Mousehole AFC are delighted to announce they have strengthened their management and coaching team with the appointment of Gareth O’Neill to the club’s new role of Head of Athletic Performance.
The 34-year old Northern Irishman, a dual-qualified strength & conditioning coach and chartered physiotherapist, has spent over ten years in four different countries practising two diverse yet inter-related professions of performance enhancement and sports rehabilitation.
Gareth’s new position with The Seagulls will operate alongside his existing roles with the Cornish Pirates in RFU Championship Rugby and in his business GoPhysio SW. His wealth of experience includes work in the Irish Premier League, youth and U21 international football and elite Gaelic Football. He is also currently an official supplier to the FA as a strength & conditioning coach with the England Cerebral Palsy Football team in preparation for the Nations Cup Tournament in Sardinia, Italy, in May 2020.
Mousehole senior Committee member Ben Gibson says Gareth O’Neill’s appointment is exactly in line with the club’s positive culture:
“The creation of the post of Head of Athletic Performance builds on Mousehole’s promising progress after promotion to the Peninsula Premier League this season, and underpins the club’s plans for further development. It also fulfils the club’s obligation to provide medical care as well as opportunities for athletic improvement. With experience of working in both youth and adult sport, Gareth will focus on all club players’ physical development and performance during their long-term pathway from youth to senior football, and onwards towards higher levels. We are extremely fortunate to have Gareth’s unique expertise on board at the club – his attitude and professionalism have fitted in perfectly and we have no doubt he will make a major contribution to the club’s future.”
Commenting enthusiastically on the appointment, Mousehole’s First Team Manager Jake Ash said:
“This is a massive boost to not only the first team, but the whole football club. Gareth’s work with the first team this season has been an integral part of our coaching programme, and he has very quickly become an irreplaceable member of our team.”
“His knowledge and ability to create precise personalised running and gym-based programmes across the whole squad – based on GPS analysis, S&C testing and tailored feedback – is a vital part of what we do. As a result, we have a group of players who are capable of playing with the intensity and in the style we want them to.”
“The introduction of his Injury Reduction warm ups and Post-Match recovery protocol have proved amazingly effective in reducing our player injury stats, while as coaches we benefit greatly from the information Gareth provides in the Post-Match medical report and Weekly Injury clinics. Communicating clearly about player injury status, rehab stage and availability gets our players back on the pitch as quickly as possible and allows us to plan better for training and games.”
“Not only that, Gareth is a huge asset for us in promoting the image of the club and successfully attracting the likes of Tallan Mitchell and Hayden Turner who can see what he can add to their game.”
Director of Football Operations Adam Fletcher added: “Mousehole have already seen several players rise up the footballing pyramid as a result of the club’s coaching strategy. And we are now attracting some of the top local talent. Also, we expect over the next few years to see some real progression from our impressive youth section, which comprises over 200 players all of whom benefit from the club’s coaching philosophy. Gareth O’Neill’s appointment will add massively to what we can offer to anyone with the ambition to progress, whether it’s to put themselves in the shop window for playing at a higher league through our links with pro clubs, or to come with us as part of our own upward journey. On top of this, we’ve just secured a partnership with a local gym, which provides the additional benefit of state-of-the-art facilities and expertise.”
Speaking of his new role, Gareth O’Neill explained: “It’s a privilege to be involved with Mousehole AFC on this joint venture in helping to create a genuine centre of expertise for Cornish football. In doing so, I’ll be launching GoPhysioSW from Trungle Parc in March 2020, offering physiotherapy services, injury rehab, strength & conditioning and personal training for sports teams, athletes and the general public alike. The long-term plan will then be to expand GoPhysio SW into a new premier private performance and rehab facility in South West Cornwall, based on-site at Mousehole AFC’s Trungle Parc.” (Gareth O’Neill can be contacted online via GoPhysioSW, Facebook or Instagram.)
