John McShane’s Post

In 2017 I set up DTB Futsal academy to help young local kids get the opportunity to experience what I consider essential in their football education, and that is Futsal. A fast paced game that gives the player 400-600% more exposure to all aspects of football (passing, shooting, decision making, etc.). This plus the ability to manage risk and exposure to 1v1 situations, makes Futsal (for me), one of the most important developmental tools for young footballers. Due to a lack of coach education at that time in Ireland I spent many years travelling to the UK and qualifying up to UEFA B in Futsal. My latest badge been awarded in St. George’s Park, England. With regular futsal slots and the academy growing in reputation, we had over 200 kids regularly playing futsal in our academy. The academy was set up after years of self directed learning, including sports law in the law society of Ireland and how to set up a club, Futsal badges through the English FA, plus years of traveling to Spain to participate in Futsal tournaments, meant that everything was going to be done professionally and to the highest standards. However, 2020 proved to be a very difficult year for indoor sports in Ireland. Although I was an international u18s football manager with the FAI schools, and an experienced underage airtricity football manager at u15s and u17s level, and qualified up to UEFA A elite through the FAI, it was futsal that I spent most of my time and energy on. Covid proved to be extremely challenging for indoor sports, and with our main centre turning into a Covid vaccination centre, a new venture was on the horizon. An opportunity that made a lot of sense on many levels.

Great learning experience today in the Carlton Hotel Dublin Airport at the FAI national coaching conference 2022. Loads of highly qualified people giving important insights into the world of football and best practices. All part of our coaching pathway and us coaches as self directed learners picking up from the best in the business. Looking forward to tomorrow Niall O Regan 💪🏻⚽️⚽️ #football #learning #coaching #experience

During this week we attended a club visit to West Ham United FC as part of the Elite Youth A licence. We learnt so much from a club steeped in rich history and heritage. West Ham made us feel incredibly welcome and we settled in right from the moment we walked through the gates. The culture of this club’s academy structure is rich in values and beliefs as well as strong philosophies that help guide the club. The best learning any coach could wish for. “A good coach is a good thief”. Ricky Martin. I will be using all of my learnings from this trip to help develop skills along my coaching pathway. #coaching #learning #westham #EliteYouthAClubVisit #blowingbubbles

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 What a career. On to the next stage now. An example to not only professional footballers but every professional athlete in the world. Anyone wanting to learn about what professional is all about, study Paul McShane. What a legend.

Nice start to our Centenary Shield campaign 2022. Looking forward to playing Northern Ireland, England, and Wales over the next few weeks. All games streamed live on the BBC iPlayer. #u18sInternationalTeam #CentenaryShield #FAISchools

Looking forward to finally getting to manage my country. What is success….it depends! Here’s to a great bunch of young players who are fully committed and ready to do their country proud. #success

Yesterday we hosted the 10th Anniversary of the Sean McShane memorial golf cup. We would like to thank all of the players, sponsors, volunteers, and family members for helping out to make it such an incredible charity event. This year we will give all of the proceeds to St. Michael’s house which does great work for people with disabilities. The day has grown from strength to strength from being televised on skysports to the generous donations and growing support. We have already started planning for next year.

Covid has forced us to reflect on many things. As a futsal academy we have had to shut down completely for the time being. However, as a result we have opened an outdoor football academy for small groups and individual coaching. This has become a great outlet for kids who currently have no football. Keep moving forward 🤙🏻⚽️. #footballacademy #uefacoaching #acceleratedlearning #opportunitiesforall