Shane Meehan

Can you tell us your name, job title and the course you studied at ATU? 

Shane Meehan, Construction Project Manager & Sports Performance Coach, MSc in Sports Performance Practice.

Can you share your career path to date? 

My coaching career has always been a side job, as with most sports in Ireland being amateur level. I work as a construction project manager by day. Coaching started with GAA at the club level. I then studied Strength & Conditioning courses and began work via AXSOM Sports, coaching Underage County Teams in athletic development. This progressed to working with senior club football and hurling teams and Intercounty Hurling.

What does your current role involve? 

As a sports performance coach, I programme all strength training for athletes, deliver all speed and conditioning work during pitch sessions, monitor the athletes' loads using GPS units, and coordinate planning pitch sessions with skills coaches for the sport

What motivated you to start studying? 

To have a chance to work in professional sport I needed to gain a master's level in Education. 

Why did you choose this course from ATU?

After reviewing many courses in sports I felt this was most suited to me with the modules it provided, plus the blend of learning online and on-campus. 

How did you find the process of studying online? What elements did you find helpful? Were there elements you found challenging? 

Being available to attend the live lectures, I feel, is very important for interaction with the lecturers and peers. Having all lectures recorded was also great to review or to catch up and not miss anything.

How did you balance work and study?

This was challenging at times as I was working a day job, coaching in the evenings, and studying. Time management and efficiency were key to this, but also knowing this was only for one academic year kept me going.

In terms of your employer, were they supportive of your decision to study? Were there elements of the course that were particularly relevant to your current employer?

There was no issue with interfering in my day job, and as I worked through the course, it was very applicable to the coaching and working in team environments.

What advice would you have for anyone considering studying online? 

If you are half considering it, just go for it; overall, it’s a short time for a big achievement

In what way has studying online with ATU benefitted your career?

It has certainly given me more confidence in what I am trying to deliver and knowing I am trying to do the right thing for the athletes and not just follow an internet fad.

Did this course provide any unexpected benefits to your career? 

The course gave me great insight into how high-performance coaching is applied in professional sports, far more than just gym and pitch sessions, etc.

Did you find that the elements you were studying had practical relevance in your day-to-day role? 

Yes, 100%. The course was intense, but the content was very relevant and had all the fat trimmed off. Very practical and key learnings.

Learn more about our MSc in Sports Performance Practice here