Antrim Football Thread

[Milltown Row2]

Like I said it was one session up the county and another in Belfast...

You got picked up and away ya went..

Parents now won't allow their little one to go up the road..

I was doing this during the troubles, many a night driving outta Dunloy the UDR were waiting to stop us for a while, one night we didn't get home till midnight lol

No mobile phones, life was simpler and a lot cheaper for parents as they were not out of cost..

Not sure it would be expensive

[Saffron_sam20]

I'd say there's a lot of people can't be arsed with the travel involved. It's a long journey a couple of times a week from some of the clubs. I've heard of a few people who just wouldn't attend county trials due to the commitment needed.

At the local club I'd say there's a few might be good enough but a load of them play Camogie for the county instead but there's one girl who doesn't play Camogie and she's an outstanding footballer but only one parent drives so she has never been to any trials.

Back in the day, we made our way to Casement, the south Antrim minibus picked us up and we went to Dunloy or Loughgiel and vice versa the county lads got in a bus and headed to Belfast for training

Kids are soft or their parents are nowadays.. probably both

If you were able to put kids on a minibus then it might see more people willing to do it.

If my daughter made it to that level, you're talking a 70 mile round trip to Belfast however many times a week and I've got two other kids who do stuff too. Not only is that expensive but there's nights it just wouldn't be possible when they all have stuff on.

Sticking you on a minibus as a kid for however many hours is a totally different level of commitment required from parents and it doesn't make anyone soft.

Why though? not having a go but parents let their kids that age go on a bus to school on their own, go on a bus for school trips why would this be any different? if anything it would make life a lot easier for parents, if you've a couple of kids you're not worrying about just running 1 here there and everywhere. drop them off and lift them from the bus. Parents really dont need to be standing watching training and tbh if I was a coach id hate a load of parents watching all the time.

[barnish oggie]

I'd say there's a lot of people can't be arsed with the travel involved. It's a long journey a couple of times a week from some of the clubs. I've heard of a few people who just wouldn't attend county trials due to the commitment needed.

At the local club I'd say there's a few might be good enough but a load of them play Camogie for the county instead but there's one girl who doesn't play Camogie and she's an outstanding footballer but only one parent drives so she has never been to any trials.

Back in the day, we made our way to Casement, the south Antrim minibus picked us up and we went to Dunloy or Loughgiel and vice versa the county lads got in a bus and headed to Belfast for training

Kids are soft or their parents are nowadays.. probably both

If you were able to put kids on a minibus then it might see more people willing to do it.

If my daughter made it to that level, you're talking a 70 mile round trip to Belfast however many times a week and I've got two other kids who do stuff too. Not only is that expensive but there's nights it just wouldn't be possible when they all have stuff on.

Sticking you on a minibus as a kid for however many hours is a totally different level of commitment required from parents and it doesn't make anyone soft.

Why though? not having a go but parents let their kids that age go on a bus to school on their own, go on a bus for school trips why would this be any different? if anything it would make life a lot easier for parents, if you've a couple of kids you're not worrying about just running 1 here there and everywhere. drop them off and lift them from the bus. Parents really dont need to be standing watching training and tbh if I was a coach id hate a load of parents watching all the time.

I would say there would be a huge onus on the driver with regards to safeguarding for one.

And GAA safeguarding is separate to what you would need for say an Ulsterbus driver.

Same goes for Access NI clearance.

Gone are the days when we used to all jump in the back of our u12/u14 managers Transit van and head up to the Glens for a days hurling, leaving in the morning and not home until late that evening with no mobile phones so parent had no idea where you were for most of the day and the manager the only adult with us!!

The other aspect is of course financial.

Unless a club owns a minibus then you are looking at hiring something and they don't come cheap these days.

[Spike]

Lets be realistic, the days of sticking a child on a bus on their own has long passed. Maybe regional gatherings can occur regularly with a monthly gathering of the whole group in Belfast/The Country on a monthly basis. 

[NAG1]

I've a really novel idea, might be a bit crazy but it also might work.

Why not develop a centre of excellence somewhere near the middle of the county, that would have great facilities including a gym and changing facilities flood lights etc and have all the county teams meeting there!

[Saffrongael]

I've a really novel idea, might be a bit crazy but it also might work.

Why not develop a centre of excellence somewhere near the middle of the county, that would have great facilities including a gym and changing facilities flood lights etc and have all the county teams meeting there!

