GAA - The simple things

[Bingo]

With the GAA and all the focus on Intercounty game and all that comes with it - professionalism, SKY, win at all costs, fixture messes, club V County, money etc etc - you can easily question what its all about. Can be a lot of negativity and a lot of it comes from within.

Then something comes along that reminds you why you put so much into it and why its important. That can be big events, like last years Hurling championship or smaller, more personal stories.

This week has been like that in my house.

The wee lad is 6, he is 7 in November, so he's been training with the Under 8's.

Tomorrow morning, he will be togging out for his first game. To say he is excited, is an understatement. Its just a challenge against another club but it also happens to be the wifes club, who his grand-da would have played with. He'll get a game as they'll split the groups up to play it along the Go games rules.

He knew from the start of the week about the game and hasn't stopped talking about it. The gear has been laid out since Tuesday evening. Among the gems are:
- Will we have to stay after training on Thursday to do extra practice before the match.
- Will it be on telly? When I told him "No", Will it be at least on twitter and facebook?
- Will there be a scoreboard?
- Will you make sure we aren't late, Daddy, you are always a bit late and I want to practice before the match starts.
- Will there be seats for Nanny and Mac(as he calls one of his grandda's) & Nanny & Grandda?

Then after Hurling training on Wednesday, he came home to tell me that "Clontibret are no good Daddy and their goalkeeper is useless". I laughed and told him he doesn't know that and it will be a good game and who told him that. He said one of the other boys watched them play before and told us.

The innocent of the youth.

Good times 

[INDIANA]

With the GAA and all the focus on Intercounty game and all that comes with it - professionalism, SKY, win at all costs, fixture messes, club V County, money etc etc - you can easily question what its all about. Can be a lot of negativity and a lot of it comes from within.

Then something comes along that reminds you why you put so much into it and why its important. That can be big events, like last years Hurling championship or smaller, more personal stories.

This week has been like that in my house.

The wee lad is 6, he is 7 in November, so he's been training with the Under 8's.

Tomorrow morning, he will be togging out for his first game. To say he is excited, is an understatement. Its just a challenge against another club but it also happens to be the wifes club, who his grand-da would have played with. He'll get a game as they'll split the groups up to play it along the Go games rules.

He knew from the start of the week about the game and hasn't stopped talking about it. The gear has been laid out since Tuesday evening. Among the gems are:
- Will we have to stay after training on Thursday to do extra practice before the match.
- Will it be on telly? When I told him "No", Will it be at least on twitter and facebook?
- Will there be a scoreboard?
- Will you make sure we aren't late, Daddy, you are always a bit late and I want to practice before the match starts.
- Will there be seats for Nanny and Mac(as he calls one of his grandda's) & Nanny & Grandda?

Then after Hurling training on Wednesday, he came home to tell me that "Clontibret are no good Daddy and their goalkeeper is useless". I laughed and told him he doesn't know that and it will be a good game and who told him that. He said one of the other boys watched them play before and told us.

The innocent of the youth.

Good times 

that's what its all about Bingo. Played till I was in my 40's and I still miss playing. Great times ahead for you.

[brokencrossbar1]

Funny  the same thing is happening in our house with our young lad. Armagh have an u8's Go Games league and 2 divisions with Cross having 2 teams,one in each division.  He would be like your lad Bingo as he is just 7 last week so he will be on the second team of u7s. All week he is at me about doing extra 'training' in the garden etc and all he wants is to get his jersey!!!  It's great!

[thebandit]

My club is part of a parish with 3 clubs, and for community games, join up with our bigger neighbours.

2 of our club's players wouldn't play community games football, as they would have to wear the jersey of the local rivals. They completely refused to go, and said they'd never wear that jersey. A compromise was reached, and they played in bibs.

The two boys are 10 and 9!!

[orangeman]

My club is part of a parish with 3 clubs, and for community games, join up with our bigger neighbours.

2 of our club's players wouldn't play community games football, as they would have to wear the jersey of the local rivals. They completely refused to go, and said they'd never wear that jersey. A compromise was reached, and they played in bibs.

The two boys are 10 and 9!!

That's the stuff ! 

[brokencrossbar1]

My club is part of a parish with 3 clubs, and for community games, join up with our bigger neighbours.

2 of our club's players wouldn't play community games football, as they would have to wear the jersey of the local rivals. They completely refused to go, and said they'd never wear that jersey. A compromise was reached, and they played in bibs.

The two boys are 10 and 9!!

Yeah but you lot are a thick crew down there,  you'd fight with each other nevermind everyone else! 

[Bingo]

that's what its all about Bingo. Played till I was in my 40's and I still miss playing. Great times ahead for you.

If I get the call for the odd B game this year, I'll be edging closer to the 40 mark myself!

Funny  the same thing is happening in our house with our young lad. Armagh have an u8's Go Games league and 2 divisions with Cross having 2 teams,one in each division.  He would be like your lad Bingo as he is just 7 last week so he will be on the second team of u7s. All week he is at me about doing extra 'training' in the garden etc and all he wants is to get his jersey!!!  It's great!

