To the little girl that saw me kicking, forced her mam to stop and watch a few kicks and then sprinted over to ask me to show her how to do it, I love you
Lockdown 3 hit me hard and with the world imploding during the week, it made me realise I needed a bit of help
So I spoke to my doctor, got back on anti-depressants & booked counselling.
Weโre all having a tough year so donโt be afraid to ask for help if you need it โ๏ธ
Had a wonderful experience yesterday, when a parent THANKED me for removing their child from a game on suspicion of a head injury the previous week
20 minutes after leaving the pitch, he said, his child was complaining of feeling sick. Off to the doc they wentโฆ
This is absolutely not the point of the video but this is a great study of mechanics ๐
Will also 100% be using this game. Maybe a tennis ball instead of an egg though ๐
A S&C coach with a BSc, MSc and CSCS tweeted that after 11yrs heโs finally gotten a paid job in college sports. 500 likes and comments filled congratulating him and telling him the hard work starts now
No shade to the coach (congrats!) but what does that say about the industry?
Iโm seeing a lot of 1st year boys quitting school sports because โthey need to focus on club soccerโ
Parents & coaches:
Your intention is to make your kid better at one sport by having them play ONLY that sport. You will actually make them worse at that one sport by doing this
You canโt make this up.
James Haskell telling Simi Pam, who has been a guest on a womens rugby podcast that he himself helped set up, is sending me
She literally speaks about being a role model and using her platform to progress womens rugby ON YOUR PODCAST JAMES
As a ref, I always feel bad removing a player from the game - because of what looks like โa little bangโ.
But always and forever - better safe than sorry.
#IfInDoubtSitThemOut
@ProgressiveRug
Iโm actively searching for a new opportunity in sports coaching
Iโm an experienced coach across
๐ Rugby Union (IRFU Level 3 Coach)
๐โโ๏ธ Athletics (Throws)
๐๏ธโโ๏ธ Olympic Weightlifting
Would love to travel, so positions outside of Ireland are welcome
DMs are open!
My favourite thing about the six nations competitions being separated this year is that I have not read one headline with the word โwomenโs teamโ after the country name ๐
I will be forever baffled by people in charge who treat volunteers like shit.
They're giving up their time, money and energy to help you out, the least you can do is treat them with respect and show them you appreciate what they're doing
I will forever find this infuriating
Women's sport cancelled but men's allowed to go ahead. Whether it's at a club, provincial or international level, it is always hard to see
And before you argue "the men are pro", yes I know. That's exactly the problem
#CantSeeCantBe
Within the hour she was diagnosed with a mild concussion. As a retired player himself, the parent said he suffered from concussions when he was playing, taking a year and half to recover from the most recent one that forced him to retire
Getting off the bus, that I just travelled 40mins on with my senior boys team that Iโm Head Coach of, and the driver goes
โYouโre just filling in today are ya? You usually coach the girls?โ
๐
I'm delighted that people like Conor are on Twitter. I know I'm not the only S&C coach at the beginning of my career, working 4 jobs, with not enough hours in the day to keep up to date on the academic side, but tweets like these keep me in touch.
Thanks Conor!
A very interesting study found that sarcomere lengths had significant differentiation throughout an entire muscle (Moo, et. al, 2016).
This means that muscles might not lengthen or contract uniformly and are not the same length/orientation across the entire structure.
Enjoyed getting out for my first game as a trainee ref!
Canโt play anymore and am not coaching club this season, but wanted to stay involved in the game so I decided to pick up the whistle
Looking forward to the next one!
We delighted to announce Caoimhe Morris as our new Girls Co-ordinator. She has huge experience & CV that includes a BA degree in Sports Management & Coaching, IRFU CCC, IRFU stage3, Sport Scientist Basketball Ireland and Coach Educator for Surpassport. Glad you on board!!
