hurling, Gaelic football, Handball and Rounders,
representing every parish and competing against each other. Alongside Club teams,

teams representing geographical Divisions and Counties as well as teams representing
Primary Schools, Post-Primary Schools and Third Level Institutes combine to total in

excess of 20,000 registered teams annually (GAA Annual Report & Accounts 2016, p
194). That is a lot of teams to be coached and many, many players for whom the

quality of coaching is not only relevant to their performance and development but

more fundamentally to their continued participation (Balish et al, 2014).

The GAA’s sense of responsibility to its players and those participating in other roles,
such as coaching, is articulated in its vision; ‘that everybody has the opportunity to be

welcomed to take part in our games and culture, to participate fully, to grow and
develop and to be inspired to keep a lifelong engagement with our Association’

(Strategic Plan (GAA 2015, p 8). The GAA espouses the values of ‘Community
Identity’, ‘Amateur Status’, ‘Inclusiveness’, ‘Respect’, ‘Player Welfare’ and

‘Teamwork’ to support a commitment to “active lifelong participation for all”, and

the promotion of ‘individual development and well-being’ on and off the field (ibid. p
8).

In the context of supporting the individual development of coaches through the GAA

Coach Education Programme (GAA CEP), since 1992 the GAA has provided a

number of structured education and training programmes. These programmes have

5