Its good craic, that's for sure.

I'm dreading the tears down the line, very emotional lad who bawled for 10 minutes last year when the Monaghan women lost in the All-Ireland.

[Banter Panther]

Nice piece.

[AZOffaly]

It is the simple things. There is a deep sense of satisfaction and enjoyment in helping out with the young kids. We have 80+ kids training with us on Tuesday nights, and about 60 on Saturdays. We do hurling and football alternately. The joy they get out of learning something new, or showing it off is brilliant.

A couple of years ago we had a team up from Cork for a day. We played U6, U8 and U10. We have 3 pitches side by side, and all 3 were full of kids playing. It was a sunny day, and before the games we marched them all out behind our local piper, who then played Amhran na bhFiann as the kids all stood to attention like an All Ireland final. Brilliant stuff.

[Banter Panther]

It is the simple things. There is a deep sense of satisfaction and enjoyment in helping out with the young kids. We have 80+ kids training with us on Tuesday nights, and about 60 on Saturdays. We do hurling and football alternately. The joy they get out of learning something new, or showing it off is brilliant.

A couple of years ago we had a team up from Cork for a day. We played U6, U8 and U10. We have 3 pitches side by side, and all 3 were full of kids playing. It was a sunny day, and before the games we marched them all out behind our local piper, who then played Amhran na bhFiann as the kids all stood to attention like an All Ireland final. Brilliant stuff.

Hate to lower the tone, because those scenes are brilliant, but it's a pity that they don't last longer or provide an example. From under-12 onwards (maybe even earlier), things get very heated, which is ridiculous when you think of it. I've heard of young fellas locally at under-10 level bullied for being no good, which is all out of order. The mothers don't help matters! By under-14 you can have all out war being waged! It's a pity this innocence doesn't last longer. I remember attending an under-8 schools blitz and I had to chuckle at their being far more goals than points and everyone actually getting along. That's what it's about.

[AZOffaly]

Well at some point the competitive element has to come into it, because some of life's greatest lessons are learnt on a football/hurling field in my opinion. Discipline, Teamwork towards a common goal, Respect for opponents, Learning how to lose and win gracefully and learning to deal with disappointment and with elation.

I agree that maybe it goes from 0-60 mph too quickly, but at U14 level I think it's fair enough that an element of trying to win is there. As long as a) it's not at all costs and b) the enjoyment isn't taken out of it. Some of the most enjoyable times in my life are in the GAA, and by Jaysus we were always trying to win!

I agree about the parents by the way, but I think it's improving as more parents get roped into volunteer activities which emphasise the development of the kids rather than winning the games. I think this is lasting up to U12 at least these days.

[Banter Panther]

Nothing wrong with a bit of competition Offalyman, but I do know/have seen some stuff that goes beyond the competitive and into the nastiness. I've seen too much of it in fact! But I agree that things seem to be improving with parents, I think clubs are making a better effort at encouraging a fair game with the realisation that the under-12 South Leitrim shield is not the All-Ireland final. To be fair, the parents are more childish than the children in a lot of cases

[Don Corleone]

Great times ahead Bingo. Hopefully Bingo the Younger manages to raise a flag or two to add to the occasion. Good luck!!!

[AZOffaly]

Nothing wrong with a bit of competition Offalyman, but I do know/have seen some stuff that goes beyond the competitive and into the nastiness. I've seen too much of it in fact! But I agree that things seem to be improving with parents, I think clubs are making a better effort at encouraging a fair game with the realisation that the under-12 South Leitrim shield is not the All-Ireland final. To be fair, the parents are more childish than the children in a lot of cases

Children want to win, but get over it fairly quickly when they lose. It takes them a lot longer to get over stuff being shouted at them if it's not the right thing.

Adults take their child losing as a slight on them, their family, their heritage and their own sporting prowess. It's the worst kind of vicarious living.

[Dinny Breen]

Nothing wrong with a bit of competition Offalyman, but I do know/have seen some stuff that goes beyond the competitive and into the nastiness. I've seen too much of it in fact! But I agree that things seem to be improving with parents, I think clubs are making a better effort at encouraging a fair game with the realisation that the under-12 South Leitrim shield is not the All-Ireland final. To be fair, the parents are more childish than the children in a lot of cases

Children want to win, but get over it fairly quickly when they lose. It takes them a lot longer to get over stuff being shouted at them if it's not the right thing.

Adults take their child losing as a slight on them, their family, their heritage and their own sporting prowess. It's the worst kind of vicarious living.

My young one is playing tomorrow, she's not 6 till June but it's an U6 girls game. Dropping her off to school during the week I asked her was she going to win, "Daddy but winning is not important, is it?" Me sheepishly, "No no no, of course not it's about how you perform and as long as you give your best and enjoy it, that's all that matters".

But she was dead right, winning is not important just encourage all kids to go out and be the best they can be and if they do that they can be proud and we can be proud parents.