The difference that a few weeks of self care can make on everything is unbelievable, something I neglected entirely for 5 years it seems ๐
2 weeks into therapy, medication for depression & anxiety and proper nutritional support has made the world of difference
Mind yourselves!
Things I loved about this years
#SixNations
:
- The prefix โWomenโsโ that usually appeared before the Nation has virtually disappeared
- The visibility of female pundits was excellent
- Games from the finals day weโre on tv ๐
Girls rugby thread!
From the looks of it, weโll be getting back on the pitch very soon, so hereโs just some of the reasons why Iโm very excited to be involved in the female game! ๐1/9
#girlsrugby
#womensrugby
#femalerugby
Johnny Sexton is 37. Lindsay Peat was 39 when she played in her last 6 Nations in 2021.
Iโm sure thereโs other examples out there of female 6Ns players who were/are 37+?
Incredibly disheartening to students, recent graduates and current coaches 5 or 6 years into their careers. You generally need to work like a horse for 6+ years before you can earn a wage, and we know that itโs unlikely to be a living wage.
RTs appreciated ๐
Delighted to launch the Rugby Academy Ireland Female Rugby Network!
This is open to anyone involved in womens/girls rugby, regardless of role or experience.
What's involved:
โ WhatsApp group
โ Monthly Coaching CPD days
โ Support from experienced coaches
For the record, to all those criticising - our intention was to show support for the players
โข We knew itโd never be shown on tv, but thatโs ok. We wanted the players to know that we support them
โข It would have all been a non-issue had security not intervened
Met some great, passionate people today in Cork. Some came with protest posters. Some chucked a ball about on the pitch at HT. Some just watched, frustrated, beer in hand, heartened by what their team did and wanting the investment to follow
What else is there to say except thank you to everyone who made today a success โ๏ธ
Big things to come, watch this space!
๐ Thank you
@GaaBishopstown
๐ Thank you
@SetantaCollege
๐ฉโ๐ผ Thank you to the exhibitors ๐
(I promise this isn't a brag but)
To those firms that say 'We don't invest in women's sport because it just doesn't get as much attention'
๐ A random tweet about a girl wanting to kick a rugby ball got over 91'000 views in 24hrs.
There is a market for it if you try
Iโm delighted to say Iโm now working as a Sports Officer in
@Kings_Hospital
!
Very excited to get going, Iโll be helping with Rugby, Athletics, Badminton and Basketball, along with teaching in the TY Sports Strand ๐
Flood did well with the kicking duties yesterday, particularly with kicks for touch
I had a look at her place kicking for the Italy game. Power isnโt an issue for Flood as she gets the 41m distance needed for a conversion, but how can she improve her accuracy?
Have a look ๐
At a full contact blitz for school yesterday, one of my 1st year girls came up to me to say:
โCan we only play contact games now? I love contact, itโs so much fun!โ
The fact that a 12 year old girl isnโt afraid to show sheโs strong and tough is so amazing ๐คฉ ๐ตโซ๏ธ
Coaching is a tough business. Got news this morning that a role I interviewed for wasnโt going to work out.
I know a lot of people speak of the mental health of coaches, and I was about to post a vaguely positive message about the experience, but have this instead
#coaching
Hi Tim,
Real life person here with depression and anxiety. Last Friday, for some reason, my brain switched to fucking misery and has stayed like that for the week. Nothing sparked it, nothing changed, my brain just decided it had enough of this serotonin shite
I just find the idea of taking a day off wild. As if Iโve sat down, seen a dodgy comment and gone โah itโs the weekend, Iโm not on the โequalityโ clock till Mondayโ
Saying something misogynistic and thinking people wonโt come for you because itโsa bank holiday is mad
Really looking forward to my guest lecture tomorrow with TUD Blanchardstown Sport Management and Coaching students!
My former college so itโs nice to be asked back!
Massive news. The Barbarians men's game is OFF - only the women's game is going ahead today and is being brought forward to 2.30pm. By chance this could now be the biggest EVER standalone crowd for a women's rugby match ...(current record 20k) Huge.
