Here is the draw for the U20 Leinster Championship 2020
Leinster U-20 Round 1
Wicklow v Dublin
Carlow v Wexford
Louth v Offaly
Leinster U-20 Quarter Final
Winners of Wicklow/Dublin v Longford
Winners of Carlow/Wexford v Meath
Winners of Louth/Offaly v Kildare
Laois v Westmeath
https://www.laoistoday.ie/2019/11/27/revealed-draw-made-for-leinster-u-20-football-championship/
John Kerins Cup
Saturday Januray 4 Round 1
Group 1
Kildare v Laois
Dublin v Meath
Group 2
Kerry v Cork
Galway bye
Saturday January 11 Round 2
Group 1
Laois v Meath
Kildare v Dublin
Group 2
Cork v Galway
Kerry bye
Saturday January 18 Round 3
Group 1
Meath v Kildare
Dublin v Laois
Group 2
Galway v Kerry
Cork Bye
Saturday January 25
Final
1st Placed Team Group 1 v 1st Placed Team Group 2
Play-Off*
2nd Placed Team Group 2 v 3rd Placed Team Group 2 (To give all teams three games)
Laois play Meath today @ 2pm in Portlaoise.
Team is:
Niall Gorman (Emo)
Michael Dowling (Portlaoise), Alex Mohan (Portarlington), Neil Keane (The Heath)
Sean O'Flynn (Courtwood), Gary Saunders (Portlaoise), Jack Lacey (St Joseph's)
Barry Howlin (O'Dempsey's), Sean Michael Corcoran (Portarlington)
Dean Brophy (St Joseph's), Colin Slevin (Portarlington), PJ Daly (The Heath)
Damon Larkin (Portlaoise), Ross Bolger (Killeshin), Jack Owens (Emo)
https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/01/10/laois-u-20-football-team-named-for-clash-with-meath/
I'm hearing Mike Quirke has pulled O'Flynn and Barry from the under 20 championship game this Saturday to keep them for senior duty the next day.
If it's true, it's disastrous for the management and other players and most unfair.
Hardly true,kinsella would be gone if it was,they can play sunday anyway
Quote from: Laois fan on February 12, 2020, 04:50:59 PM
Hardly true,kinsella would be gone if it was,they can play sunday anyway
It's true alright. I think it's disgraceful. It makes little of guys like Diarmuid Whelan who could do with game time and is over 20.
Very unfair county board shouldn't be allowing this to happen,as you mentioned plenty of seniors like whelan or gary walsh still to get a chance,would make other under 20 lads wonder why they bother
What a shambles
I have no problem with this if it happens. If Quirke does keep them for the Seniors, they're better off. They'll learn much more playing Senior football than Underage. Kildare slaughter young lads with football at underage and not many of them progress. If anything, it doesn't prepare them for what's coming, as Senior is a different ball game. There's an opportunity there for two other lads now anyway, so let's look at the positives as well. Now if the two lads wanted to play, I'd have sympathy for them, but my guess is they're fairly happy where they are.
It might be a moot point anyway with the weather the way it is.
From what I was told one of them was thick enough that he considered walking away from the Senior Panel in order to play, surely your loyalty is more to lads you grew up playing with
If he feels that way, he should do what he feels is right. I'm tired saying this on here and elsewhere. Underage football will only go so far to preparing you for Senior. For years now, we have looked at young lads, under developed and not properly tested, and hailed them as the next big thing. I'm guilty of it myself. It rarely happens. If you're good enough to be playing with the Seniors, enjoy it and learn as much as you can.
If you're only on the panel with the Seniors, common sense dictates that you should be allowed to play with the 20s, if only to get game time. A bit like the squad players are allowed to do in the rugby
The two lads should be allowed line out with the under 20s. It is a competition Loais can expect to do reasonable well in with a little bit of luck (and playing our strongest team). They will be long enough playing senior. As an underage player you want to play in these games and set out to win something. It would mean everything to these players and to the county if Laois were to win an underage title again. We have been starved of any sort of success for well over a decade now. Not entering our strongest teams is not going to change that statistic anytime soon.
