GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 28 – June 20, 2015 | Page 57

BY JOE TROLAN
JUNE 18, 2015

GAA coach and sports academic, Joe Trolan, examines
player frustrations and coaches responsibilities beyond
just winning games.

fit all approach in dealing with players who are frustrated will not
work. It is no use for a coach to tell players to “get over it” or “grow
up and deal with your problem.”

Every GAA season we witness players leaving panels because of a lack of playing time or some other reason. At the
inter-county level, these players give an immense amount
of commitment and of course want to play, but not everyone can play. Unfortunately this also happens at underage
levels as well. As a coach, you are in the difficult position
of trying to win, teach, and dealing with playing time. So
how do you deal with frustrated athletes so that instead
of quitting the panel they push themselves to improve and
challenge the “starting” team?

UNDERSTANDING

WHY?
The first question a coach has to ask – is why are my players frustrated? Is the frustration down to disappointment
in not playing as much or because of mistakes being made
during practice or in games? By understanding the reasons, coaches can begin to help limit the number of underage players from dropping out of the sport altogether.
How then do you encourage your players to reevaluate any
decision to quit?
NEGATIVE
The first action is to not be negative toward them. At the
senior county level, if a player quits because of a lack of
playing time then someone of similar talent could most
likely replace him or her. Yet, at the underage level this is
relatively much harder to do. Therefore, taking a one-size

Likewise, if an athlete is frustrated during a practice, it may be
easy to punish them by making them do laps or sit out the practice
but this doesn’t solve the issue of why they are frustrated. Rather,
it is imperative to understand the issue behind the frustrations
such as overwhelming pressure to be successful, unattainable
expectations, or even your own coaching methods. As a coach
there is nothing wrong with your players challenging themselves
to become better but it is your job to ensure that the players do
not have a rigid idea of what success in a team is or to be successful as an individual. As the coach you should be the one who is
constantly reminding athletes that while frustrations are part of
life, it is important to make sure that the players do not focus on
negatives of their expectations or beliefs and focus on what they
can do better.
HELPING PLAYERS
In sport people will always become upset, angry, or annoyed at
not starting on a team, at making a mistake in practice or games,
and at being defeated. The job as a coach is not just about winning games but also helping player’s deal with, and control, negative situations. Encouraging athletes to have achievable goals and
measurable outcomes in sport is the first step in helping to develop positive expectations. In sport, not everyone can win all
the time and not everyone can play all the time – as a coach the
emotional intelligence of a player is just as important as his or her
tactical intelligence.

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