After a very long 6 months, Iโm so excited to actually start my new job in real life!
Zoom PT & workouts have been great, but my god am I looking forward to coaching people in person ๐
Every time I see tweets like this, I immediately think about how it must be for the womenโs team who apparently have their 6-Nations in 2 weeks time and still no fixtures have been released
(No shade to Cian btw!)
Itโs pretty mad that Ireland donโt know when their next game will be.
Summer tour still up in the air.
Would have been great to build on that class performance next weekend.
Either way, with the Lions tour, itโll be November at the earliest before this squad is back together.
An incredible day at
@sportireland
#WomenInSportIRE
Coaching Conference today! Genuinely give it a 10/10, congrats to
@NoraStapleton
and her team for running such an engaging event
Excellent speakers and the chance to catch up with friends! Looking forward to next year ๐
When your year consists of losing your job, a global pandemic and shutdown, coaching & matches stopped on multiple occasions and like no sport, you treat yourself to an early Christmas ๐
Feat baby Caoimhe in the background
For coaches of kids returning to sport over the next few weeks/months:
1. Take it easy.
Don't run 'fitness' sessions to get your kids back to pre-lockdown levels.
2. Be patient.
There will possibly be a steep learning curve for players on skills you though they had mastered
The IRFU confirms that it intends to fully publish the two independent reviews currently being undertaken into womenโs rugby.
Full Statement ๐
#IrishRugby
|
#ShoulderToShoulder
Looking forward to competing at
@irishathletics
Nationals this weekend! First comp in 2 years, broken leg kept me out the first year and work the second. As long as I get one mark in I'll be happy ๐
#SportsScience
in Ireland
Heads up for any recent S&C graduates:
I'm a S&C coach with a Masters degree and 2 years experience.
โข I applied for 30+ positions this year alone
โข I was called for interview for 6
โข I was a 'very close second' choice for 2
โข I secured 1
(1/6)
20-year-old Dorothy Wall was Ireland's top ball-carrier and tackler against Wales in the Six Nations today.
Impactful effort from the
@fethard_rfc
and
@BCRFC
back row.
Delighted to be welcoming sport scientist & rugby coach
Caoimhe Morris
into the DSS family as our new Head of Education and Learning!๐๐
Looking forward to all the info re Webinars, Podcasts & blog posts around sport science & rugby topics
Get following her
@CoachCaoimhe
As serious as underage international basketball is, sometimes youโve got to let kids be kids! (Even if theyโre almost 18 ๐)
I am in fact a professional S&C
Such a devastating atmosphere in Sandymount for
#AshlingMurphy
sunrise walk. People holding back tears.
@Holly0910
thanks for organising, itโs exactly what was needed
Few tips for Sport students/ recent graduates:
1. Coach while you're in college, no matter what area you want to work in
2. Talk to as many people as you can!
3. It will take 5 years minimum to get a full-time job in elite sport, so don't set that in your sights just yet
I would genuinely like to know:
What do Connacht do to prepare for match days like these?
Is it all just down to experience playing in that weather, or do ye make some changes to drills to become more accustomed to wet balls/high winds/difficulty breathing?
@andyfriend2011
?
Looking forward to seeing
@RICH_AgilityLab
and
@nwconditioning
break down the movements here
Not your typical cut & step from Earls, but thatโs what makes May bite in & seems to be why he had a difficult time redirecting COG and force to turn and catch Earls in his initial accel
When you launch a business in a pandemic, and finally meet in person a year later!
Brilliant to have our first
@irishscnetwork
in person event in Blanchardstown ๐
Looking forward to the next!
Are you an S&C/Sport Scientist? Want to stay up to date with all the latest literature? Make sure you sign up for
@stoic_strength
monthly review!
