World Championships Preparatory Programme

“The build up to the World Championships 2012 is already kicking off and I envisage that 2011 will see a real focus on preparation for the event. I intend that every opportunity will be taken during the course of the year to ensure that we have as many of our players as possible competing in the event and that we have a professional support structure to enable them to give of their  best. One of my goals for 2012 is that Leixlip will be right up there as one of the most successful clubs on the world stage and I believe that this is well within our capabilities”
The above extract from the recent address from our Chairperson sets the scene for our preparations for the World Championships in 2012. We need to get these preparations under way immediately.  What follows is a suggested framework for the 1st phase of what will effectively be a year-long programme. This is geared specifically towards our higher-age juvenile players (2nd level). Lower-age juveniles will require a different approach as of course will other sectors of the club.
Core Principle
The key operating principle of the programme will be that the participating players will themselves take responsibility for delivering on an agreed training regime over the period of the programme. This period is intended to be from early May to mid-September  - effectively up to the selection process for the Junior Nationals which are scheduled to take place in October. The outcomes of the programme will be a significant factor – together with both internal and external competition- in that selection process.
Programme Components
- Objectives
- Structures
- Sequence/Timeline
Objectives
The objectives of the programme will be
- to help identify those players who can best represent the club in terms of competing to the   very highest level of their ability and at a level which will have a strong prospect of achieving competitive success in the future
- to help towards providing  a coaching model for the future which will have a  strong emphasis on player responsibility and  self-motivation.
- to continue the process of developing  parent understanding of the levels of commitment required to achieve competitive success and of encouraging their  active involvement in supporting their children
Structures
A Programme Team will be appointed to develop and oversee the programme. This team should comprise the Games/Competition Managers (Boys and Girls) together with selected members to provide advice/assistance over the full range of support areas. These areas should include skills development, game strategy, fitness, motivation and mentoring.
Following assessment of needs of the individual players on the basis of performance to date, video analysis and recent skills tests, personalised training programmes* will be developed. This will include target setting wherever relevant – realistic achievable target setting should be a key element in the overall approach. While no specific requirement will be made about frequency of sessions, the recommendation is that they should be frequent, short and varied. Players will be asked to keep a record of training sessions and where feasible, of progress to achieving set targets. Homework, internal/external games and informal group practice should also be an important element of the programme but again, this will be entirely a matter for players/parents.

The programme will run in parallel with the normal coaching programme up the end of the coaching period – normally end of May. It should also continue in parallel with involvement in scheduled 40x20, One-Wall and 60x30 competition
Following the initial assessments and the development of the programmes, the ongoing role of the team will, in the main, be one of support as required and players/parents should be encouraged to contact team members for any help they feel they need. However, some elements of the programme, such as game strategy, will need a level of regular intervention by the team member involved and this will have to be built into the programme.
Players will be assessed in early September and this assessment together with the outcomes of internal and external competition( including Féile, Community Games and Leixlip Invitational) will be the basis for selection for the Junior Nationals.

Sequence/Timeline
Week 25/4
-Discuss/Amend /Agree Programme Framework Plan
-Identify composition of  Programme Team; Contact them and hopefully get their agreement to be involved/ brief them on the programme
-Agree preliminary list of Players
-Notify parents of players involved of information meeting to follow
-Where feasible, commence assessment/development of elements of individual programmes

Week 2/5
-  Meeting with parents
-  Complete assessment/ development of individual programmes*
Week 9/5
Commence programmes* --------------------- Programme concludes Mid –September

Mid – September
Assessment of Programme and preparation of next phase

* Some elements of the programme, such as skills development and fitness, should commence as above. Other elements, such as game strategy and motivation, will require a different structure and timeline.

Vinny Wrynn
April 2011