My Co-Op Experience with Limerick GAA

My name is Andrew Lyons, I am a fourth year BSc Sport and Exercise Science student and for my Co-op placement I worked with Limerick GAA, within the Limerick Senior Hurling Backroom Team.

A Proud History and Successful Environment

Limerick Senior Hurling has a very proud history; however this present group has created one of the most successful periods the county has ever experienced. Their success reflects not only their ability on the pitch, but also the preparation, trust and culture built around the team.

Since John Kiely took charge in 2017, this group of players, coaches and backroom staff has delivered one of the most successful periods in Limerick hurling history. The team has won All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships in 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2026, as well as multiple Munster Championships, National Leagues and Munster Leagues.

Their success is built on far more than talent alone. The current group has created a culture based on high standards, trust, discipline and togetherness. Every member of the panel and backroom team has a clear role, but everyone is working towards the same objective: helping Limerick perform and succeed at the very highest level.

Within the backroom team, which I worked as a member of for my work placement there are; elite hurling coaches, strength and conditioning/performance coaches, physiotherapists, doctors, nutritionists, sports psychologists, a team of performance analysts, and many more individuals supporting the group in other ways such as logistically.

My Main Responsibilities on Placement

I worked within the Limerick Senior Hurling backroom team, primarily supporting Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Adrian O’Brien. My role involved assisting at gym, pitch and matchday sessions, with a strong involvement of data collection and monitoring.

A typical week included,

At gym sessions; setting up gym equipment and performance technology, conducting countermovement-jump tests and other fitness tests, helping players through individual programmes where necessary, and supporting injured players with return-to-play testing.

At both pitch sessions and matchdays; being responsible for the setting up & management of all GPS wearable software used to monitor live data from every player, and interpreting/reporting this information back to the S&C, physiotherapists and coaching staff. This data was used by coaches as a tool both live and post sessions to interpret, give insight, and influence many different components and decisions.

I also collected each player’s RPE scores after pitch sessions and matches. This was used both to contribute to the monitoring of individual player loads/cumulative fatigue and for the tracking of overall training and matchday intensity.

Occasionally on matchdays, I also operated from the stats box of the stadium, where I would help the stats team with their live video analysis by controlling a camera.

Occasionally during pitch training sessions, where Adrian and the team of physios had their hands full already, I would also help guide an injured or modified player through their individual running or gym session.

These were the main responsibilities, however, with the nature of such a high performing group, that trained, prepared and did everything to such a high standard, it was all hands-on deck from everyone in the backroom team.

With this, like everyone else, I had to be ready to quickly adapt and assist in whatever task, challenge or obstacle that might arise. This is where you really learn some valuable lessons. About how to work together with people, professionally, in a collaborative approach, even if you are only adding in the smallest way to the objective.

Skills Developed During My Placement

If you are talking about specific skills developed from this placement. It has helped me develop technical, communication, problem-solving and professional skills. I also became more confident with the real-world use and application of performance technologies such as VALD force plates, NordBords, ForceFrames, Output VBT and GPS technology.

I also learned how important clear communication, organisation and attention to detail are in a high-performance environment. Working with a large multidisciplinary team taught me to adapt how I communicate, listen carefully and understand how each department contributes to the wider objective.

However, I think the main learning from this placement was simply experiencing and observing the entire season. Seeing first hand and being present at every pitch session, gym session and many meetings, of such a successful & high performing group of individuals.

It is as if I have lived through a sports documentary, and it happens to be about one of the most successful teams in GAA history.

Being able to first-hand experience and see what contributes to such a successful group, from the biggest to the smallest detail that might not have ever thought of, is something I am very grateful for. There are so many lessons that I will take from this and used in my future career, but also in life.

How My Degree Prepared Me

My Sports and Exercise Sciences degree gave me a strong foundation in exercise, physical performance, testing and athlete monitoring. It helped me understand the purpose behind the data being collected and how it can support training, recovery and return-to-play decisions.

The degree also prepared me to work scientifically and professionally: following procedures carefully, interpreting information and appreciating the importance of evidence-based practice in elite sport.

The Biggest Challenge

The biggest challenge was adapting to the speed and standards of an elite inter-county environment. As a student joining an established backroom team, I needed to learn quickly, build trust and become dependable.

I overcame this by being organised, asking questions when I needed guidance, taking ownership of my responsibilities and learning from the experienced staff around me. Over time, I became more confident within my role.

The Most Rewarding Part of My Placement

The most rewarding part was being apart of and contributing, even in a small way, to a group that achieved so much. All-Ireland Champions, Munster Champions, National League Champions & even Munster League Champions, all in the same year.

There are very little people who get to experience that first hand and that is something I am very grateful for and probably most rewarding for me, along with the incredible celebrations that followed in the days after the final. Being able to share these celebrations with the players and backroom team was incredibly special.

It was also rewarding to see the impact this special team had beyond the pitch. Seeing first-hand how Limerick’s success brought so many people together across the county and gave so many supporters such a sense of pride of where they are from, and something special to celebrate.

How This Experience Has Influenced My Future Career Plans

Yes. This placement has strengthened my interest in pursuing a career in sports science, particularly from a strength and conditioning, performance, and psychology standpoint.

Working in such a high-performing environment gave me a clearer understanding of the demands of elite sport and the role that physical preparation, monitoring and mental performance can play in helping athletes succeed.

My Advice to Students Preparing for Co-Op

Go into placement with an open mind and be willing to learn from everyone around you. Be reliable, organised and proactive, even with small tasks, because attention to detail matters.

Do not be afraid to ask questions but also take initiative when appropriate. Build positive relationships, respect the expertise of others, be humble and remember they know more than you, so learn from them, be a sponge to their knowledge, practices & procedures.

Also understand how your role fits into the wider team. Most importantly, enjoy the experience, placement is an opportunity to learn in ways that cannot always be replicated in college.