Brilliant service from
@mullane90
, quick reads & presented in an easy to digest format, very helpful! Contents of the Dec review ๐
Would anyone like an honest article on the life of a female S&C and/or sports coach trying to make it in the industry for their publication?
I may or may not already have it written
I feel extremely honoured to have been awarded Club Person of the year this year, what an amazing club and an amazing group of people! Very proud to be a part of an AIL winning club, and even prouder of my friends that achieved it ๐๐
#choochoo
#comejoinus
Itโs been a tough week for womenโs rugby in Ireland, so hereโs a thread of some brilliant creators covering & talking about womenโs rugby:
#WomensRugby
#IrishWomensRugby
My mam, whoโs in New York (sheโs cabin crew) was in a store yesterday on St Patrickโs day & the woman who worked there was wearing a green Paddyโs day hat. She heard my Mamโs accent, asked her where sheโs from & when she said Ireland, the woman asked her โwhereโs that?โ ๐
Unbelievably proud of this lot, a team through and through! Congrats to Mount Temple SCT, McMullen Cup winners 2019!
#MountTempleSCT
#BlueArmyBlackArmy
What an incredibly brave thing to do. This is explosive work - and one that must inspire change
Huge props to the leaders in this group, and brilliant article again from
@Murray_Kinsella
A powerful collective move from Irish women's rugby players.
A group of 62 current and former players have written to the Irish government to express their loss of all trust and confidence in the IRFU:
So
@Caragracemurphy
printed off
#IGiveAFuck
signs to show support for the Irish team
Immediately confiscated at the gate by security, saying โthereโs a curse word on it and itโs not appropriateโ
Very obvious theyโd been briefed to remove anything of the like from fans
Room-based workout cause thereโs no gym in the hotel
Doing our best to get them acclimatised before our first game on Friday
โ๏ธ32 degree heat
๐ฅต31% humidity
Warm up game this evening vs Austria ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฆ๐น
Last year
@mullane90
had the brilliant idea to set up a WhatsApp group for S&Cs and itโs been amazing to get to learn from the best in the business!
Thereโs now about 300 people involved so weโve moved over to Mighty Networks! DM me if youโd like the link ๐
#IrishSC
Legit breaks my heart that women donโt get the chance to play u18, u19 and u20 international rugby because โthereโs no talentโ, but men are given the chance.
Plus not a single female coach in the squads.
Great article again from
@Murray_Kinsella
on the IRFU PR disaster.
Article comments are full of people saying โthey should just play and prove their worth by winningโ
How about you go work for 10 years, not get paid, give up your entire social life, and see how it feels?
So with
#IrelandLockdown
in full swing, and a lot of people in limbo with work, I think now would be a great time to get some
#sportscience
threads going! What is it, why is it important, and how do we test it.
Day 1: Reactive Strength Index (RSI)โน๏ธโโ๏ธ
S&C learnings from Bryan Cullen this afternoon:
โข Basic can be better
โข Strength:BW ratio should dictate exercise progression
โข Test and collect data with a purpose
โข Overload is king
#dcumasterclass
There has to be a winner and a loser in sport, but sometimes itโs just cruel. I was devastated when the final whistle went, but seeing Ciara Griffin in a heap on the ground crying is an image thatโll stay with me.
Heartbroken is an understatement
#RWC2021Qualifier
Happy holidays! A request to please resist the urge to engage in the โIโve gone from a size 8 to 18 in 2 daysโ jokes. Firstly because numbers do not equate to your value, and secondly because the young people are watching.
Especially to my colleagues in the sports industry ๐
Really enjoyed presenting to the 1st years in
@SMCO_TUDublin
this morning on coaching female athletes!
Thanks again to Ronan for asking me back, and to the students for their excellent engagement and questions!
Lads itโs been 5 whole months since Iโve seen this lot! Theyโre taller, buffer and stronger but still as much craic ๐
We also had the legend that is
@bananacaplice
down to take them for an hours session, the girls were beyond star struck!