Wexford get full time coaches and a plan. What do we get?
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 8:30 pm
Coaching to be tackled on a regional basis
by Ronan Fagan
COUNTY WEXFORD is to be carved into three regions as part of the GAA’s five-year Coaching Development Plan for the county.
The South area, incorporating Wexford town, numbers 19 clubs, plus five Secondary Schools and 31 Primary Schools.
Mid-Wexford, including Enniscorthy and New Ross, features 16 clubs, five Secondary schools and 28 Primary Schools.
And the North, with such centres as Gorey, Bunclody and Ferns, has 15 clubs, 5 Secondary Schools and 32 Primary Schools.
Among the principal aspects of the coaching plan will be the employment of seven full-time as well as five seasonal coaches. Four of the permanent tutors will be coaching both Gaelic football and hurling, while the other three will dedicate their energies to the small-ball game.
Ultimately one dual coach together with a hurling coach will be assigned to each region, with the remainder of the coaching staff being deployed between the three areas. “We have drafted a detailed plan, with key goals and objectives for the development of coaching from now through to 2012,” County Chairman, Ger Doyle explains.
“For example, for the Primary Schools, we want three football and three hurling blitz competitions for under-8 to under-10 age groups for seven, eight and nine-a-side teams, at the end of which we would hope to have 95% participation throughout the county by the time this plan reaches its fifth year.
“In Secondary Schools, the goal is to choose under-13/14 teams with an emphasis on players from ‘weaker’ hurling and football clubs, leading to five football and five hurling blitzes across the county, with the selection of county representative blitz teams by 2010.”
Additional features of the plan include the establishment of urban based multicultural GAA fun activity camps, during the Easter and Halloween holiday periods. The Chairman is eager to pilot these particular programmes this year, with a view towards staging such camps in the county’s six towns from 2009 onwards, with the Oulart-The Ballagh clubman pointing out that “the towns need a lot of attention”, with clear reference to the little real senior championship success enjoyed by urban teams in the modern era.
Wexford GAA is determined to leave absolutely nothing to chance in their efforts to cater for all requirements under the coaching plan. Indeed, Mick Kinsella, the new County Coaching Development Officer, is set to review similar programmes in counties such as Galway, Tipperary and Dublin over the coming weeks, “to help make sure that we are using the best practice, and to see if any of those counties encountered any pitfalls so as we can avoid similar problems”, Doyle adds.
by Ronan Fagan
COUNTY WEXFORD is to be carved into three regions as part of the GAA’s five-year Coaching Development Plan for the county.
The South area, incorporating Wexford town, numbers 19 clubs, plus five Secondary Schools and 31 Primary Schools.
Mid-Wexford, including Enniscorthy and New Ross, features 16 clubs, five Secondary schools and 28 Primary Schools.
And the North, with such centres as Gorey, Bunclody and Ferns, has 15 clubs, 5 Secondary Schools and 32 Primary Schools.
Among the principal aspects of the coaching plan will be the employment of seven full-time as well as five seasonal coaches. Four of the permanent tutors will be coaching both Gaelic football and hurling, while the other three will dedicate their energies to the small-ball game.
Ultimately one dual coach together with a hurling coach will be assigned to each region, with the remainder of the coaching staff being deployed between the three areas. “We have drafted a detailed plan, with key goals and objectives for the development of coaching from now through to 2012,” County Chairman, Ger Doyle explains.
“For example, for the Primary Schools, we want three football and three hurling blitz competitions for under-8 to under-10 age groups for seven, eight and nine-a-side teams, at the end of which we would hope to have 95% participation throughout the county by the time this plan reaches its fifth year.
“In Secondary Schools, the goal is to choose under-13/14 teams with an emphasis on players from ‘weaker’ hurling and football clubs, leading to five football and five hurling blitzes across the county, with the selection of county representative blitz teams by 2010.”
Additional features of the plan include the establishment of urban based multicultural GAA fun activity camps, during the Easter and Halloween holiday periods. The Chairman is eager to pilot these particular programmes this year, with a view towards staging such camps in the county’s six towns from 2009 onwards, with the Oulart-The Ballagh clubman pointing out that “the towns need a lot of attention”, with clear reference to the little real senior championship success enjoyed by urban teams in the modern era.
Wexford GAA is determined to leave absolutely nothing to chance in their efforts to cater for all requirements under the coaching plan. Indeed, Mick Kinsella, the new County Coaching Development Officer, is set to review similar programmes in counties such as Galway, Tipperary and Dublin over the coming weeks, “to help make sure that we are using the best practice, and to see if any of those counties encountered any pitfalls so as we can avoid similar problems”, Doyle adds.