I think some of those development squad sessions were at Dunsilly but not an equitable split with Woodlands

[Milltown Row2]

I'd say there's a lot of people can't be arsed with the travel involved. It's a long journey a couple of times a week from some of the clubs. I've heard of a few people who just wouldn't attend county trials due to the commitment needed.

At the local club I'd say there's a few might be good enough but a load of them play Camogie for the county instead but there's one girl who doesn't play Camogie and she's an outstanding footballer but only one parent drives so she has never been to any trials.

Back in the day, we made our way to Casement, the south Antrim minibus picked us up and we went to Dunloy or Loughgiel and vice versa the county lads got in a bus and headed to Belfast for training

Kids are soft or their parents are nowadays.. probably both

If you were able to put kids on a minibus then it might see more people willing to do it.

If my daughter made it to that level, you're talking a 70 mile round trip to Belfast however many times a week and I've got two other kids who do stuff too. Not only is that expensive but there's nights it just wouldn't be possible when they all have stuff on.

Sticking you on a minibus as a kid for however many hours is a totally different level of commitment required from parents and it doesn't make anyone soft.

Why though? not having a go but parents let their kids that age go on a bus to school on their own, go on a bus for school trips why would this be any different? if anything it would make life a lot easier for parents, if you've a couple of kids you're not worrying about just running 1 here there and everywhere. drop them off and lift them from the bus. Parents really dont need to be standing watching training and tbh if I was a coach id hate a load of parents watching all the time.

I would say there would be a huge onus on the driver with regards to safeguarding for one.

And GAA safeguarding is separate to what you would need for say an Ulsterbus driver.

Same goes for Access NI clearance.

Gone are the days when we used to all jump in the back of our u12/u14 managers Transit van and head up to the Glens for a days hurling, leaving in the morning and not home until late that evening with no mobile phones so parent had no idea where you were for most of the day and the manager the only adult with us!!

The other aspect is of course financial.

Unless a club owns a minibus then you are looking at hiring something and they don't come cheap these days.

Access NI is a good thing, a professional driver is a good thing, getting kids to and from sessions/games is a good thing.

The cost needs looked looked at of course, but we send off our little ones to school everyday for hours and hours and hey ho they arrive back, parents complaining about having to run them all over the place, wise up, that's on you...

If you want to do it, then make it work, if not don't bother

[bannside]

The vast majority of sports stars will testify to the level of sacrifices made by their parents on their journey to elite level.

I have a sister who for about 8 years got up at 5.30am to get her son over to the national aquatic centre in Dublin for 7am, something like 124 lengths of the pool, drove him to school, collected him after school and went back for another 124 lengths. There were about 20 kids on the national elite course, none with any guarantees of success. All doing the same, some coming from further afield.

And her lad was something like 2nd best in Ireland at 800m backstroke or something, but on a worldwide database that time wasn't in the top 100.

Eventually he packed in it (wised up) but that's the level of dedication some parents go to!

Putting them on a minibus looks a lot handier, lol...

[Spike]

I'm not judging who puts their kids on a bus on their own - I'm merely saying that the world we live in in 2023 prefer not too. Access NI is a basic form not an in depth analysis.  The crux is the repeated long distances travelling in the evening. Keep this manageable and the parents and kids will come. Dunsilly seems to be either very busy or very unused, it certainly doesnt appear to operate like other centres of excellence.     

[Saffrongael]

So what are we spending our million on in Antrim ? 

[johnnycool]

So what are we spending our million on in Antrim ? 

How many clubs are in Antrim?

[Saffrongael]

So what are we spending our million on in Antrim ? 

How many clubs are in Antrim?

About 45-50 ?

[johnnycool]

So what are we spending our million on in Antrim ? 

How many clubs are in Antrim?

About 45-50 ?

If there's 50 clubs say, then each club will get €20,000.

[barnish oggie]

I've a really novel idea, might be a bit crazy but it also might work.

Why not develop a centre of excellence somewhere near the middle of the county, that would have great facilities including a gym and changing facilities flood lights etc and have all the county teams meeting there!

A lot of the Belfast lads get head staggers when they get north of Glengormley 

[SaffronSports]

So what are we spending our million on in Antrim ? 

How many clubs are in Antrim?

If there's 50 clubs say, then each club will get €20,000.


About 45-50 ?

Would some clubs get more? I see it is to be spent across all the codes so would clubs like say TNN or Glenravel who cover all codes be entitled to more than a purely football or hurling club? Either way, I'm sure it will be welcomed by each club.