06 Jan Fionn O’Shea talks GPS in GAA ahead of the All Ireland Club Football Semi-Finals
STATSports has been a part of the GAA Strength and Conditioning landscape for several years, with Football & Hurling County teams using GPS performance analysis as part of S&C, load management and rehab. STATSports’ technology has helped practitioners condition the players to a level that hasn’t been done before.
Whereas County teams, including Dublin and Kerry, mostly use the STATSports Pro Series System, a large number of club sides, ladies, and minor teams use STATSports Apex Coach Series – a simplified, basic version of the top-tier system. All Ireland Club Semi-finalists Castlehaven from Cork are users, alongside other semi-finalists, St Brigids and Kilmacud Crokes.
Castlehaven have been setting up for their Championship run from pre season under the tutelage of S&C coach, Fionn O’Shea. Uniquely, O’Shea, having moved to Australia mid-season, is still reviewing the squad’s GPS data after training and matches remotely, feeding back to team management for respective decision-making.
Each player uses the own unit for every training session and match. STATSports Coach Series software allows him to see the players’ data after each session. He can then access and compare this data against team-mates and each individual’s own benchmarks. For a designated user, this can be done from anywhere – all that is required is access to a laptop or tablet.
With most players working full-time and trying to balance club commitments, its crucial for sides to manage workload and player welfare.
Below is some of O’Shea’s conditioning work during Castlehaven’s pre-season, with a particular focus on High Intensity running sessions.
Fionn O’Shea on STATSports:
“Working with Castlehaven, the reliable and easy to use STATSports platform has meant being able to provide feedback to players and management on their physical preparation. Coach Series provides objective feedback to manage training load and help inform decision-making and guide in the teams conditioning and load in preparation for the year.
It has allowed the team to train harder and smarter, and takes any guesswork out of their physical work.
The data helps as a motive to drive intent in physical preparation throughout the year as it allows you to set team and individual targets throughout training sessions and matches.”
“It is has also been an excellent aid in managing load and minimizing injuries.”
We wish all our clients involved in the Club Championships the best of luck.