Even the sceptics amongst us, who believe that there is no point in training our GAA athletes to reach higher top speeds, would not argue with us that making the correct decision and executing the necessary skill, as quickly as possible, is one of the most advantageous aspects of performance in sport.

So even if the ultimate outcome doesn’t go our way, but we’ve given our best in the face of adversity, there should be some element of our psyche that is grateful for the loss.

Now given that I am a S&C coach, as well as a skills coach, I may be extremely biassed, but I do believe that we should have a well thought out level of progression when it comes to all of our skills and coaching.

Unfortunately, we’re not playing Playstation. We cannot control our athletes’ decisions in the moment, but maybe that’s a good thing. That’s why when it does come together and the athletes achieve success, it’s a much more powerful feeling of accomplishment than taking Accrington Stanley to the Champions League final on FIFA 22.

The team is there to take ownership of the process and hold each other accountable to the mutually agreed upon standards. It is in this environment that the importance of a culture of brutal honesty must be accepted universally.

We see this time and time again, when athletes are asked who has had the biggest impact on their careers. They typically reflect back on their experiences at youth level and the coaches that helped them develop a love for their sport.

As you progress in your years in the industry, what you will learn is that there can be value in almost everything that is done. What there is no value in doing is discounting alternative approaches without first thinking critically about your own.

Hopefully, following this process will help you to decipher whether you need to get that activity tracker, heart rate monitor or GPS unit, or whether you just want it. Often, what our brain tells us in the moment, is not the true answer to our problems.

If I can make them smile or laugh, then in my eyes I’ve already won. Leave them laughing and they’ll hopefully remember the session and you a little more fondly.

Simplification allows players to know what to focus on and understand how to execute a skill more effectively. In the world of coaching, it is not about how much information you know. It is about knowing what information to focus on.

The two most important qualities a coach can have are clear, coherent communication skills and the ability to persuade people to do things that they may not want to do.

Many roads lead to Rome, as they say. However, some roads are definitely shorter than others.