Fair comment Muck Savage, and I'll address then bit by bit, because you ask a few questions.
Muck Savage wrote:I've been very interested in the comments posted here by everyone for a few different reasons. This has been a very good debate and some good ideas have been floated out there to get improvement into a county that is long resting on its history.
I'm going to ask a few questions however. How many people on this board, LS, AZ, OF, etc., are currently, or have been, involved in any GAA club/county board outside of playing?
Speaking for myself, I have been involved in starting a club, fundraising, organising tournaments etc etc with a club in the US. The same club hosted the All Star hurlers in 2003 and is still going, so I hope we did something right. Having said that, I have not been involved at a local level at home beyond playing, and helping out with coaching schoolkids a bit.
There is a huge amount of work involved in it and anyone on the current or past county boards have full time jobs as well. Now, take your own situation, you get home from work say 6pm, are you prepared to get back into a car after the dinner say at 7pm and go working at improving Offaly GAA three or four nights a week and then at the weekend spend another 5-6 hours doing the same? This is going to be pay free of course. Getting a coaching paper, takes time. Again will you do this. I liken this to lads sitting in a pub saying that this move or that move should have been made after the match, saying that this lad or that lad has no passion in the game when all of these lads their talking about have put in long hours getting ready for that game.
All of that is beyond argument. I don't think anyone said any differently. What is being suggested is that the right things are not being done. No-one doubts the effort that the lads, and ladies of course, are putting in, but the point is are they doing a good job? Or could they do a few things differently? I don't think this is a case of Viva la revolution.
I see quotes like
"I'd encourage you to go to the CB with these ideas" - But will you go along with him and voice the concern as many rather than one?
"Waste of time doing this as no-one will listen in the club" - most clubs are always looking for people to join minor boards or help with underage teams. Why not go down and get involved at this level? Let's be honest, it's at underage level the work is needed.
Regarding the first quote, I think that's mine, I would support any move to air these ideas, but as I said, we have 9 months or so to talk to people, lobby for support etc. etc. I would have no problem chatting to lads in Ferbane when I'm home, and if we had a concrete set of proposals we all agreed on, I'd like to think we could all do a bit to ensure it is raised in a few clubs across the county. Maybe one of these would filter through at least, and engender debate at CB level. It is underage we are talking about mainly anyway. The point about getting involved at underage level is well made, but without the coaching expertise that we are looking at the CB funding in the form of well run academies or whatever, that's a seperate thing altogether, unless any of us have their coaching qualifications and are not using them. The point is that the CB is not using any coaches we may have correctly.
We can all use the excuse of work/family/kids/not living in Offaly etc. That's crap if you ask me, 12-15 people posted on this topic in the last week, why not do something about it?
How about all four. Sometimes you have to be realistic as well. I personally am not in a position at the moment to commit to an arduous undertaking like this, at least up in Ferbane, but that does not negate my right to support, or indeed suggest, improvements. I've already said that the CB and indeed Club boards put in a lot of effort, but is it the effort expended in the correct way?
I've served as Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Register on club boards. I coached/trained underage and adult teams as well as play at both club and inter-county level. Every one of these positions took a massive amount of work and time. I don’t have any coaching papers, just haven’t been able to get the time to get them, but I will this year. I’m currently playing at home even though I live away, but am involved in training a minor football team in a club away from home because I think I can make a difference. This coaching won’t improve Offaly football (it might be a benefit to Offaly as I’ll be damaging talent in a different county!) but it actions!
I'm not sure what point you are making here. You seem to be suggesting that we don't respect the effort being put in or something? I do, but I do feel the structures themselves need an overhaul. I don't have coaching papers either, but I am going to try myself as well. I will also be trying my best to damage local talent, but at least it's only Tipperary
Lets have a quick look around, anyone want to start a committee to start addressing these issues? Minor board positions are usually easy enough to get if ye attend a meeting, and even if you don’t you can still pick one up. Never mind the County board and the senior teams, too late to change what’s in motion. Start at the base.
We can all give ideas on what needs to be done, Christ, I’ll give you hundreds that I think would make a difference. Problem is implementation of these ideas and most importantly people to implement these ideas.
Time to Stand up and fight lads!
This is what I was suggesting in an earlier post. Why not try and come up with a few ideas, and then bring the message to our own clubs. Get it on the agenda for club AGMs, and mandate county delegates to raise it at County Board level. At least it might do something in the form of forcing a re-think, even if the ideas themselves are dismissed.
Shane Gavin. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