As others have posted here- Laois have a panel of 30 players with a number yet to get meaningful game time. We could easily give the two lads a pass for Sunday and give likes of Walsh, Whelan, Healy etc. an opportunity of more game time. They are surely chomping at the bit to get out on the field and show what they can offer. I don't see our senior team being dramatically weakened by the two lads being released back to the U20s.
I see your point but I respectfully disagree. There is no way any of us could have envisaged the start to the season the seniors have had. And O'Flynn and Barry were central to everything that was good against Armagh. There's a lot at stake for staying in Division 2 this year, so we should try and make hay while we're in this form. Besides, it shows all the younger lads that there are places up for grabs if you prove yourself. For far too long, we kept knocking on the same old doors and rarely took chances on young lads. You can't beat a hungry young footballer for passion and energy, and O'Flynn in particular is made of that stuff.
I have my own opinion on this, but ultimately it rests with the players themselves. If they want to play, they should probably be let do so. Personally I'd rather see us do everything possible to stay in Division 2.
Quote from: Junior Ex Laoistalk on January 11, 2020, 12:12:15 PM
Laois play Meath today @ 2pm in Portlaoise.
Team is:
Niall Gorman (Emo)
Michael Dowling (Portlaoise), Alex Mohan (Portarlington), Neil Keane (The Heath)
Sean O'Flynn (Courtwood), Gary Saunders (Portlaoise), Jack Lacey (St Joseph's)
Barry Howlin (O'Dempsey's), Sean Michael Corcoran (Portarlington)
Dean Brophy (St Joseph's), Colin Slevin (Portarlington), PJ Daly (The Heath)
Damon Larkin (Portlaoise), Ross Bolger (Killeshin), Jack Owens (Emo)
https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/01/10/laois-u-20-football-team-named-for-clash-with-meath/
that doesn't appear to be the team??
That was the team for the Meath match earlier in the year oth.
Match called off 15 minutes before throw in. I'll imagine the senior match will he called off again tomorrow.
Sorry, I obviously didn't read it fully before I posted it here, the game has been rescheduled for Monday 17th February @7.30pm in MW Hire O'Moore Park
This is what I meant to post:
Matthew Byron (Courtwood)
Michael Dowling (Portlaoise); Alex Mohan (Portarlington), Neil Keane (The Heath)
Dean Brophy (St Joseph's), Gary Saunders (Portlaoise), Jack Lacey (St Joseph's)
PJ Daly (The Heath), Barry Howlin (O'Dempsey's)
Ronan Coffey (Portarlington), Jack Owens (Emo), Damon Larkin (Portlaoise)
Sean Michael Corcoran (Portarlington), Darragh Galvin (Portarlington), Josh Lacey (St Joseph's)
https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/02/14/no-barry-or-oflynn-as-laois-u-20-team-named-for-leinster-clash-with-westmeath/
Great to get the win last night albeit by a penalty shootout. Very tough on the two seniors if they aren't available for the Kildare game.
No Barry or O'Flynn again for Kildare game
Congrats to the Laois U20s.
Back-to-back Leinster Finals is tremendous work.
Great to see O'Flynn and Barry playing. Barry certainly did the business on a tough night for football. Hopefully it's as bad for the final.
LEINSTER U20 FC semi-final
Laois 1-7
Kildare 0-4
Delighted for everyone involved. O'Flynn and Barry were just so good. Great to see Kildare being second best two years in a row.
Dublin in the final now. They're after giving Meath a bit of a pasting in the other semi-final so they'll go into as comfortable favourites.
When and where is the final?
Quote from: SCFC on February 25, 2020, 01:24:45 PM
Quote from: portlaoisekid on February 23, 2020, 06:32:44 PM
When and where is the final?
Friday week in Carlow
The Eirgrid U20 Leinster Football Final between Dublin and CLG Laois will take place on Friday, 6th March at Netwatch Cullen Park in Carlow
Hopefully we bring similar support to what we did last year or maybe more. The lads deserve it. Dublin will bring no crowd to it really.
With the final on in Carlow, we should bring a big crowd to it.
Hopefully we can give it a good shot.
Great that its on TV as well.
Laois Abu!!
