Cathal Dennehy: Balancing quick wins with the search for future champs

The traditional approach in sport is to categorise players by age, but talent development systems are fast catching on to bio-banding.

BALANCING ACT: Shanbally's S Anna O'Neill shoots from Scoil Bride Crosshaven's Lucy K Murphy during the Allianz Sciath na Scoil Urban GFI final at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Picture this: You’re the coach of a decent underage team, maybe a Kennedy Cup side in soccer, a Junior Cup side in schools’ rugby or a promising U-14 outfit in Gaelic Games. The big event of the year is coming up and you’ve got a pool of 20-odd players from which to choose.

Who do you select? But more importantly: Why?