Un Cambio Es Bueno

[Buck Face]

My argument was not predicated on inserting games anywhere, I simply agreed with what I believe Pat Cleary was saying in that players and clubs suffer when their players are unavailable to them throughout championship season and that players should not be wrapped in cotton wool for the sake of a potentially good county team (at whatever level). I stand by that.

You then challenged me to name a county where clubs had more access to their players in the period from May to July. I gave you examples.

You then said it was not possible for Offaly to run off championships like in these counties. I've explained we can by adopting the same policies as they have in place regarding midweek games etc.

In all of this I said we need to structure our championships better and think you agree with me that it is far from ideal to have an 11 week break like this year.

Claiming we have to play the first round off as we may be snookered by a successful run doesn't wash with me. I don't believe that playing one round at the beginning of May will save us from much so we should adopt either the policy of playing midweek or wait until the county teams are finished altogether. That there is the 'nuts and bolts' of a better structured championship.

[Fargo Boyle]

there's five times as many junior slogging matches in the muck of the Spring, where they're far more likely to get hurt by a thirty-something has been who knows that he doesn't have the legs to chase after young lads any more and so is tempted to throw in a hard tackle to "slow them up".

Ah here, you can brow beat the County Board all you want but I take offence to this as one of those thirty somethings!!
Junior football is a right of passage for every young lad. In my vast and glorious career at junior level (A through C) I never saw a young lad malicioulsy injured.
Back in my day junior football was a sacrificial alter to the young enthusiastic showboater who never passed. The old stiff arm sorted them out - always worked - they passed the next time

[Offalys Future]

Three weeks later and still no formal way to submit thoughts to the committee as promised by the county board.
It looks like all club coaches and interested people are to arrive on the 10th of September and be told what to do rather than be involved in the process.
This just seems mad.
A non coaching committee are going to setup guidelines on how you should coach in Offaly.
Only in Offaly would this happen.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

That is a disgrace OF, Buckface, can you shed any light on this? How can lads put forward their thoughts to the committee?

[True Red]

took this from Edenderrygaa.com

Major Effort to restore Offaly Hurlingbegins with Open Forum





A major effort to restore Offaly hurling to its place among the top hurling counties will kick off with an Offaly Hurling Open Forum on the Wednesday after the All-Ireland hurling final.



A Leinster Council initiative, headed by former Offaly Manager, Diarmuid Healy has been established to put a process in place to re-establish Offaly as a top hurling county.



An Offaly Hurling Committee has been put to assist in the process. The committee is chaired by Kieran Keenaghan(St Rynagh’s) and includes Pat Cleary(Ballinamere); Joe Errity(Birr), Cillian Farrell(Edenderry), Martin Hanamy(St Rynagh’s); Liam Hogan(Ballyboden St Enda’s and formerly Coolderry); Finian McDermott(Tullamore); Damien Martin(St Rynagh’s) and Pat O’Connor(Coolderry).



The role of the committee is to identify issues, identify solutions to those issues, draft plans to deal with the issues and identify people to implement those plans.



The committee has already indentified coaching and team preparation at club and county level as two major issues. Plans are already being drafted to organise courses in coaching and team preparation by top coaches from outside the county.



High powered intensive courses are also being planned for all county mentors to commence in October.



An Offaly Hurling Open Forum will be held in the County Arms Hotel, Birr on Wednesday September 10 at 8pm. This Forum will consist of a presentation by Diarmuid Healy on Stage 1 of Offaly Recovery – Implementing Skill Coaching in Team Preparationwhich will focus on defining hurling, coaching and team preparation. This will be followed by questions and answers and a sharing of ideas of how to restore Offaly to its rightful place among the top hurling counties.



The Forum is open to all. Club officials, team mentors, players and club members are particularly encouraged to attend.

[Plain of the Herbs]

People from Tellamore and Edenderry on the committee. How does Pat Cleary stick it at all?

[True Red]

'wont someone think of the kids?'