Best of luck to Laois this evening against the big, dirty Dubs. UP against it for sure but they have battled really hard to get to the final and hopefully this stands to them. Unfortunately I won't get to see it as I will be at the NCH with the missus. Will be having a sneaky look at the phone though. They will be playing music by Prokofiev so the Dance of the Knights is very appropriate for tonights clash between Laois and the Dubs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_hOR50u7ek (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_hOR50u7ek)
I think Sunderland FC play that Prokofiev tune as their team take to the field for all home matches to inspire them. Any chance Carlow might oblige Laois tonight as our boys run onto the pitch?
No arguments tonight. Completely outclassed. Hard to pick out Laois lads who did well but you could make a case for Dowling, Coffey, Byron (nice free taker) and maybe Saunders in patches.
Second year in a row steamrolled, no real answer to the pace, power and athleticism they had. Got a good start but once they got into their system and destroyed our kickouts it was going to take something very special to win it. Turnovers and kickouts were key, very sloppy in possession and kick passing and the insistence of soloing into contact were the main issues. This could have possibly been because of having no full forward line to be a focal point for ball. Some of the ball in at times was awful. There seemed to be a lack of moment for the kickouts and then bizarrely a decision to keep putting them into the same area where we were often out numbered and losing them. We needed a lot to go right and a lot of our stronger players to perform but they had their homework done on them.
Another tough night as Dublin win their 6th title in the last 7 years
This is all becoming really tiresome. Predictable and boring. I have long since been of the view that county boundaries are an inadequate way of dividing players into teams. Land mass does not correlate with population, resources and all that goes with that. Dublin GAA is gigantic compared to our volunteer based effort, and it shows.
Every time I think we have a nice group of players, I come away feeling naive and stupid for even entertaining the idea. That Dublin team were coached, conditioned and prepared to a level that we know nothing about. We throw a Manager at a team and ask them to pull a rabbit out of the hat. It just isn't going to happen. Not in a time when soccer no longer commands the numbers it used to in Dublin, or rugby either. Even the trendies are rocking up at GAA clubs, so much so that there are problems accommodating their people carrying tanks in the car parks. You can have all the room you want in our GAA grounds.
We got an awful hiding on our own kickouts. I honestly don't think you can blame anyone solely. Once Dublin pressed, we just couldn't get any possessions off our own restarts. You can't blame the keeper - he tried a number of various kicks. The two midfielders were as honest as they come but not as strong as their markers. The backs moved around as much as they could to offer options. Management made switches.
Sometimes you're just beaten ends up by a better bunch of players.
I think it goes a lot deeper than tactics. It's years of coaching and conditioning. And numbers too. My personal opinion is that we need to get the right people in early, rather than anyone who'll take the job too late. Even our senior players looked weak in the tackle last night, and surely that's a bad sign. And remember, that was pretty much a different Dublin team grom the one that beat us 12 months ago.
I thought Dublin were in a low gear in the second half. Foot to the floor, the could have put us out the gate. The gap is widening all the time
14 of the starting 15 for Dublin last night are underage again next year while only 2 of our starters are underage next year . Just think about that and let it sink in . Crazy
It's a scary prospect alright Laoiseabu. And the only benefit I can see is that we have the makings of a decent team. However, they probably need two to three years of decent coaching to develop them, whereas the Dublin lads are already a long way down that path.
The tale of the two midfielders from last year is a cautionary one. They appear on the face of it to have all the attributes necessary to be useful additions to the senior panel. But they're not ready; nowhere near it in fact. That reflects badly on our underage coaching and development. We are consistently looking weak and under prepared at all levels, and then trying to do too much too quickly at Senior. We could probably to with a Bryan Cullen type figure guiding us, but there's no chance we'd be able to afford or prepared to spend that type of money. It's fairly obvious that we're struggling
Quote from: High Fielder on March 07, 2020, 10:59:41 AM
It's a scary prospect alright Laoiseabu. And the only benefit I can see is that we have the makings of a decent team. However, they probably need two to three years of decent coaching to develop them, whereas the Dublin lads are already a long way down that path.
The tale of the two midfielders from last year is a cautionary one. They appear on the face of it to have all the attributes necessary to be useful additions to the senior panel. But they're not ready; nowhere near it in fact. That reflects badly on our underage coaching and development. We are consistently looking weak and under prepared at all levels, and then trying to do too much too quickly at Senior. We could probably to with a Bryan Cullen type figure guiding us, but there's no chance we'd be able to afford or prepared to spend that type of money. It's fairly obvious that we're struggling
Not so sure I agree with this. We had 5 or 6 GPOs not so long ago. What have we now? 2 or 3?? Surely the wages saved could be invested in a person like Cullen.
