Football

Donegal appoint Karl Lacey as new Head of Academy Development

Karl Lacey (left) in his time as Donegal coach alongside senior football manager Declan Bonner.<br/>Picture Seamus Loughran
Karl Lacey (left) in his time as Donegal coach alongside senior football manager Declan Bonner.
Picture Seamus Loughran
Karl Lacey (left) in his time as Donegal coach alongside senior football manager Declan Bonner.
Picture Seamus Loughran

DONEGAL are trying a new 'ACT' to boost player development in the county, including input coming from Auckland, Cardiff, and Texas.

The lead role stays local though, going to playing legend Karl Lacey, as the new 'Head of Academy Development', having only recently stepped away from being a coach with the county senior football side under manager Declan Bonner.

The 36-year-old Four Masters clubman is tasked with designing the Donegal GAA Academy programme in collaboration with the Games Development Manager Aaron Kyles, from the Naomh Ultan club.

The latter stated that the new academy development structure for the county "would benefit the development of players and coaches at club and academy squad level."

Another key player will be Dr Micheál Cahill, appointed as Athletic Performance Consultant. The Limerick native currently serves as vice-president of performance and sports science at Athlete Training and Health (a sport performance company) in Texas.

Cahill also lectures at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and supervises postgraduate sports science research worldwide at Cardiff Metropolitan University (CMU), where Kyles is also a PhD researcher under the guidance of two renowned leaders in youth athletic development, Dr Jon Oliver and Dr Rhodri Lloyd.

Lacey's own qualifications are much more than the footballing ability which earned him four Allstars as well as the Footballer of the Year accolade in 2012.

With an MSc in Sports Performance from University of Limerick, Lacey is a lecturer in Sport Coaching and Performance at Letterkenny IT and his recent involvement as a coach with the Donegal senior footballers means he will bring a wealth of practical experience to his new role.

Donegal GAA has partnered with Letterkenny IT in recent years and now the new academy structure will extend those partnerships to include link-ups with the aforementioned Athlete Training and Health in Texas, Auckland University of Technology, and Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Lacey, Cahill and Kyles will work with a new academy work group and the Donegal Games and Coaching Staff in implementing these new structures across the county.

County chairman Mick McGrath, welcomed the addition of Lacey to "a pivotal role in this improved Donegal youth coaching infrastructure", saying that it will be "a big step forward for underage coaching in the county."

In a nod to Kyles, who has been in the GDM job for almost two years, McGrath acknowledged the considerable work which went into formulating the new Academy Development Structure and professed himself "delighted with the outcome."

Donegal have indicated that "the aim is to nurture emerging talent in the county – directly with academy squads and indirectly by providing support to clubs.

"This will be achieved by providing a holistic and progressive long-term player development programme to coincide with the GAA's new Player Pathway Model for sustained results both on and off the field, across all levels of development in the county.

"While designed for academy squads, a key feature of the player development programme is that it can be integrated by clubs into their coaching frameworks and planning strategies. County coaches will also liaise with clubs to upgrade their coaches, assist player development, and to help with other objectives, such as minimising dropout."

Cahill's contributions will be high-end and technical, given that he is responsible for the training philosophy within all Athlete Training and Health's company locations, as well as overseeing the day-to-day integration of a multi-disciplinary sports medicine and research team focused on applied human performance, collaborating with large hospitals and professional sporting organisations.