Donegal's 1992 All-Ireland winning trainer Anthony Harkin on the evolution of coaching

Anthony Harkin says that coaching has changed beyond all recognition, almost, as the GAA keeps up with and, indeed, continues to set its own trends.

But the Ardara clubman says the cornerstones of all of that, the non-negotiables, are now what they were then, so many years ago when he first started out at Thomond College, Limerick over four and a half decades ago now.

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Having taken up a teaching position at Loretto Community School, Milford, Harkin immediately got involved with Donegal GAA and has, in some form or another, been a part of it ever since.

The Rosbeg native would quickly be elevated to provincial level, sitting on the Ulster Coaching Council.

Back then, the immediate aim wasn’t to get Sam Maguire to Donegal. The collective desire there was to see Ulster re-emerge from the doldrums and once again produce an All-Ireland champion.

That would eventually happen in 1991 when Down’s Paddy O’Rourke climbed the steps on the Hogan Stand and Sam was finally headed back up north.

Donegal, with Harkin as trainer, followed suit in 1992 while Derry (1993), and Down again in 1994, all got in on the action.

Harkin was the recipient of a Coaching Award at the Ulster GAA President's Awards last Friday night, while Finnbarr Roarty won Footballer of the Year at Slieve Russell Hotel, Co Cavan.

And it was deserving recognition for a man who’s given so much time and effort to the GAA.

“I would have done a lot of coaching courses over the years, all over the province, so it was nice to be recognised and to bump into different people on the night.

“Young Finnbarr Roarty as well, what a great player and ambassador for Donegal GAA. His rise has been quite amazing, really”.

On how the plates have shifted in terms of modern teams and players and how they are now prepared, Harkin says there has never been so much effort going in.

But the rewards and gains being chased are wafer-thin. But it’s those margins that are making the difference at the very top.

“The level it’s got to, that it continues to move to, everyone is looking for that small edge now.

“So much of it, at the top and elite level in any sport, not just GAA, comes down to the small percentages.

“You look at the club championships even, the amount of professional people involved there.

“Again, there are certain things that even after all this time, you simply can’t bypass or skim over.

“At the end of the day you still have to put the work in. Yes, there are metrics and ways to gauge and measure all that, but you still have to graft.

“And performing under pressure, even with all the work done and under the belt, that is the real secret to success.

“A team is a collection of individuals and you have to blend all of that together.

On the big days, it takes character to step up and kick a winning point. It takes bravery to put your head in where it shouldn’t be to make that decisive block or tackle.

“In so many ways, coaching and coaxing that all along, is the same as it’s always been”.

One area that Harkin pinpoints is the level of consistency that GAA players bring to the table in terms of training. It’s a year-round process.

Nutrition and S&C have brought fitness levels to unprecedented level and Harkin says the new FRC rule changes mean we’re actually seeing all of that now with the game back at an almost chaotic pace.

“It used to be a seven or eight-month sort of cycle, and lads cut loose for a period. There was some suffering to get through in pre-season.

“But now, that’s very much a thing of the past. Anyone who wasn’t involved in third-level education or had progressed on out of it, they finished up in September and might not have started back up again until February.

“Back then, lads might have veered towards soccer, rugby even, and different things. I played basketball and was also at college so there was still football to be played.

“There is so much science out there now and knowledge, and again, the same is true for professional soccer players and so on.

“Players are athletes now in almost every sense of the word. And the new rules, they are asking serious questions once more with the pace of all of that”.

Harkin, with so much water under the bridge, has no doubt seen some real thoroughbreds in his time.

He says, of course, fitness can be achieved, thresholds can be broken and bars can be raised. But there are just some exceptions to every rule.

“Yeah, listen, there are certain individuals who are just built differently. Brian Mullins for example, no matter how much training I did I could never get to his level.

“His physical working capacity was simply ahead of most people. Larry Tompkins was another who could just go all day.

“So again, that’s another thing that’s consistent, regardless of what changes. You’re always going to have certain people that are exceptions to the general rule”.

He added: “The secret for me, or what I’ve always looked to do first and foremost, is coach the person. Sometimes I see coaches coach the collective and sometimes I see coaches coach the player.

“Even that second one, it’s wide of the mark. You have to give attention and respect to the person.

“People respond to positive encouragement and interaction. And again, if you approach it that way, your aim to improve fitness, improve skill level and so on, that will eventually come.

“Repetition, performing the skills under pressure, again, those are things that players simply have to get a handle on.

“Of course, training and pushing yourself have huge benefits but it all comes down to being able to perform in high-pressure situations, the big days”.

On the FRC changes and how they might evolve further in this championship season, he said: “Certainly, I think last season was a big shock to the system; there was so much to process and look to get on top of.

“They’re giving players, particularly forwards, more space to show exactly what they’re capable of.

“I still think teams need to look to move the ball much quicker. Second season now, with the new rules, I hope to see a lot more kicking.

“But old habits are still dying hard and I still see players not kicking the ball as coaches pay too much attention to the risk involved rather than the reward.

“Again, when it comes to coaching, kicking drills, there is much more potential to get it wrong before you eventually get it right.

“That takes time. And that, for me, is coaching. And another thing, I don’t see much coaching off the ball.

“Observing and looking at so much of that, I still see too much attention paid to on the ball scenarios.

“There is a lot to be gained in looking at players out of possession. What are they doing to help teammates suddenly find space? There is a world of danger there when a smart run off the ball is made.

“Especially now with the two-pointer, so much of creating that opportunity comes down to the individuals out of possession, as it does the man on the ball or, the man or men, you’re trying to get on the ball.

“So I’m hoping it goes to another level again now when it comes to the championship”.

Finally, Harkin says he’s encouraged now by the number of Donegal coaches getting involved, particularly former players from 2012’s All-Ireland success.

He lists Eamon McGee at Sligo, Paul Durcan in Mayo and, front and centre at Westmeath, Mark McHugh.

Karl Lacey and Rory Kavanagh are well down that same path already, while Colm McFadden and Neil McGee continue to sharpen minds alongside Jim McGuinness with the Donegal senior set-up.

“It’s good to see. It’s really encouraging. At the end of the day, we need young coaches stepping up and coming through.

“Believe it or not, and this is a fact, Donegal people are highest up on the list in Ulster, in recent times, when it comes to taking on coaching courses.

“Again, I’m delighted to see that”.