The man Tyrone manager Mickey Harte describes as “my mentor” has established his own workshop in Mullingar aimed at club managers and coaches.
Bart McEnroe has had a strong influence on Tyrone’s three All-Ireland titles this decade, having worked closely with Harte. He also works with a large number of coaches and managers at all levels of sport and business in Ireland.
Double All-Ireland boss Harte, widely regarded as one of the game’s most original thinkers, credits Meath man Bart McEnroe with giving Tyrone a substantial edge throughout the 2000s.
And now McEnroe is to outline his approach to coaches interested in challenging their own approach. McEnroe’s workshop – which takes place in Mullingar on Saturday November 7 – is entitled ‘Coaching the Coach’, and will focus on improving a team’s ability to compete; a manager’s engagement style; dealing with underperformance, feedback and involvement; handling emotion; team meetings and match preparation.
McEnroe first worked with Harte in the build-up to the seismic Armagh clash in 2003. “If we’re to beat a team that fights for every inch, I have to fight for every millimetre. Today I think I came across one. His name is Bart McEnroe,” was Harte’s recollection of that first meeting in his first book Kicking Down Heaven’s Door.
He added, “He challenges me a lot. He puts me on the spot. He’s big into the power of questions. How do you really know what someone else is thinking, how do you really know what a player feels about a particular game, or his own role in the game?
“The only way you’ll be sure is to ask him.” After meeting McEnroe, Harte wrote: “I’m a better coach today that I was yesterday.”
The workshop is limited to just 18 managers.
“My wish for those who choose to attend is that they build on their engagement style, and further develop practical ways to bring a difference to what their team does on the field of play. Ultimately by fine-tuning themselves the manager or coach can have a very large impact on the team’s performance,” said McEnroe.
Places on the workshop can be booked by visiting www.SliNuaTraining.com, where further information on McEnroe’s innovative approach is outlined. Places on the course cost €200, and are allocated on a strict first-come, first-served basis.
“The reason we won the All-Ireland Intermediate final is because we could change our system of play at different times during the match. This was all possible because of the tools Bart gave me, which allowed me to involve my players in decision-making, thus getting the full benefit of their experience and intelligence,” says James Michael O’Sullivan, St Michael’s, Bally-Foilmore.
In a matter of two seasons, his team rose from being a struggling Division Two team in Kerry to All-Ireland Intermediate champions, South Kerry champions for the first time in their history, Kerry senior quarter-finalists, and amongst the top four finishers in Division One of the All-County league.
