Jackson Layton - Sports Performance and CoachingThe Erasmus+ placement to Glasgow definitely benefited me greatly. It gave me a deeper understanding of the coaching and gym instructing role. The eight students that traveled to Glasgow from GTI spent a total of two weeks training with Todd from Clyde FC. We also took various to sporting facilities around Glasgow. We stayed at the Glasgow Lofts in Fleming House, and got a bus from the front door each morning.. The rooms we stayed in were amazing, but we had to prepare our own meals which was a new experience. I feel I have definitely improved my independence and budgeting skills.
We met some nice people at the New College Lanarkshire Sports Campus and I learned many new ways of adapting my workout routine and soccer training which I will look to use on returning to GTI. As well as my independence, I learned a lot about how to put together a training programme for a soccer team, which I know will be quite useful when I take up junior league soccer coaching in the future. I also really enjoyed the trips to Celtic FC and Rangers FC sports grounds and watching and listening to the coaches there gave me a real insight into how what I need to work on in order to get my foot in the door of the coaching courses I hope to potentially study after GTI. I know that having traveled and worked abroad will help me in the long term also, and will further enhance my CV, hopefully giving me more opportunities of getting a job in a leisure centre or soccer club and also helping in getting me one step closer to where I want to be in life. |
Philip Cunniffe - Elite Soccer / Professional and CoachingAfter my experience in Glasgow I realise that I want to succeed in a career of sport whether that is in coaching, playing, or volunteering. In Scotland I enjoyed myself thoroughly and I enjoyed exploring a new culture and what it has to offer. We were based in beautiful two bedroom apartments. I enjoyed the thrill of waking up every morning knowing that we had a day full of new challenges and opportunities. Myself and the rest of the students from GTI bonded from the beginning, which made it a relaxed atmosphere every evening to come back to.
The day we spent in Lennoxtown was quite interesting to see Celtic FC's 5 star training ground and their facilities. I feel like I have bettered myself in terms of coaching, playing and mentoring in the gym also. The Erasmus placement to Glasgow was very beneficial to me and my confidence as a coach has improved vastly as I feel I have had to develop my communication skills whilst on this placement, communicating with the coaches and players. This experience will be helpful also for future jobs and courses as it will be great to have on my CV, especially as I hope to progress into a career of sport. I am thankful to Leargas and Erasmus for accepting my application and giving me the opportunity to part take on this Erasmus placement. |
Aaron Hrehorow - Elite Soccer / Professional and CoachingFrom the experience of traveling to Glasgow I have realised I want to pursue a career in sport in the future, as I loved every minute of my placement. The facilities in Glasgow were astonishing. The accommodation was absolutely top class. The coaches were also great and they treated us like one of their own students and made us feel so welcome. The skills and qualities that I developed include, improving my confidence and independence. I can now live by myself and have more college options going forward.
My understanding of coaching has increased dramatically as I got to witness different aspects and point of views of the game during our time at New College Lanarkshire. We also visited the training centre of Celtic FC which was one of the highlights of the trip, where the facilities were of such a high standard. They even had their own chef, who produced one of the best dinners I've ever had. The apartments where we were based contained two bedrooms, and a fully functional kitchen and large living space. At first I wasn't sure if I would get on with everyone, having to live together, but as the days went by we bonded so much and became great friends. I also introduced myself to new friends who showed us around the town and some of the Scottish culture. This experience will be a great asset to include on my C.V, and it has presented new insights and opportunities to go further with my education or my football career. I feel that I have improved my skills and have more courses to choose from such as sports science and sports performance. I feel more confident to coach at a higher level in colleges abroad as I feel I can cope by myself, and for this I am thankful. |
Dylan Monaghan - Elite Soccer / Professional and CoachingI highly enjoyed my work placement in Glasgow. Firsty, the accommodation we stayed in was very good quality and also the location we were in was perfect as we were close to everything such as shops and places to eat, to experience the culture of Glasgow. New College Lanarkshire, where we were based during our placement had such great quality facilities for us to experience. They also had a stadium in the college where we did our training and they also had many different astro-turfs and cages for training. The training facility also consisted of two gyms, which had everything we needed. I feel I have benefited hugely from the gym work and training as we trained almost everyday.
I feel much more independent after returning from the trip. The coaches over there were very good. Our main coach was named Todd and he was very good in the gym with us, working both in groups and individually. From working with the coaches and the whole experience I feel much more confidence in myself and also confident in my own abilities in both football and also being more responsible for myself. The culture over in Glasgow is similar enough to Galway as there was a part of Glasgow that we walked through that was very similar to walking through shop street in Galway. This experience has helped me a lot going forward and I believe that I have returned to Galway a lot more confident in travelling and being more sure of my own abilities. |
Evan Coyne - Elite Soccer / Professional and CoachingOverall, my work experience in Glasgow went very well. I have gained a new understanding of coaching and training, from working with such great coaches. This has helped me in that I feel it has improved my confidence and skill set.
