Gary Wilson

80% of kids quit youth sports by age 13. Eli Manning says he hopes his kids say: “I want to ride home with your dad.” That tells you everything. Parents: The game ends with the whistle. The ride home decides if they want to keep playing.

To any young kid reading this… I’ve doubted myself in every league I’ve ever played in. Ryman Prem. Conference South. League Two. League One. Championship… And even right before my first Premier League start last night. That’s not weakness. That’s being human. That’s being alive. When I was growing up, I thought Premier League players were superhuman. Like they never felt doubt. Like they never felt nerves. The truth is…. it’s often the opposite. Social media won’t tell you that sometimes you step out there with no confidence. That’s normal. That’s ok! You now have to then step out there with courage. Confidence feels good. Courage doesn’t. But you do it anyway. Show courage enough times…. You build confidence. Here’s the mindset that’s carried me for 31 years. When it goes well: I worked for it. I earned it. Well done. Watch it back. Get better. When it doesn’t: I know I prepared the best I could. It didn’t go exactly to plan. That’s football. But Well done. Watch it back. Get better. That simple recipe gave me a special moment last night. Leading the team out. Playing alongside a group that fights for every ball. Celebrates tackles. Gives everything for the city of Sunderland. And sharing it with supporters who never gave up, even after four tough seasons in League One. So if you’re a young player feeling doubt… Low confidence… Or like you don’t believe in yourself… You’re not alone. Every player feels it. Confidence isn’t something you’re given. It’s something you build. Bit by bit. Day by day. With courage. With work. With learning. Anything worth building takes time. But that’s what makes it so worthwhile! Thank you @SunderlandAFC ❤️🤍

Think about this for a second, at the 2018 World Cup, FIFA tracked every single match and found that out of an average match length of roughly 97 minutes, the ball was out of play for over 40 minutes. That's almost half the game where nothing is actually happening with a football, fouls, throw-ins, goal kicks, corners, substitutions, celebrations, all of it eating into the time the ball is actually in play. That's the elite level, the absolute pinnacle of the sport, including the best players on the planet, the most organised teams, the most detailed preparation you can imagine, and the ball is still dead for nearly half the match. This season in the Premier League, it's a similar picture, where average ball-in-play time is sitting at around 55 minutes per game, which means in a match that lasts over 100 minutes with added time, roughly 45 minutes of it is spent waiting for something to restart, and that number has actually gone down from previous seasons, not up. Now take that reality and think about what we're watching on the weekend at the grassroots level. We're watching children, some as young as 5, 6, 7, or 8, who are still learning how to use their bodies. Still figuring out spatial awareness, coordination, balance, how to share space with other people, how to process what's happening around them while also trying to kick a ball in the right direction. They haven't even mastered the basics of physical movement yet, let alone the football side of things. Yet somehow we expect it to look organised, we expect patterns and shapes and the "right" decisions. We get frustrated when it looks chaotic, when children are bunching around the ball, when they're out of position, when the game looks like a mess. What else would it look like? They're children. If elite senior professionals can only keep the ball in play for just over half the match, why on earth would we hold kids to a higher standard of order and control? All of that time when the ball is out of play at grassroots level, those moments between the throw-ins and the goal kicks and the stoppages, that's not dead time. That's coaching time, that's your window, a quick question while the ball is being fetched. A gentle prompt before a goal kick: "Where's the space?" "What did you see?" "What might you try next time?" Those little moments of guided discovery add up over a season far more than any amount of shouting instructions during play ever will. So next time you're watching an under-7s or under-9s game, and it looks a bit all over the place, take a breath. Remind yourself that even at the World Cup the ball spends nearly half the match going nowhere. Then use those natural breaks to coach, to connect, to ask questions that help a young player start thinking for themselves. The game will always have stoppages, the question is whether we waste them or use them and at grassroots level, those moments might be the most valuable coaching time you've got.

The lessons are endless here Stop selecting early!

𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑮𝑨𝑨 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 Strength and Conditioning Internship Monaghan County Board (Coaching & Games Development) are accepting suitable applicants in the area of Strength & Conditioning. This position is suitable for students currently studying or qualified in sport or exercise who would like to gain valuable experience over the coming months. Successful applicants will be tasked with assisting current Head of Athletic Performance and S&C staff.   Tasks Successful applicants will be selected to work with Monaghan’s Development Squads, Co. Minors & Co. U20s. In this role individuals will have various tasks and responsibilities some of which are, conducting pre activity preparation prior to training’s and games, introduce and monitor gym programs, injury prevention protocols, implement and assist with pitch based speed & conditioning, impart knowledge on recovery protocols, nutrition and general lifestyle choices. Successful applicants will work closely with Monaghan Coaching & Games personnel and Head of Athletic Performance.   Suitable Applicants Applicants should be in the process of or have completed studies in the area of strength and conditioning or a sports related course. Have previous experience working in football or hurling at any level or with a keen interest in gaining knowledge in this area. Be willing to upskill or have previous experience in the area of performance analysis. Applicants will be expected to be available for games and training sessions, ability to travel to games and training is essential.   How to Apply If you wish to apply for this position, can you please forward your CV to Head of Athletic Performance, Barry McKenna at BMKMONAGHANGAA@GMAIL.COM . Deadline for CV’s is on or before Friday 27th February @ 5pm. Furthermore, if you want to receive any more information on the above opportunity please contact Barry on the above email address. The selection process will include an interview.

