Humans of Gaelic

The truth about half-time team talks: from an expert with Brazil & GAA counties

Humans of Gaelic

Show Notes

Is your half-time team talk doing more harm than good? Armagh native and GAA coach Eamon Devlin is the specialist who changes the way world-class sports teams approach half-time. He worked with Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid and now Brazil, while he also consults for Argentina Rugby, several inter-county GAA teams, Premier League clubs and NBA sides to help them fix the most chaotic 15 minutes in sport. We talk about: The biggest mistakes GAA coaches make at half-time What world class coaches like Carlo Ancelotti and Felipe Contepomi have in common Why emotional regulation is the coach’s first job How Real Madrid and the All-Blacks structure their team-talks What happens when you give out too many messages? Should the full management team go into the dressing room? Is letting your opponents wait on the pitch at HT beneficial? When should players flip the switch pre-game?

Whether you're a coach or chasing an edge as a player, this episode will permanently change how you think about game day and half-time.

➕ We've got some great guests coming up. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss any episodes. **************************** 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 **************************** Subscribe to the Humans of Gaelic podcast wherever you're listening. Leave a Review: If you found value in this episode, please give it a rating and review. It helps us hugely Share the Episode: Know someone who'd enjoy this show? Share it and help us spread the word! **************************** 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 **************************** For more performance tips, insights, and the latest updates, visit: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠humansofgaelic.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@humansofgaelic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Humans of Gaelic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@humansofgaelic⁠⁠⁠⁠

More from Humans of Gaelic

Aug 20, 2026

Join 7k+ athletes - Gaelic Games S&C, Performance and Coaching newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://portal.humansofgaelic.com/newsletter⁠

Aug 5, 2026

Join 7k+ athletes - Gaelic Games S&C, Performance and Coaching newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://portal.humansofgaelic.com/newsletter⁠

Jul 22, 2026

Join 7k+ athletes - Gaelic Games S&C, Performance and Coaching newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://portal.humansofgaelic.com/newsletter Should you always go to bed at the same time? Is eight hours a myth? And why is your sleep tracker maybe doing more harm than good? With club championships now in full swing, I sat down with Emmett Lynch, a professional sleep coach trained in cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, to break down what's actually happening when GAA players can't sleep before or after a big game. Emmett works with county players, club players and elite boxers through his practice in Derry, and he's blunt about the myths doing the rounds: the eight hour rule, mouth taping, magnesium tablets, obsessive sleep tracking. His whole approach flips the usual advice on its head. Instead of chasing sleep harder, he tells players to try easier. In this episode, we also cover: • The most common issues GAA players bring to him • Why "tired" and "sleepy" are two completely different things • The truth about bedtime routines, screens and phone scrolling before bed • A simple write-it-down method for a racing mind the night before a game • Controlled rest periods versus naps on match day • Getting to sleep after a night game full of adrenaline • Whether elite athletes actually need more sleep than everyone else • Sleep trackers - are they helping or hurting your recovery? • The truth about melatonin, magnesium and mouth taping Whether you're a player struggling to switch off before championship or a coach trying to help your squad recover better, this one is worth your time. You can follow or reach out to Emmett on his Instagram

Jul 8, 2026

Join 7k+ athletes - Gaelic Games S&C, Performance and Coaching newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://portal.humansofgaelic.com/newsletter

Jul 1, 2026

Join 7k+ athletes - Gaelic Games S&C, Performance and Coaching newsletter: ⁠⁠https://portal.humansofgaelic.com/newsletter Why are GAA players being dictated to by their dominant foot without even knowing it? Why does dominant-side kicking shape a team's entire tactical shape? And why is what we're currently doing to develop the non-dominant side simply not working? Dr. Karol Dillon has just completed his PhD on bilaterality in Gaelic football - five years of research - and he's back on the podcast to break it all down. After our first conversation, Karol has spent the last year visiting clubs and counties across Ireland sharing his findings. What he found surprised even him. In this episode, we cover: Why skill development in GAA needs to be treated like a lifestyle, not a drill at training

See all episodes →