It has also made me rethink my outlook on coaching as a career. It was interesting to see the way the coaches pushed me everyday both on the soccer pitch and also in the gym. It made me feel really good about myself afterwards. Todd was our main coach on a day to day basis, and he had a massive impact on me because of the way he coaches and the way he tries to make you the best person that you can be. This was a useful insight into different coaching methods. In terms of building relationships with other, I started off not knowing the other lads from the group very well but I got along with them well and that made the work a lot more enjoyable. Going to places like Lennoxtown training centre and Celtic park were great opportunities to see how the professionals train. |
Garry Matthews - Elite Soccer / Professional and CoachingI greatly enjoyed the experience of living in Glasgow for two weeks. It was an intriguing visit as I had not previously been to Scotland, and it was made even more enjoyable by the company of my classmates from GTI. We had a close-knit group from the start which made everybody much more comfortable. I have lived abroad independently before this trip and so it was not difficult for me to settle in to the new surroundings, especially with the superb accommodation provided for us which was nothing short of luxurious. I was very relaxed from the beginning which allowed me to make the most of my time there. From the very beginning I loved the atmosphere and environment of the city, as did everyone else. We integrated with the local students very easily along with various people around the city, as the majority of people we met were very friendly and welcoming. It was very beneficial for all of us to experience the different vibes and features of the city, and also to compare it to home.
There wasn’t a single aspect of the trip that I didn’t enjoy. Everything from the location to the activities we participated in were absolutely ideal for athletes and sports enthusiasts. The rigorous training routine proved very beneficial for me as I noticed a significant increase in my fitness and strength over the two weeks. In my first football game for the college since returning home I felt much stronger and comfortable for the full match than I normally would have. This has made me realize that I must include the same training methods in my own regimen as we completed with Todd Lumsden, who was our strength and conditioning and football coach. He proved very motivational and consistent with us throughout, while also making the experience as enjoyable as possible. I also had the privilege of training with Clyde FC’s u20 squad on one evening, which I greatly enjoyed. The group collectively learned a lifetime worth of new information from Todd and the other coaches we worked with at Celtic, Rangers, and also Clyde FC, which will benefit us all in the future with our own career paths. I have acquired much more knowledge than I could have wished for, from interviewing at the beginning of the process to new training methods and goal setting. I am extremely grateful to have been selected for this opportunity and I am very thankful to Leargas and GTI for providing this experience. |
Michal Lukasik - Elite Soccer / Professional and CoachingThe Erasmus placement to Scotland to gain work experience in coaching and management was very useful in many ways. I mainly learned how to live by myself and to be independent away from home. During my stay I had to make my own meals and keep an eye on my expenditure to make sure I had enough money to get me through the two week placement. This great experience will definitely help me in the future when I move out of the family home and need to be more independent.
During the placement at New Lanarkshire College, I have also gained experience in coaching. I have learned new drills that can help me improve my soccer abilities and I have also learned coaching skills in the gym. My improved technique will help me coach others when I return to Ireland and GTI. This will hopefully help me in the future as I hope to continue my education in Carlow IT where I hope to do the soccer coaching and management course. Throughout my stay I had to improve my communication skills in order to work on improving some of my other skills including coaching, where giving clear instruction was a key skill to develop. I now feel more confident to speak to others freely and give my opinion. Thanks to that I also improved friendships with the other students that I traveled with. I also improved my communication and IT skills when I typed up my entries for my work diary and blog. Overall I found the experience very useful, not only to develop my communication and coaching skills but also very useful to see what soccer is like abroad and witness the levels in a different country. Overall, I enjoyed the work placement and gained a lot form the experience. |
During my placement in Glasgow I enjoyed living semi-independently, it was a great experience having to shop, clean and cook for myself. I enjoyed playing football daily and going to the gym, and I was pushed hard during these sessions and reaped great rewards in terms of my fitness, physical presence and physique. It was enjoyable to explore the city of Glasgow with the group and we met a good few locals who were extremely friendly.
It was also enjoyable to visit and watch training sessions at Celtic FC, Rangers FC and at Lennoxtown training ground, where the sessions were at an elite level. I was shown a lot of respect and equality from those I was with and around during the 2 weeks. I learned a lot of skills and techniques such as coaching skills, mentality in different situations, self motivation, teamwork and personal football skills, like my touch and control along with improving my physique. These are skills that I can use now that i'm back in Ireland.
From living in the apartment I got a good experience of being somewhat independent and gained confidence in budgeting and taking care of myself, my diet and well being. I came to realise that I definitely want to continue to progress in the field of coaching as I enjoy the whole experience of helping others progress with their goals and being a part of the process. I feel like it will give me a better understanding and confidence with coaching in the underage sport in the role that I currently hold. I will be able to use what I have learned from this experience to help me in my personal life and career from present to the future. I am very thankful for having been given an opportunity like this, as it has really benefited me personally and professionally.
It was also enjoyable to visit and watch training sessions at Celtic FC, Rangers FC and at Lennoxtown training ground, where the sessions were at an elite level. I was shown a lot of respect and equality from those I was with and around during the 2 weeks. I learned a lot of skills and techniques such as coaching skills, mentality in different situations, self motivation, teamwork and personal football skills, like my touch and control along with improving my physique. These are skills that I can use now that i'm back in Ireland.
From living in the apartment I got a good experience of being somewhat independent and gained confidence in budgeting and taking care of myself, my diet and well being. I came to realise that I definitely want to continue to progress in the field of coaching as I enjoy the whole experience of helping others progress with their goals and being a part of the process. I feel like it will give me a better understanding and confidence with coaching in the underage sport in the role that I currently hold. I will be able to use what I have learned from this experience to help me in my personal life and career from present to the future. I am very thankful for having been given an opportunity like this, as it has really benefited me personally and professionally.