But we need the GPOs as well, and not just two or three. I would be very interested to know how many people work full time either directly or indirectly for Dublin GAA. We might never know that because of inventive accounting and the sheer volume of investment that is available to them. That's not their fault by the way, and good luck to them. Unfortunately, the bar is so high now that we can only dream of even making the jump.
I'm afraid all things considered we are small fry. Minnows. We need to up our game on so many levels. Our books only balance because other counties pack OMP in the summer. Our own crowd don't support us any more. Laois CLG consists of a handful of employees and is like Fleetwood trying to compete with Manchester City. And our underage players are being sent in to battle with their fists, and everyone else has a gun. A waste of time.
It's not a waste of time.
I've said it before on this forum, we are effectively battling to be the best of the rest at underage in Leinster. Do that regularly & every now and again we will get breaks, and most importantly continue feeding our senior team.
It takes a level of investment, coaching and organization to be the best of the rest in Leinster, and I'm talking generally rather than specifically about this team.
Assuming not every poster here is from Portlaoise, we all know what it's like to be under the cosh at both juvenile and adult level for periods of time at club level too.
To declare the whole thing a "waste of time" as the previous poster did is juvenile.
Nobody who sets out to compete in anything wants to be best of the rest. That's not enough to keep the wheels turning. And it sticks out like a sore thumb. We lack investment, comparatively speaking. We lack supporters. And we're lacking players too. I think plenty before me have decided it's a waste of time
I agree that we shouldn't set out to be best of the rest, but clubs and counties all over Ireland set targets year after year that don't involve winning their championship. It's reality.
I wonder why you'd bother posting, or following, considering it's a waste of time!
Because I love Laois, pure and simple, and I'll be good to go again for Mullingar. But people in general are staying away. And in some cases, so are players. And I'm starting to get it. In an overall context, we and many others are going nowhere. The GAA climate has changed dramatically and it's hard to know what we're working towards.
Quote from: Zooming around on March 07, 2020, 11:07:08 AM
Quote from: High Fielder on March 07, 2020, 10:59:41 AM
It's a scary prospect alright Laoiseabu. And the only benefit I can see is that we have the makings of a decent team. However, they probably need two to three years of decent coaching to develop them, whereas the Dublin lads are already a long way down that path.
The tale of the two midfielders from last year is a cautionary one. They appear on the face of it to have all the attributes necessary to be useful additions to the senior panel. But they're not ready; nowhere near it in fact. That reflects badly on our underage coaching and development. We are consistently looking weak and under prepared at all levels, and then trying to do too much too quickly at Senior. We could probably to with a Bryan Cullen type figure guiding us, but there's no chance we'd be able to afford or prepared to spend that type of money. It's fairly obvious that we're struggling
Not so sure I agree with this. We had 5 or 6 GPOs not so long ago. What have we now? 2 or 3?? Surely the wages saved could be invested in a person like Cullen.
We never at any point had 5 or 6 GDA's in situ at the one time
There's a budget in place for 5 positions but they have never been filled,there's been a struggle to attract suitable people.
Would you count Donal Brennan as suitable?!
I would be a bit more optimistic after yesterday's defeat. So much of the game yesterday hinged around the kickouts and, to be honest, I don't think it shows a very high level of preparation when we weren't able to deal with that (particularly when we have a goalkeeper who is clearly an accurate kicker). For me, it was disappointing that we weren't able to solve the problem during the course of the game (or didn't seem to be prepared for what to do when Dublin pressed a kick out). Similarly, the continual carrying the ball into contact was a recipe for failure against a team like Dublin (although I must say the strategic fouling that they got away with all through the game was a bit sickening).
Otherwise though I don't think there was all that much between the teams skillwise. There are a lot of very nice footballers on that team so I think they should be encouraged to stick with it. From 1-7, I thought the team was really excellent. Ronan Coffey looks like a lovely footballer, Slevin did well when the game was going against us and we know that Mark Barry has immense potential. Even several of the subs looked impressive when they came on. So I wouldn't say things are hopeless at all! If these lads stick with it, I think the future isn't too bad at all.
