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The goalkeeper (GK) in association football arguably presents a critical playing position within a modern game that often appears to be highly dynamic, unpredictable, and constantly changing. Because of the privilege in using the hands and FIFA's "back-pass law," the list of GK tasks extends to a wide range of responsibilities in possession of the ball and when defending the goal and space. With the aim of providing an applied overview of the complex GK demands in the modern football game and consequences for position-specific coaching, the following article presents current practical advances on the various areas of physical, tactical–technical, mental/psychological, and social GK development. To further showcase complex GK tasks and actions, a framework of tactical–technical areas in goalkeeping is introduced and linked to recent empirical research in the field of goalkeeping and coaching. This understanding of position-specific demands may support future development of individualised, athlete-centred training interventions, coaching approaches, and match performance analysis. Along the way, the article offers several avenues for future research contributions to this unique field within football studies and further aims to stimulate readers' and coaches' thoughts about various matters related to specialist and individual development coaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how the 2020 edition of the Union of European Football Association's (UEFA) Coaching Convention impacts coach education in the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), a member of the UEFA. First, this article provides a brief history of the UEFA Coaching Convention and it's historical benefits. Second, the UEFA Coaching Convention's principles and practices of adult learning and reality-based learning are identified, along with the national association's responsibilities for their implementation. Third, we outline the four main changes to the 2020 UEFA Coaching Convention, and fourth, following an overview of coach education in the FAI, we identify how the FAI's Coach Education Department adopts a constructivist, learner-centered approach when implementing the UEFA adult learning and reality-based learning principles. Fifth, we discuss some of the implemented and planned coach education initiatives in the FAI and provide an overview of the FAI's redeveloped coach education pathway, which was launched in August 2020 for implementation from 2021 to 2025. The article concludes with an overview of the future of coach education in the FAI and suggestions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we describe the development and content of a mental skills training (MST) program and how a strength and conditioning coach/certified mental coach delivered this program within a United States Tennis Association (USTA) Player Development (PD) program. The purpose of the MST program was to create resilient, confident youth tennis competitors. Specific mental strategies (i.e., journaling, routines, breathing, imagery, self-talk) were identified to best meet the objectives of the MST program and were delivered using a three-pronged approach: (a) classroom lessons, (b) strength and conditioning sessions and on-court lessons, and (c) homework assignments. Specific ways that the USTA PD coaches reinforced the use of these strategies during tennis practice are described. Recommendations for coaches to integrate an MST program in highperformance youth sport environments are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The island of Ireland is quite unique in its dynamic due, in part, to the geographical and political separation between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Historically, the Island of Ireland had one governing body for association football. Currently, the Irish Football Association (IFA) governs Northern Ireland while the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) governs the Republic of Ireland in the south. Interestingly, not all sports (e.g., Irish Rugby Football Union) on the Island of Ireland have separate Governing Bodies. This paper provides a brief historical overview of this separation between the FAI and IFA. Following this, we explore the history of coach education in the FAI and an overview of the FAI Player Development Plan. Then, we explore how coach education was, and is currently, structured with particular focus on recent improvements in terms of how coach education courses are delivered and assessed. The final section provides a brief overview of the future of coach education within the FAI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]