An interview with Drogheda United defender, owner of US2FITNESS & PlayerStat Data client, Dan O'Reilly & the importance of high-performance goals.

Dan O’Reilly is a defender at League of Ireland side Drogheda United, PlayerStat Data client & owner of US2UFITNESS,

an online fitness training business.

What does high-performance mean to you (at US2UFITNESS & Drogheda United)?

High performance means a lot to me. Every little detail over the past few years has to be perfect whether it’s training, nutrition, mindset, statistics etc. If I can get an extra couple % with these added bits to improve my game on the pitch, then I will avail of it. I feel I have really stepped up everything over the past 6-9 months on and off the field. With my business, it relates to my performance on the pitch in what I do so balancing the both of them really improves both.

Is goal setting important to you (in work and in sport)?

Goal setting is a big priority for me. For football, I have set goals for every season but this season I have broken them down into smaller periods which are done on a monthly and weekly basis. Going into each game I have goals which will lead from the previous game in things I did well and things I need to improve on.

Having performance statistics in terms of load but also the technical/tactical aspect with PlayerStat Data really helps me fine tune these going from game to game, and I feel this has helped my performance this season.

In terms of business, I have goals financially but also with each client I work with it is a priority of mine that we are both involved in the goal setting so we can make changes along the way, so the clients are going in the right direction while also building a rapport with me.

• How important is it to always drive your goals across work and sport?

It’s vital I drive my goals in sport and work. If I did not do this, I feel I would be at a loose end. Setting goals that are very high means that if I fall short at least I am still that bit closer to where I want to be. As they say If you shoot for the moon, you will hit a star! 

With work driving my goals on a monthly basis, this allows me to reassess at the end of every month and see where I am and if I am in line with them. Overall, 2021 has been a very important year in terms of football and business and I want to continue this for the next 4-5 months.

• You’ve been a client of ours for 12 months now; do you feel bespoke data insights have impacted your own performance goals? Does having control over what you want to see in each report impact your preparation for the next game?

Yes, the stats I receive on a weekly basis from PlayerStat Data have been vital to my performance and seeing these very detailed stats allows me to pinpoint what areas I want to improve and what areas have been doing well. Having my own input to what stats I want to see allows me to focus on different areas all the time relevant to my position on the pitch and also comparing them to other players in my position in the league means I become more competitive naturally.

I love the fact after every game if I have played well, I will know my stats should be high in the areas I want & vice versa – if I haven’t played well. It allows me to constantly improve. It has been a massive help and I feel over the next few years with the help of PlayerStat Data, this will only improve even more.

• Do you feel that having your own accurate, bespoke performance profile after each game gives you an advantage over others over the course of the season?

Yes 100% it gives me an advantage. It allows me to delve in deeper to my own performance and stats. It also allows me to focus on the main things I need as a defender and also compare them to similar people in my position in the league. Seeing it weekly means I can target certain areas to work on all the time.

• What impact can performance data insights have on driving medium-term high-performance goals?

It means, like I said, that I can focus on the smaller details, stuff like progressive passing, passing direction, heat maps etc just to name a few. It allows me to alter my goals over a 1–3-month period and then assess before making new goals. 

US2UFITNESS is an online training business offering personal programming to clients, structured nutrition plans & a top tier online coaching service; building relationships with clients while getting clients the results they need.

They have two eBooks for training & a free nutrition eBook available on www.us2ufitness.ie. They have also recently brought out some branded merchandise in resistance bands and will look to expand the range in the near future.

Dan – “I feel I am different to every other coach in how I approach training as I am a sports person, so I know what sort of training high performers need”.

Check them out on Instagram @us2ufitness