Quote from: Giovanni on March 07, 2020, 06:27:47 PM
I would be a bit more optimistic after yesterday's defeat. So much of the game yesterday hinged around the kickouts and, to be honest, I don't think it shows a very high level of preparation when we weren't able to deal with that (particularly when we have a goalkeeper who is clearly an accurate kicker). For me, it was disappointing that we weren't able to solve the problem during the course of the game (or didn't seem to be prepared for what to do when Dublin pressed a kick out). Similarly, the continual carrying the ball into contact was a recipe for failure against a team like Dublin (although I must say the strategic fouling that they got away with all through the game was a bit sickening).
Otherwise though I don't think there was all that much between the teams skillwise. There are a lot of very nice footballers on that team so I think they should be encouraged to stick with it. From 1-7, I thought the team was really excellent. Ronan Coffey looks like a lovely footballer, Slevin did well when the game was going against us and we know that Mark Barry has immense potential. Even several of the subs looked impressive when they came on. So I wouldn't say things are hopeless at all! If these lads stick with it, I think the future isn't too bad at all.
So there is nothing wrong ? We should stay doing what we are doing ? The bigger picture here involves getting lads to make the jump and go on and make senior intercounty footballers which we are very poor at doing ( example , Tyrell and Dunne the two midfielders last year and another one is Diarmuid Whelan ) these lads so far appear to not be part of any senior plans despite having raw potential . It's as if they all fell off a cliff . I don't want to mention any names but there is a couple of lads last night that I have seen on our senior team recently and they look streets away from what is required to be a senior intercounty footballer . I just think we need proper proper coaches and proper proper S and C coaches to take our lads at 13/14 years of age and develop them properly the whole way to senior . Physically our lads look way off what is required to win in this modern era. It all starts with grassroots and getting the process spot on the whole way up to senior .
Just to add to my previous post. The Dublin model and the Corofin model are two examples which I really like the look of and we should try to use here in Laois .
I saw something very different Giovanni. And I'm seeing it quite a lot; not just in the Under 20s. Other teams are stronger and more tenacious. We are physically weak and getting bullied. There is no doubt that we have skilful footballers in our midst, but as OTH said above, we can get steamrolled. You can be be as fancy as you want but still get tossed aside. You can put in a strong shift and still get out worked. Kildare bullied us and Dublin did the same last night. Their hunger for the ball and the way they hunted for it was something we couldn't live with. I'm under no illusions about that. There is nothing we could have done last night to win that match.
Quote from: Laoiseabu on March 07, 2020, 06:52:46 PM
Just to add to my previous post. The Dublin model and the Corofin model are two examples which I really like the look of and we should try to use here in Laois .
Like you just rock up and be Corofin or Dublin, not trying to be clever but these are long term philosophies of play that cannot be replicated in a year or two. I would already say these two models are probably outdated due to the fact that they are currently having success. What topples these models of play is anyone's guess but it won't be replicating them. Laois to have success must think ahead of the curve and develop players to that model, I don't think there is the will or interest in that type of development.
Everytime we lose a game the old S&C chestnut is brought up. This goes all the way back to the defeat to Armagh in 2003 when we thought more "meat" would win us games. At least at senior level, we've had brilliant S&C people including people who have been involved in top class set ups (like Sugrue himself). I know less about the underage setup but I just don't believe that we are spending less time in the gym on average or that we have less effective S&C programmes.
I don't believe that the difference is in our S&C regime. The difference is, as HF has pointed out many times, is simply in the numbers. If Laois has 50 credible players, Dublin will have 500. From that 500 you will always be able to find better athletes, bigger lads, stronger lads. There is just a natural advantage there and there's no getting around that no matter how many hours you spend in the gym.
This doesn't mean that it's all hopeless because thankfully the game is about more than just S&C. I would agree with Ballyroan and LaoisAbu is that what's missing is an identifiable model of how to play the game and even more basically a system of training that teaches lads how to respond in different circumstances. Kickouts. Forward movement. Tackling. Defensive systems. Shooting. Confidence and other psychological aspects of the game. These are all things that can be built with good training. Having said that, it's simply not correct to give the impression that the system in Laois is completely defunct- if it was, we wouldn't be producing these players and getting to Leinster Finals every year.
