Over 180 young players from all across Ireland travelled to Croke Park on Saturday October 24th to participate in the 2015 #GAAyouth Forum, which is organised by the GAA’s National Youth Committee in partnership with the Camogie Association, the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) and the Department of Children & Youth Affairs. The young male and female players, aged 12 – 21, were selected after an online application process. There were a huge number of Camogie players in attendance, who along with learning more about our games also made new friends from all over the country. Read more on forum below.
Other development News…
· GAA Youth Forum
· Round Towers Hurl with Me Programme
· Donegal Camp
· Need for Speed Workshop with Peter Casey
GAA Youth Forum
The theme of the 2015 #GAAyouth Forum is ‘Your Voice, Your Lifestyle, Your GAA’ and its aim was to educate and empower young people around Player Welfare issues that are important to them. The theme and issues were decided after a Consultation Day that was held with 100 young members in June 2014 at which the participants recommended that young players need more information and education around health, nutrition, injury prevention and burn-out.
The day got off to a great start with a welcome from Brian Carroll, Chair of the GAA Youth Committee and Ard Stuirthóir Páraic Duffy. This was followed by ice breakers for the attendees.
Interactive Workshops on Strength and Conditioning as well as Food and Nutrition also took place. These workshops focussed on the requirements of youth players male and female and were designed specifically with this age group in mind and ensured myths were debunked and the attendees were informed of facts.
Camogie delegates from Kilkenny at Youth Forum
Dr. Brendan Egan (Lecturer in UCD and Sligo Footballer) delivered the workshop on Food & Nutrition. The Workshop on Strength and Conditioning was hosted by Michael Fennelly (Lecturer in Setanta College and Kilkenny Hurler) and Julie Davis (S&C Coach with the Armagh Footballers). They also discussed the myths around Strength & Conditioning before leading a practical demonstration of the GAA’s Gaelic 15 Warm Up in the Hogan Stand Dressing Rooms.
Strength and Conditioning Workshop
The Forum concluded with a lively Q&A Panel session hosted by JOE.ie’s Paddy McKenna. The panellists included Ross Munnelly (Laois Footballer), Aishling Thompson (Cork Camogie player), Noelle Healy (Dublin Ladies Footballer), and experts in Sport Science including Dr. Brendan Egan, Julie Davis, Michael Fennelly (Kilkenny Hurler and Ronan Carolan. The panel discussed a range of different issues including: managing a good balance between education, work and GAA; communicating effectively with adult coaches; preventing burnout and injury prevention.
Round Towers Hurl with Me Programme
A Hurl with Me Programme involving parents and their daughters has started in Round Towers club in Lusk in North County Dublin. This programme is to help with the formation of a new camogie club in the area. Over 20 parents and their daughters attended the first night on Thursday the 22nd October. Well done to all involved who are learning the basic skills of the game.
Hurl with Me Programme
Donegal Camp
Donegal Camogie with the assistance of RDO Clare Dowdall held a coaching camp on Tuesday the 27th October for all club u8 and u10 players. There were 50 girls in attendance with the camp concentrating on skill development and games based training.
Special thanks to Aideen Quinn and Manus O Donnell for organising the camp.
Action from Donegal Camp
Group Picture of Donegal Camp with RDO Clare Dowdall
Need for Speed Workshop with Peter Casey
Peter Casey tutored on a ‘Need for Speed’ workshop held in O Tooles GAA club in Dublin on 15th October. Over 30 coaches attended the workshop on the night which addressed the different speeds needed for playing Camogie/Hurling. Peter Casey presented this topic earlier in year and National Coaching and Games Conference.
Peter Casey pictured with Mary O Connor after presenting 'The Need for Speed' Workshop at National Coaching and Games Conference in January of this year