Considering the trends in our game at present, what would the general consensus be as to which skills an underage should focus their time?
In Soccer it would be : First touch, pass, shoot
In Basketball it would be : pass, shoot, dribble
In hurling it would be : first touch, striking and catching
In Gaelic football I would be very much in the view that focus should be Catching, Kicking, tackling - especially in the current laws. However, I see a huge amount of time spend on handpassing and soloing. Yet the players who are dominating now at senior level are those who can catch a high ball, kick accurately (and from distance) and can tackle properly.
I am interested to know why a lot of coaches put such an emphasis on solo running and handpassing, both of which only slow down the play in general.