Personally, I'm quite happy that the likes of Tyrell are not making the team yet. Speaking of Corofin and Galway, Ronan Steede has only really now made a breakthough and he will be much the better for it. There's no rush in getting these lads into the team - I have no doubt they will make it before too long.
It's quite possible that there's nothing we could have done to win that game last night but with a few fairly simple improvements, we could have given ourselves a better chance. We tend to overreact to defeats and victories. Last night still gives me hope that we're going in the right direction.
Quote from: Laoiseabu on March 07, 2020, 06:52:46 PM
Just to add to my previous post. The Dublin model and the Corofin model are two examples which I really like the look of and we should try to use here in Laois .
The Corofin model has been in place since the mid 90's
They currently have 60 coaches in the juvenile club,vast majority would have award 1 or higher.
There's a major involvement also with current players mentoring juveniles particularly lads of 15:16/17
This doesn't get done overnight
Personally speaking I think many GAA heads nowadays bang on about tactics far too much, in truth when comparing tactics in the GAA and Soccer for argument sake it's chalk and cheese. In Soccer a managers tactical noose can win multiple games against better opposition, in the GAA this simply isn't the case and more often than not the favourite tends to win time and time again with very few shocks every year in either code of the Senior All Ireland Series.
For me in the GAA anyhow play a tiny part and I think many others need to realise that. I mean you look at the modern game how many forwards in a team can kick a point from play? How many defenders are actually natural born defenders and earn their corn on doing just that? What we have nowadays in the GAA is athletes being moulded into footballers and not footballers being moulded into athletes (with the football too) and it's a damning verdict on the way football is gone. Which highlights so many problems and lack of coaching is the cause.
A senior club will play an ex inter county player €15,0000 a year to manage them, yet the underage teams in the club may struggle for footballs or bibs or a set of new jerseys? To make it worse and I'm not blaming the volunteers who give up multiple hours/days out of their lives to then in turn be held responsible for nurturing the young talent coming through in these clubs, despite having no coaching education or guidance on how to actually coach?
I mean until Laois GAA get tough with clubs and demand anyone that's coaching or involved in an underage set up goes and attends all of these workshops and the county board are sending DO's or whoever around to assess sessions and what not we may as well give it up.
The earlier you catch young players with decent and proper coaching the better the player they become, it's that simple provided all parties are pulling their weight be it play and coach.
Perhaps if Laois even looked at regionalising pockets of the county where the cream of underage talent (before Laois underage set ups) locally from u10s to u13s or whatever get to train even 1 day or evening a week every week with a GDO taking a session? I.E. the elite 5 or 6 players from each club Graigue/Killeshin/Crettyard and then have the same Stradbally/Timahoe/Ballyinan etc (only random examples) where the coaches of these clubs attend to get educated and the kids themselves are getting coached? A win/win imo.
Quote from: Pugwash on March 08, 2020, 12:38:06 AM
Personally speaking I think many GAA heads nowadays bang on about tactics far too much, in truth when comparing tactics in the GAA and Soccer for argument sake it's chalk and cheese. In Soccer a managers tactical noose can win multiple games against better opposition, in the GAA this simply isn't the case and more often than not the favourite tends to win time and time again with very few shocks every year in either code of the Senior All Ireland Series.
For me in the GAA anyhow play a tiny part and I think many others need to realise that. I mean you look at the modern game how many forwards in a team can kick a point from play? How many defenders are actually natural born defenders and earn their corn on doing just that? What we have nowadays in the GAA is athletes being moulded into footballers and not footballers being moulded into athletes (with the football too) and it's a damning verdict on the way football is gone. Which highlights so many problems and lack of coaching is the cause.
A senior club will play an ex inter county player €15,0000 a year to manage them, yet the underage teams in the club may struggle for footballs or bibs or a set of new jerseys? To make it worse and I'm not blaming the volunteers who give up multiple hours/days out of their lives to then in turn be held responsible for nurturing the young talent coming through in these clubs, despite having no coaching education or guidance on how to actually coach?
I mean until Laois GAA get tough with clubs and demand anyone that's coaching or involved in an underage set up goes and attends all of these workshops and the county board are sending DO's or whoever around to assess sessions and what not we may as well give it up.
