Further Reading For Parents And Players
Parenting and coaching high performance youth present certain unique challenges. Below we’ve gathered a growing library of materials to help parents support the growth of their young athletes both on and off the field.
Book List
Below are a few of our favourites to support or develop a deeper understanding of athleticism and fitness.
Spark
In this John Ratey uses a variety of case studies to show the benefits of exercise and fitness beyond the bounds of the sports field.
Why We Sleep
In why we sleep, Matthew Walker provides a revolutionary exploration of sleep, examining how it affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being.
They Call Me Coach
This autobiography charts basketball coach John Wooden’s legendary career. From the everyday basics to important life lessons (“It’s not how tall you are, but how tall you play”), Wooden shares his worldly wisdom on and off the court to offer a personal history of an unforgettable time in college basketball, answering the most-asked questions about his life, his career, and the players who made his teams unbeatable.
Player Advice For Off The Field
Nutrition: Irish Rugby, Eat 2 Compete
Eat2Compete is the IRFU’s Nutrition Programme aimed at young players. All the advice you need on healthy eating for rugby is contained within their videos and factsheets.
Professional Rugby Advice: Navy Blue
Navy Blue Sports is a leading sports agency representing sportsmen & women and sports media talent. We strive to be the leading client centred sports management agency across targeted sports sectors and also to be an authoritative voice of sport.
For Parents And Coaches
From 6 to 6 Nations: IRFU Long-Term Player Development
For the first time Irish Rugby Football Union presents its integrated framework, facilitating the development of players at all levels of participation and experience. This document contains advice and philosophy for sound practice, longterm participation, performance, and enjoyment of Irish Rugby.
Coaching the “Uncoachable” Creativity
This article from It’s Just A Sport walks through the importance of coaches “creating many unpredictable situations in a training session to prepare our players for everything and anything which could occur during a match” in order to maintain players’ creativity while teaching them necessary on and off field skills.