How will summer soccer impact the GAA at local level?

[SpeculativeEffort]

Anyone care to predict how the move to summer soccer will impact GAA?

[Farrandeelin]

Anyone care to predict how the move to summer soccer will impact GAA?

Already changed in Mayo for a good while now, 10 years or more. Young lads will play both insofar as they can, some opting for soccer obviously. While those at adult level will make up their minds. Our club has lost a few players over the years, to soccer thst is. Some returned back again after a season or two at adult level. It's usually the players around the fringes that have left, ones that see themselves on the periphery of the senior team while they're making the step from underage to adult football. Those who are willing to stick around usually do.

[galwayman]

Anyone care to predict how the move to summer soccer will impact GAA?

Is this being made mandatory for all junior leagues now or what?
We have a soccer club in our parish - there's a certain amount of crossover - but I would say maybe 2-3 players from the Gaelic football first team play soccer and they all choose Gaelic football over soccer when it comes down to it.

[SpeculativeEffort]

I think this will hit the clubs that play football and hurling the most. Parents are happy enough to have children play soccer in winter with hurling and football in summer. With all three on at the same time something will definitely lose out.
Can anyone give an example of a dual GAA club and how they work with summer soccer?

[thejuice]

Certainly around these parts soccer could lose out more than the gaa clubs. Soccer clubs around us have the same facilities as they did in the early 90's whereas the gaa clubs are pretty top notch. Anytime I remember there being a clash in fixtures Gaelic won out. The soccer coach even kicked lads off his team one time over it.

[SCFC]

Don't know much about it but it will have virtually no impact in Laois. The percentage of lads who play both and would put soccer first in a fixture clash would be very small.
I think it's a pity myself. I always liked playing soccer in the winter for a bit of craic.

[TheClubman]

I think it's potentially a big issue and seems to me the GAA is doing little or no planning for it. In fact they actually seem to be pushing on with a massive change to underage grades at the exact same time which strikes me as complete lunacy. Personally I feel this is a disappointing move by soccer and one which will guarantee everyone loses except rugby. Again I think a double standard exists....if the GAA decided to move into another sports traditional territory/calendar there would be an outcry about it. I don't think that's paranoia.

[DuffleKing]

What's this about then?

[manfromdelmonte]

I think it's potentially a big issue and seems to me the GAA is doing little or no planning for it. In fact they actually seem to be pushing on with a massive change to underage grades at the exact same time which strikes me as complete lunacy. Personally I feel this is a disappointing move by soccer and one which will guarantee everyone loses except rugby. Again I think a double standard exists....if the GAA decided to move into another sports traditional territory/calendar there would be an outcry about it. I don't think that's paranoia.

The GAA are changing age grades and competitions way too quickly
And reducing the focus on county development squads when soccer academies are going the opposite way

[Baile Brigín 2]

I think it's potentially a big issue and seems to me the GAA is doing little or no planning for it. In fact they actually seem to be pushing on with a massive change to underage grades at the exact same time which strikes me as complete lunacy. Personally I feel this is a disappointing move by soccer and one which will guarantee everyone loses except rugby. Again I think a double standard exists....if the GAA decided to move into another sports traditional territory/calendar there would be an outcry about it. I don't think that's paranoia.

They made the switch in 2003. This is the last of the leagues, mostly rural.

Oddly the world kept spinning.