Who are Setanta Athletic Development?

At Setanta Athletic Development, our team of industry leaders in youth development, elite performance, and sports science is dedicated to sharing their expertise with organisations of all levels and helping enhance their approach to athletic development. As a subsidiary of Setanta College, we have access to a wealth of academic knowledge and a network of leading coaches. We’re passionate about empowering coaches with the education and resources they need to create sustainable athletic 
development models that benefit players from youth to adult level. 

Des Ryan / Director of Coaching & Athletic Development 

Des is one of the leading youth coaches and performance managers within sport. He has previously served as Head S&C with Connacht Rugby, S&C Manager at the IRFU, and Head of Sports Medicine & Athletic Development (Academy) at Arsenal Football Club. 

Michéal Cahill / Chief Operating Officer 

Michéal is currently the Head S&C with Limerick Senior Footballers and has previously held this role with Clare GAA. His experience includes a long period in the United States working across the college, high school, and private sectors. He obtained his PhD through the Auckland University of Technology focusing on speed development in young athletes.  

Ian Jones / Head of Athletic Development 

Ian is currently the Head of S&C with the Cork Senior Hurlers and has vast experience in Athletic Development across the globe. He has worked with youth, college, professional & Olympic athletes. 

What do they do?

Setanta Athletic Development is a subsidiary of Setanta College focusing on the practical application of our world-leading education in human performance in organisations. Our approach is centered around three key pillars; Educate, Empowerment, and Sustainability. We aim to help organizations create lasting change within the organization and community.

• Education is the foundation of what we do. We prioritise the education of coaches within the organisation and community. Coaches gain access to the latest research and best practices through enrollment on programmes with Setanta College. As a result, organisations have qualified and experienced people who can lead sustainable athletic development models long into the future.
• Empowerment is the next step in our approach. We want to give the coaches and volunteers the tools they need to implement what they’ve learned and enhance approaches within the organisation. As your time with Setanta Athletic Development progresses, your coaches become more educated and experienced to lead the implementation of the programme.
• Sustainability is the ultimate goal. We’re committed to helping organisations create sustainable athletic development models that stand the test of time. Our approach focuses on building a strong foundation of knowledge and skills that can be passed down through generations of coaches and volunteers.

Who do they work with?

Since our beginning, over the past two years we have worked with a wide range of organisations that spreads across the community through to elite level sport.  

Community 

• Bishopstown GAA, Camogie & LGFA
• Mungret GAA, Camogie & LGFA
• Ballincollig Rugby
• Highfield Rugby
• Garryowen Rugby

Schools 

• Newbridge College
• Ardscoil Ris

Academy 

• Tipperary GAA
• Tipperary Camogie
• Galway GAA
• Cork LGFA
• Connacht Rugby

How does RYPT maximize its partnerships?

Coach Efficiency

We work across a large number of teams and players nationwide on a daily basis. RYPT gives us the ability to have a one-stop shop for our coaches to create and share training programmes in an effective and efficient manner. This is possible while also being able to keep each group private from one another. 

Long Term Development 

We specialize in Long Term Athletic Development. With daily player training data collection and training load tracking we can build a consistent record of everyone’s training history with RYPT. On a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, we can begin to truly establish an individualized approach to all the athletes we work with. 

Communication 

The RYPT platform offers us a variety of ways to engage the teams and players we work with. The Wellness Questionnaires for players to give feedback on their response to training can be utilized if appropriate in an environment. Many academies, schools, and clubs do not have the ability to meet with their players on a daily basis. The option to get an idea of how players are recovering from the training they are doing across multiple groups can go a long way to best serving each athlete. 

Educational Platform 

Education is central to everything we do at Setanta. The ‘Resource’ library within RYPT is an excellent tool for us to provide material such as Nutrition & Sports Psychology videos, notes, and guides. Athletes can use this as a reference library to keep up to date with best practice in terms of their training and give them autonomy over their own recovery and performance.