@CahairOKane1 @ChrisMcNultyDgl @FindInsuranceNI One was controlled. One was chaos. Chaos brings that celebration. 2012 was a formality (in the large). 2025 was edge of the seat stuff.

@ChrisMcNultyDgl @FindInsuranceNI Ah come on now Chris. Final whistle for back-to-back Ulster titles in 2012 v final whistle for back-to-back Ulster titles in 2025. There’s no comparison between the two celebrations. They all mean something, some just mean more, and last year’s was up there with 2011 for Donegal

Column: Donegal cared so much about winning last year’s classic Ulster final precisely because it mattered so much to Armagh. This is the best fixture in Gaelic football at the minute. A local row that elevates and restricts. @FindInsuranceNI Read: irishnews.com/gaa/gaelic-foo…

Constraints beat instructions every time. Want quicker ball movement? Change the space. Want better support play? Change the scoring. Let the game do the teaching. Comment GAMES 👇🏼 to get our 4 favourite games to play!

@lemallon @Sean_LUHG Teams will get wise to the fouling as the games progress week to week, little cynical clock eating fouls will go ⬆️

@Sean_LUHG Totally. Gaa utterly over reacted to Kerry’s point at end of 1st had of all Ireland. Benefits totally outweighed the odd negative

Hate the change back to the hooter signalling the end of the game straight away. Robs the chance of so many exciting finishes. If Derry knew they could work a goal there without the ball going out of play it be so much better. #gaa

@doyler104 @TomasORuanaidh @m_brosnan You’ll do well, pure Irishness not having it standardised. You can argue the 2pt was released after the 70 was up, I don’t have the benefit of the replay. No hooter completely changes how Kildare set up that last play for the leveller. @thomasniblock might have an answer.

@G_Wils89 I was just going to ask. Trying to find it online, was the hooter not a new rule in for Div 1 and 2? Changes how the game is played in Omagh, if there was a hooter. Will take a draw though!! @TomasORuanaidh @m_brosnan any thoughts as to why no hooter in Omagh?

How after 12 months of the FRC Enhancements is there a hooter in Croke Park signalling the end at 70mins but we have injury time and no hooter in Healy Park!? #GAA #AllianzLeagues 🤔

Tom O’Sullivan. 0-5 from play from CB. What a display. He drove Dingle to a Club All Ireland from the very off. #ClubAllIreland

@MailSport Hardly “shocking” - the next thing people will be complaining about the sun coming up.

Shocking moment ex-Premier League star Shay Given calls Wilfried Nancy's Celtic reign 'an absolute holocaust' live on BBC - before broadcaster issues apology trib.al/SEI9Tw9

@TomasORuanaidh Common sense isn’t all that common Tommy.

Surely there's another way - that's gut wrenching for those with a foot in both games - it's an All-Ireland intermediate final for Glenullin

@saundzo That left arm tells a different story. Casemiro’s inability to get the ball out of his feet in any of the four touches he takes kills this counter attack. 1, 2, 3 are all to close to his feet and his fourth touch leads to a tackle. Basic fundamental ball movement.

Couple sides to this; 1) Case doesn’t think the pass is on for Sesko. But given the location (albeit can’t see Sa’s start position) no reason not to play a pass in the air beyond 2) Case doesn’t think the pass is on cause Sesko’s angle + body language doesn’t make it seem on

Manchester United B 1 Newcastle United 0. MUFC move up to fifth on the same points as fourth.

🚨🎥 | Roy Keane: “There are too many players, like Dalot, who just do NOT do enough."

🎅🏼 coming means one thing; Coach Education is open in @monaghangaa 📝 Stephen O’Neill, Niall Morgan, Ben McNee & Eoin McNicholl have delivered high-quality #GAA workshops on FRC rules, GK integration, performance analysis & the new F3 Ath. Dev course More to follow in 2026 ⚪️🔵

@PopesFFH White or Spears?

☘️🇮🇪☘️ youtu.be/I5PT65I2ny8?si…

@mylodubsfan @BMNPA_ Hi Mark, yes open to all.

@G_Wils89 @BMNPA_ Is this open to anyone to attend , travelling from Dublin

📣 Monaghan Coaching & Games – Winter Workshop! 📣 The first in our two part series “Reflect, Review + Implement” launches with @BMNPA_ and Niall Morgan. 📍 Monaghan GAA Centre of Excellence, Cloghan 📆 Saturday November 15th at 9am Sign Up: forms.office.com/e/b8SjSbmAXF