PAT CRITCHLEY IS just in the door from a basketball match when his phone rings.
His Scoil Chríost Rí side team were successful on this occasion, but a camogie defeat is still gnawing at him from the previous day. Not to worry: there’s another to follow tomorrow.
It’s Christmas week, with plenty of other things going on, but that means little to the renowned Portlaoise coach.
Laois’ only hurling All-Star, Critchley retired from PE teaching a few years ago but he remains a permanent fixture in the local secondary school.
Some people may remember a January day in 2020. First, he managed Scoil Chríost Rí to U19 ‘A’ All-Ireland basketball glory in Dublin, before hightailing it to Monaghan where he steered the Carlow IT footballers to their first Sigerson Cup final.
Just another day in the life.
Always on the go, with many more strings to his bow.
“You’d be in for something after school nearly every day — and the games as well,” Critchley tells The 42.
“I retired a number of years ago from teaching, but it’s still a great interest to have.
“You’re passionate about it, especially in the school as it has been huge part of my life. The history and building up that culture over a number of years, it’s continuing from one generation to the next and is really rewarding.”
Critchley has a new book out called ‘A Coaching Way’. Within, he shares brilliant insight, strategies and tools for successful coaching, drawing on his own experience and that of others around the world.
It’s a handy guide but not the definitive one, he stresses, with no shortage of excellent yarns from over half-a-century in hurling, football and basketball included.
Having already published two books, Hungry Hill and Bruno, this project happened naturally. Through the years, people would have came to him looking for advice and drills.
He had always scribbled down his own notes throughout, almost in shorthand, so during the Covid-19 pandemic, Critchley decided to make sense of them for others and begin the process.
“When the first lockdown came, there was nothing much else going on so I made a start.
“Got things written down and just kept going from there. It came together pretty good in the end, I’m happy with the structure that it took.
“Over the years you’d read lots of books, you might read an autobiography of a player or a coach and you take one or two nuggets out of it. You’re trying to get as many nuggets in as you can. If anyone coaching takes a few nuggets out of it, and generally, it might get coaches reflecting on what they’re doing. It’s hopefully a help to coaches at all levels.
“It’s important that it’s called A Coaching Way, it’s not The Coaching Way because there is no The Coaching Way. Everyone has to find their own their own pathway, and they’ve got to be themselves as well. Sometimes coaches begin coaching and they go from year to year and they never reflect on why they’re coaching. They’re parents or they had retired from playing and they want to give something back, but that’s the circumstances that they got involved in coaching, it’s not actually why you’re coaching.
“Reflecting on the why [is important] because that affects how we coach especially. It’s fiercely important to have a good understanding of the reasons why you’re coaching and the influence that you have as a player, as a coach, as a parent and bringing those values into a good coaching environment.”
Critchley writes about his own influences and how he forged his successful sporting path, with his primary school teacher and coach Brother Somers a pivotal figure. From Kilkenny, hurling was his number one but he also implemented football and basketball.
As Critchley’s glittering playing career across those codes took shape, he soon began coaching himself. Initially, it was out of necessity at U16 level. There was no one to coach the U14 club basketball team, so he took the reins and it went from there.
By the age of 27, he was player-coach of Portlaoise, helping them to a county double before they fell agonisingly short of repeating the feat at Leinster level. In all, he holds 14 Laois senior county championships – seven each in hurling and football — three Leinster club football championships and one All-Ireland club football title.
That’s just some of the barrage of silverware he has won, with endless success delivered at the highest level in Gaelic games and basketball, and lifetime achievement and outstanding contribution awards stacking up.
That crossover between sports has been hugely beneficial throughout.
“As a player and a coach I always found it keeps you vibrant, switching and changing,” he explains.
“Any time I changed from one sport to the other, I felt refreshed. I didn’t feel a big burning out as such. There’s new challenges to every sport, the different sports and crossovers, things that you would learn from one and bring to the other. That has always been the way, no doubt, whether a player or a coach.”
Critchley always points to that when people wonder how he does it all. It has been a huge factor in the longevity of his career, along with the sheer enjoyment of helping others.
“I always say no matter what sport you’re coaching, you’re coaching the person first and the player second. It’s seeing players improve and develop. You get great satisfaction of them doing well. Something they weren’t comfortable doing a couple of months ago or a year or two ago, seeing the improvement.
“I’d have most of the players for six years and seeing the development, you get great satisfaction out of that. And when all of that comes together in team play, it’s hugely rewarding.”
Critchley is a strong advocate for not overcoaching either, and allowing players to express themselves. That’s best seen through his ‘Have A Go’ game, 10 minutes of freestyle at training where he encourages trying out new skills. “What might be looked at as flair today will become the fundamentals of tomorrow,” he notes, with huge emphasis put on self-improvement and fostering a growth mindset.
He really has seen, and done, it all.
“Another aspect that’s very pleasing is seeing the rise of women’s sport,” Critchley adds.
“Over the years, the girls would put in a huge effort and would have been successful, and it wouldn’t really be recognised that much in the early years despite the efforts they put in and the performances and all of that. They realised what they’ve done themselves, there’s the intrinsic satisfaction of that, but in more recent times, it’s really blossoming and it’s great to see right across all sports that the women’s end of it is getting the recognition that they deserve.
“It’s just growing and getting bigger and bigger and better and better again.”
The book is dedicated to his family, coaches and all the players he has worked with, in particular the late David Brown. The 15-year-old GAA star died following an accident earlier this year, with Critchley writing:
“Although it was cut short, I was privileged to have been a small part of his journey. He was our jewel, embodying all the attributes we strive to develop as coaches; skill, athleticism, hardworking, a loyal team player, shrewd brave, played with a cutting edge, respectful to his coaches and always looking to learn and improve. More importantly though, was the person who blossomed.”
Brown is one of the many incredible people Critchley has encountered along the way.
And after all, that is what it’s all about.
Person first, player second.
Always.
- A Coaching Way is available to buy online here >
