Put emphasis on skill GAA told
The Games Administration Committee Chairman of Tipperary County GAA Board Donie Shanahan has called on all clubs to place more emphasis on skill and less on physical training when it comes to underage teams.
Recalling a number of horror stories at a meeting of the Board where underage players were being "murdered" with physical training he said, "This is not the way to go. I ask you all to ensure that the skills are developed rather than physical preparation. Too much physical training will not do the players any good long term. It will only lead to them being burned out," he said.
Shanahan, a former selector with the Tipperary minor hurling team has been involved in underage hurling for over a decade and he has seen some extraordinary training methods in that time. "I witnessed a coach in a summer camp doing a crazy warm up with U-10 players.
"They were murdered by the time they started to hurl at all. For God¹s sake, let¹s make sure the kids enjoy the game and the skills of it rather than killing them with physical training," he pleaded.
