As a trainer/coach, perhaps the hardest thing to do is keep all my players 'fresh'. In my experience burnout is a major contributing factor to poor performance in competition. Burnout, in this sense, is as much psychological as it is physical.

So, what to do to meet this challenge?

In a relatively short season, boredom rarely becomes a factor. However, even at juvenile level the season is now running into ten months of the year. That's a long time to try and keep somebody motivated!

The key, in my experience, is variety. So, here is what I do - let me explain first of all that I coach Gaelic games, football and hurling.

Surprise them - no two training successive sessions should be the same. With children, there has to be an element of fun also, as attention span tends to be short. Therefore, fast transitions from one drill to the next, nothing too complicated as there is always one who wasn't listening.

Try to make a fast a transition as possible. This means that where you have cones or markers on the training area, you should not put too many down if you have to take them all back up again within ten minutes of starting the session. Ideally have two to three variations of the same drill using the same space and markers.

Plan the session, but be prepared to change at the shortest notice. Players get injured, or there are other games on, or the weather has caused facilities to be shut down, or there are other teams training who take precedence. If you have a rough idea of your goal before the session, you can be prepared for any eventuality.

Don't expend too much time on one component of fitness in any training session at the expense of all the others. Traditionally, this has been aerobic training at the expense of all others, i.e. continuous running. In most field sports aerobic conditioning is important, but not at the expense of agility, explosiveness and power.

Introduce a ladders session every once in a while in the off-season. Ladders are a tool to encourage the development of fast feet and balance, essential components of agility. They won't make the athlete faster, but they will make them stop, turn and change direction more efficiently. This is not going to do any harm, plus they are fun to do. To increase the difficulty level, add some ball drills at the end.

Play competitive games, e.g. tag, ball tag, relays, British bulldog. If the fun element is high, or the competitive element is high, the athletes will try harder without realizing it, and they will enjoy it more.

Create a circuit of mixed conditioning and skills development drills. You need to take care with this, though, as teams generally have players of mixed athletic ability. Not every player will have the same skills level, nor will every skillful player be very athletic. Irrespective of how skillful an athlete is, fatigue will eventually impair co-ordinated movements. This increases frustration levels, but also can lead to unnecessary injuries. Call a halt to the session at the 'right' time.

Finally, never forget what you as a coach are there for. You are there to coach that particular sport or discipline. Your enthusiasm for what you do will be reflected back to you, in the main, by the participants in your training sessions. Training should be fun. So have fun!

Learn more about this author, Donal Murphy.
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