Gaels amalgamations

Started by The Monument Road, December 02, 2016, 01:18:10 PM

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beano

Very interesting discussion, here is my worth! I'm a primary school teacher outside Laois and to say that any teacher would refuse a GAA club coming in is plainly wrong, yes you'll get exceptions but most will take in an outside coach. There is also a direction link between coaches coming into schools and recruitment into clubs ! To say otherwise shows a complete lack of understanding of how to run a modern Gaa club and maybe it's the reason why clubs are struggling if that's what officers in the clubs are thinking. Take dublin for example, two clubs Castleknock and cuala both very successful now abd with large memberships, both were in non traditional areas however with full time coaches going into local schools they built up large juvenile sections and hence why they are successful, there's no reason why "urban" clubs/town in Laois cannot do the same such as mountrath, Mountmellick , durrow cannot do the same. The era of expecting kids just to turn up is long gone, you need to be willing to fight to get them to join your club.

beano

On the Portarlington boys numbers , the boys school is in county Offaly and the school figures quote are for schools in Laois that end got boys after senior infants.

SCFC

Quote from: Keyser Söze on January 01, 2017, 12:49:03 PM
Having just looked up Portarlington the numbers are very odd.
One school with 723 pupils, but with a breakdown of 159 boys and 564 girls. Jaysus that's most unusually uneven!
The only other school showing up is a Church of Ireland school with less than 100!

Is there a selective breeding programme in Port or what's going on?!
The boys from first to sixth class go to school in Offaly.

Downtheroad

Quote from: Keyser Söze on January 01, 2017, 12:49:03 PM
Having just looked up Portarlington the numbers are very odd.
One school with 723 pupils, but with a breakdown of 159 boys and 564 girls. Jaysus that's most unusually uneven!
The only other school showing up is a Church of Ireland school with less than 100!

Is there a selective breeding programme in Port or what's going on?!
The main Boys school in Port is located in Offaly. I think there are some mixed classes in the Laois School for boys up to 1st or 2nd class.

Downtheroad

Quote from: beano on January 01, 2017, 01:34:34 PM
Very interesting discussion, here is my worth! I'm a primary school teacher outside Laois and to say that any teacher would refuse a GAA club coming in is plainly wrong, yes you'll get exceptions but most will take in an outside coach. There is also a direction link between coaches coming into schools and recruitment into clubs ! To say otherwise shows a complete lack of understanding of how to run a modern Gaa club and maybe it's the reason why clubs are struggling if that's what officers in the clubs are thinking. Take dublin for example, two clubs Castleknock and cuala both very successful now abd with large memberships, both were in non traditional areas however with full time coaches going into local schools they built up large juvenile sections and hence why they are successful, there's no reason why "urban" clubs/town in Laois cannot do the same such as mountrath, Mountmellick , durrow cannot do the same. The era of expecting kids just to turn up is long gone, you need to be willing to fight to get them to join your club.

It's hard to compare what is happening in affluent middle class suburbs and fairly depressed Laois towns. The places you mentioned have catchment area greater than half of Laois. Serious money has been pumped in with full time coaches. No club in Laois has that  type of resources available. 

Keyser Söze

Quote from: Downtheroad on January 01, 2017, 04:51:17 PM
Quote from: beano on January 01, 2017, 01:34:34 PM
Very interesting discussion, here is my worth! I'm a primary school teacher outside Laois and to say that any teacher would refuse a GAA club coming in is plainly wrong, yes you'll get exceptions but most will take in an outside coach. There is also a direction link between coaches coming into schools and recruitment into clubs ! To say otherwise shows a complete lack of understanding of how to run a modern Gaa club and maybe it's the reason why clubs are struggling if that's what officers in the clubs are thinking. Take dublin for example, two clubs Castleknock and cuala both very successful now abd with large memberships, both were in non traditional areas however with full time coaches going into local schools they built up large juvenile sections and hence why they are successful, there's no reason why "urban" clubs/town in Laois cannot do the same such as mountrath, Mountmellick , durrow cannot do the same. The era of expecting kids just to turn up is long gone, you need to be willing to fight to get them to join your club.

