Could Laois potentially look at putting together u12/u13 development squads? Am I right in saying that u14s is the youngest age group that we have at the moment?
The younger you can catch these players the better, because you would hope by the time they mature, all of what they've learned will just become second nature to them. I.E. drilling home the basic fundamentals, the importance of nutrition, S&C training, exposing players to what it's like to be in an elite environment etc.
Inviting in local club coaches of the players involved into training to show them how a session is properly structured, that will ultimately allow it to flow properly. Or even spread training around the county regularly, which will allow "Laois development squads to come to them" per say.
Our senior team cannot go any lower than when we're at the moment, so instead of being short sighted and pluck for a big name on huge wages invest that money into better coaching structures at underage level.
I completely get the reasoning behind hiring a Mickey Harte type, because now Louth will ride the crest of a wave for a few years with them getting into a Leinster Final. "But" Louth haven't won a Leinster minor title since 1953 or an under 20 title since 1981 so you would wonder how long they will sustain the consistency they've shown this year and last year per say?
When Laois were doing really well at underage level in the mid to late 90s and into the 00s, it was no fluke that we were able to sustain a competitive senior team for the best part of a decade.
It really isn't rocket science, plough money into developing our younger players and into coaching structures and watch it bear fruit. Have a target that by 2034 that we will have our senior side in Division 1/2 with our underage sides competing regularly in Leinster Finals and beyond.
The younger you can catch these players the better, because you would hope by the time they mature, all of what they've learned will just become second nature to them. I.E. drilling home the basic fundamentals, the importance of nutrition, S&C training, exposing players to what it's like to be in an elite environment etc.
Inviting in local club coaches of the players involved into training to show them how a session is properly structured, that will ultimately allow it to flow properly. Or even spread training around the county regularly, which will allow "Laois development squads to come to them" per say.
Our senior team cannot go any lower than when we're at the moment, so instead of being short sighted and pluck for a big name on huge wages invest that money into better coaching structures at underage level.
I completely get the reasoning behind hiring a Mickey Harte type, because now Louth will ride the crest of a wave for a few years with them getting into a Leinster Final. "But" Louth haven't won a Leinster minor title since 1953 or an under 20 title since 1981 so you would wonder how long they will sustain the consistency they've shown this year and last year per say?
When Laois were doing really well at underage level in the mid to late 90s and into the 00s, it was no fluke that we were able to sustain a competitive senior team for the best part of a decade.
It really isn't rocket science, plough money into developing our younger players and into coaching structures and watch it bear fruit. Have a target that by 2034 that we will have our senior side in Division 1/2 with our underage sides competing regularly in Leinster Finals and beyond.