The earlier you catch young players with decent and proper coaching the better the player they become, it's that simple provided all parties are pulling their weight be it play and coach.
Perhaps if Laois even looked at regionalising pockets of the county where the cream of underage talent (before Laois underage set ups) locally from u10s to u13s or whatever get to train even 1 day or evening a week every week with a GDO taking a session? I.E. the elite 5 or 6 players from each club Graigue/Killeshin/Crettyard and then have the same Stradbally/Timahoe/Ballyinan etc (only random examples) where the coaches of these clubs attend to get educated and the kids themselves are getting coached? A win/win imo.
Are you seriously suggesting you take " an elite 5 or 6 players" "from clubs and put them in a regional squad and you train these u10's to u13's once a week?
Crazy and wrong on some many different levels
Quote from: clonadmad on March 08, 2020, 01:06:50 AM
Quote from: Pugwash on March 08, 2020, 12:38:06 AM
Personally speaking I think many GAA heads nowadays bang on about tactics far too much, in truth when comparing tactics in the GAA and Soccer for argument sake it's chalk and cheese. In Soccer a managers tactical noose can win multiple games against better opposition, in the GAA this simply isn't the case and more often than not the favourite tends to win time and time again with very few shocks every year in either code of the Senior All Ireland Series.
For me in the GAA anyhow play a tiny part and I think many others need to realise that. I mean you look at the modern game how many forwards in a team can kick a point from play? How many defenders are actually natural born defenders and earn their corn on doing just that? What we have nowadays in the GAA is athletes being moulded into footballers and not footballers being moulded into athletes (with the football too) and it's a damning verdict on the way football is gone. Which highlights so many problems and lack of coaching is the cause.
A senior club will play an ex inter county player €15,0000 a year to manage them, yet the underage teams in the club may struggle for footballs or bibs or a set of new jerseys? To make it worse and I'm not blaming the volunteers who give up multiple hours/days out of their lives to then in turn be held responsible for nurturing the young talent coming through in these clubs, despite having no coaching education or guidance on how to actually coach?
I mean until Laois GAA get tough with clubs and demand anyone that's coaching or involved in an underage set up goes and attends all of these workshops and the county board are sending DO's or whoever around to assess sessions and what not we may as well give it up.
The earlier you catch young players with decent and proper coaching the better the player they become, it's that simple provided all parties are pulling their weight be it play and coach.
Perhaps if Laois even looked at regionalising pockets of the county where the cream of underage talent (before Laois underage set ups) locally from u10s to u13s or whatever get to train even 1 day or evening a week every week with a GDO taking a session? I.E. the elite 5 or 6 players from each club Graigue/Killeshin/Crettyard and then have the same Stradbally/Timahoe/Ballyinan etc (only random examples) where the coaches of these clubs attend to get educated and the kids themselves are getting coached? A win/win imo.
Are you seriously suggesting you take " an elite 5 or 6 players" "from clubs and put them in a regional squad and you train these u10's to u13's once a week?
Crazy and wrong on some many different levels
Crazy and wrong?
From a coaching point of view, how is it wrong if you're giving kids an extra 30-40 hours of football minimum with proper structure and coaching per year?
By age 14/15 most young players have already developed certain bad habits that may potentially be extremely hard to coach out of them, hence why most Soccer Leagues nowadays have county set ups for as young as u12's and would train 1 if not 2 nights a week I'm sure? I know that the LOI clubs all have elite u13 teams who would train upto 3 nights a week, but a typical GAA attitude a sport a million years behind Soccer when it comes to coaching and education will know best I'm sure.
The earlier you bring these players into "elite environments" even strictly from a coaching point of view the quicker they develop.
Could you imagine an 11 year old forward getting advice from a qualified coach on how to use the correct technique to kick a score even for an hour a week? All the while watching others of a similar ages doing the same? Instead of being asked to run laps and being let kick 30 balls wide in a training session without someone being educated and qualified enough to actually go and speak to the child and show them how it's done!
No-one is saying to the take fun out of the sport for the younger ones, but surely to God if we thought outside the box and hired more GDO's and used them in ways like I've said or maybe not but in other ways that we could see real progress in years to come, as the natural talent is definitely in Laois it always has been but it's about maximising it.
@Clonadmad, again this is merely a suggestion on my part all hypothetical ;)