Arron Graffin is a former Antrim Senior Hurler and “proud member of the Cushendall Ruairí Óg club”. Aaron also works as a Player Development Manager with the GPA and is currently studying the Certificate in Youth Athletic Development with Setanta. 

You can read more about Arron’s story below. 

Working with the GPA

“As a Player Development Manager with the GPA, I co-deliver the GPA Player Development Programme (PDP), BEO360, which is built around four key pillars: Life Skills, Dual Career, Transition, and Wellbeing. BEO means ‘alive’ in Irish and 360 understands the 360-degree holistic view of a player, of a person. However, BEO means to Build, Empower, Own. BEO360 wants to encourage players to build and expand a strong foundation for their future by expanding their identity and developing essential life skills for dual careers beyond sport.  BEO360 wants to empower players to elevate and evolve through continuous growth, learning and development — personally, academically, and professionally.”

   A key aspect of the role is supporting players both on and off the field. 

“In this role, I provide one-to-one personal development coaching to male and female inter-county Gaelic Games players. Ultimately, sport is just one chapter of a person’s life. Supporting players in preparing for what comes next ensures they’re equipped to thrive in whatever path they choose. Personal development is a journey with no destination, it is continuous and constantly flowing.”

Graffin Player Development

In addition to his GPA role, Arron runs Graffin Player Development (GPD), a platform created to offer coaching that considers the full athlete experience.

“Graffin Player Development (GPD) is a coaching platform I created to support Gaelic Games players through a holistic approach to player development. My work primarily focuses on understanding the person behind the player and I work mainly with youth athletes, adult teams and coaches, implementing development strategies across the key pillars of performance: technical, tactical, physical, and mental.”

Central to Arron’s philosophy is trust. He approaches every athlete with a mindset of curiosity, collaboration, and compassion.

“When working one-to-one with athletes, the foundation is always trust and connection. I use the motto ‘Connection before Correction’ — therefore I usually begin by creating a safe, open environment where the player feels comfortable to speak honestly about their experiences, goals, and challenges.

My mission is to inspire excellence and empower players to challenge themselves, to compete at the highest level in a way that is both enjoyable and rewarding.

I’m deeply passionate about people and find great satisfaction in supporting players as they grow, improve, and develop into the best versions of themselves, both on and off the field.

In my coaching, I strive to create a fun, engaging environment that encourages players to make smart decisions, solve problems, and develop their skills under pressure. My aim is to support not just better athletes, but more confident, capable individuals.”

Studying with Setanta

To enhance his understanding of athletic development — particularly for younger athletes — Arron pursued the Certificate in Youth Athletic Development with Setanta College.

“I pursued the Certificate in Youth Athletic Development due to my passion for working with young athletes and helping them reach their full potential in a safe, developmentally appropriate way. I wanted to enhance my knowledge and skillset within the athletic development space and recognised a growing need for evidence-based approaches to youth training.”

Setanta’s blend of research and real-world coaching aligned perfectly with his own approach.

“The most beneficial part of studying with Setanta has been the practical, evidence-based approach to youth athletic development. The course content was immediately applicable and fully accessible online, which bridged the gap between theory and real-world coaching.”

“I’ve been able to apply elements of the course to my everyday career — whether it’s designing age-appropriate training plans or enhancing communication with athletes and their parents. It’s helped me coach with more confidence and clarity, and ultimately offer a safer and more effective developmental environment.”

Looking Ahead

“I want to continue to engage in CPD to further enhance my skillset, knowledge and learning.  I am particularly interested in Performance Psychology so I want to explore that further while continuing to develop and hone my own coaching craft and style both on-the-field as a sports coach but also off-the-field as a personal development coach too.”

Learn more about the Certificate in Youth Athletic Development here.