It's hard to compare what is happening in affluent middle class suburbs and fairly depressed Laois towns. The places you mentioned have catchment area greater than half of Laois. Serious money has been pumped in with full time coaches. No club in Laois has that  type of resources available.

You have a point.
But on the other side you could argue that there are a hell of a lot fewer distractions in depressed Laois towns. Soccer is the only big rival, and the seasons don't cross over hugely.
It doesn't have to cost the club huge money IMO.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled.......

beano

It doesn't take that much money to hire a GAA coach , maybe cuala and Castleknock are bad examples but ballymun have a coach and St perigrenes in hartstown have one in an area where soccer is king and money are not plentiful , if they can do any club can do it. One thing that frustrates me about Laois Gaa in general is the excuses , "oh we can't do this " , it's the can do attitude that has different counties and clubs succesfull!

clonadmad

Quote from: beano on January 02, 2017, 11:48:34 AM
It doesn't take that much money to hire a GAA coach , maybe cuala and Castleknock are bad examples but ballymun have a coach and St perigrenes in hartstown have one in an area where soccer is king and money are not plentiful , if they can do any club can do it. One thing that frustrates me about Laois Gaa in general is the excuses , "oh we can't do this " , it's the can do attitude that has different counties and clubs succesfull!

Its my understanding that the Dublin County Board fund half the overall cost of hiring in a full time club GDA.

It would be interesting to see the Laois County Board reaction if 2/3 clubs here banded together and did similar and then went looking for half the total cost.

beano

Yeh three clubs going together would be the Ideal scenario, given that a coaches wages are approx €30,000 it would body the three clubs 15,000 about €5,000 each club, but factor in extra membership they would generate plus a well organised club summer camp it would actually cost the club very little. The benefits are obvious !!

Keyser Söze

Laois GAA do half fund a scheme where a club coach does a certain amount of hours in the primary school.
Its half paid for by the club & half by the county board. I think you are talking around about €3-4k per year. Half and Half.
Be interesting to first of all find out how many clubs are taking this option up before we talk about giving somebody a full time job out of it.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled.......

beano

Yeh I'm aware of it but I think they only "coach" in schools , the full time coach would ontop of recruiting players would train mentors and run courses !!

Keyser Söze

Quote from: beano on January 02, 2017, 06:06:45 PM
Yeh I'm aware of it but I think they only "coach" in schools , the full time coach would ontop of recruiting players would train mentors and run courses !!

Don't want to be pessimistic but for a county Laois' size I think this would basically just mean increasing the number of GDAs we have. I think we are a long way off a situation where the clubs of Laois are employing someone full time.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled.......

Don Draper

Quote from: Keyser Söze on January 02, 2017, 05:53:09 PM
Laois GAA do half fund a scheme where a club coach does a certain amount of hours in the primary school.
Its half paid for by the club & half by the county board. I think you are talking around about €3-4k per year. Half and Half.
Be interesting to first of all find out how many clubs are taking this option up before we talk about giving somebody a full time job out of it.
Nailed it again Keyser, you're on fire my friend. Some fellas on here, want Laois GAA to take them by the hands and run their clubs for them. The successful clubs in Laois get off their holes and go get shit done, well the ones that don't transfer in other clubs talent that is.

les Antiques

I agree thoroughly with the above , only so much the county board can do and if they put a structure in place its up to the clubs to follow through . A club  such as Park/Rath are a fine example and there are more like them but unfortunately there  clubs for various reasons in this county who are not half as innovative and can use excuses all day long .

Downtheroad

Quote from: les Antiques on January 03, 2017, 11:42:20 AM
I agree thoroughly with the above , only so much the county board can do and if they put a structure in place its up to the clubs to follow through . A club  such as Park/Rath are a fine example and there are more like them but unfortunately there  clubs for various reasons in this county who are not half as innovative and can use excuses all day long .

Yes Park/Rath are the model alright. Lovely grounds but a Junior A football club with a poor Intermediate Hurling (3rd Tier) outfit complemented by been one of the worst  clubs for putting teams in the "B" at underage.