When it comes to coaching young players, spontaneity vanishes under a system that prizes error-free performance

Imagine rehearsed sequences for every permutation: down one with eight seconds, level with four, ahead by one with possession and six on the clock. Decoy runners. Blocking patterns. Pick-and-roll concepts adapted to GAA dimensions.

The experienced coach moves like water through sessions, reading what each moment demands,  when to strip away defenders to amplify technique, when to add pressure to forge character.

The kick of a ball on a rain-drenched street, the thump against a rough wall, shooting hoops under streetlights until breath gives out — these aren’t obstacles to overcome but foundations to build upon. Places write the first chapter.

Questions fall like rain on the windscreen - soft, persistent, and stinging. “You had two clear chances in the first half.” The words arrive before the seatbelt clicks. From pitch to driveway, this space becomes purgatory.