Go Games - Good or bad - discuss...

[Armagh18]

It's not only players we lose; lack of involvement/ownership means we lose the sense of community, the future administrators and club officials

I've heard variations of this thought process a volume of times the past few years, and I'm growing quite cynical about it.

Based on my own narrow club experience, future administrators are few on the ground, but easy to spot. They tend to have a sense of place, and help out with small jobs in a quiet manner from an early age. The "surprise package" administrators tend to come along when their children show interest / promise in the game, and they then throw their shoulder to the wheel.

Something I don't think correlates with future administrators at all, is some kind of relationship /curve  addressing how long they dragged out a playing career at juvenile and reserve ranks.

surely it stands to reason that if you stick out a playing career for longer the more attached you're going to feel to the club and when you get to the age where you can't play physically any more, you're more likely to think right how can I keep involved with the club thats been a big part of my life- be it joining the commitee or helping out with an underage team.

[keep her low this half]

It's not only players we lose; lack of involvement/ownership means we lose the sense of community, the future administrators and club officials

I've heard variations of this thought process a volume of times the past few years, and I'm growing quite cynical about it.

Based on my own narrow club experience, future administrators are few on the ground, but easy to spot. They tend to have a sense of place, and help out with small jobs in a quiet manner from an early age. The "surprise package" administrators tend to come along when their children show interest / promise in the game, and they then throw their shoulder to the wheel.

Something I don't think correlates with future administrators at all, is some kind of relationship /curve  addressing how long they dragged out a playing career at juvenile and reserve ranks.

surely it stands to reason that if you stick out a playing career for longer the more attached you're going to feel to the club and when you get to the age where you can't play physically any more, you're more likely to think right how can I keep involved with the club thats been a big part of my life- be it joining the commitee or helping out with an underage team.

Playing for a long time certainly correlates with taking teams, maybe not administrating. Probably down to the fact that someone who never played the game will never be respected as a coach, "sure what would he know he didn't know which end of a stick to hold!"

[tbrick18]

Personally, I like the go-game format.
Plenty of football played in the right spirit by all sides. And nearly every game ends in a draw.
Kids go home happy, have practiced their skills and hopefully enhanced their love of the game and the organisation.

Lets face it, only a small percentage will ever go on play Senior unless they are from a very small club.
So it should be about fun, building friendships, keeping healthy and promoting the games. The "star" at u9s won't necessarily be the star at minor or senior, he has just developed quicker. Give me a team of mediocre kids who love the game and try their best any day over a star who won't pass the ball to someone as they aren't good enough.

I find the tournament format is way too competitive for the younger teams. I think u11.5 is early enough to start tournaments, and even at that I think the same approach should be used as with go-games. Especially with coaches and parents.
I've seen coaches making a go for a ref at underage tournaments, shouting at kids and leaving them in tears as they didn't track back or cover the space.
I've seen one coach tell the whole team they were useless when they got beat in a shield semi!
It brings out the worst in coaches and parents in my view and since no-one is going to remember who won the u9.5 tournament in bally-wherever in 2022, then it shouldnt be made out to be such a big deal.

I coach myself and I try to always make it about enjoyment and encouragement. Of course there are times when you think to yourself "ah jaysus", but that's not something young kids need to hear.

The real reason for tournaments, that no-one has mentioned, is to raise money. A club can lift 1-2K for an underage tournament when they take in entry fees, shop etc.
I don't like them. But I'll probably still keep going to them as the kids love them.

[screenexile]

The GAA needs to bring in silent sidelines up to U11.5

[bigarsedkeeper]

Personally, I like the go-game format.
Plenty of football played in the right spirit by all sides. And nearly every game ends in a draw.
Kids go home happy, have practiced their skills and hopefully enhanced their love of the game and the organisation.

Lets face it, only a small percentage will ever go on play Senior unless they are from a very small club.
So it should be about fun, building friendships, keeping healthy and promoting the games. The "star" at u9s won't necessarily be the star at minor or senior, he has just developed quicker. Give me a team of mediocre kids who love the game and try their best any day over a star who won't pass the ball to someone as they aren't good enough.

I find the tournament format is way too competitive for the younger teams. I think u11.5 is early enough to start tournaments, and even at that I think the same approach should be used as with go-games. Especially with coaches and parents.
I've seen coaches making a go for a ref at underage tournaments, shouting at kids and leaving them in tears as they didn't track back or cover the space.
I've seen one coach tell the whole team they were useless when they got beat in a shield semi!
It brings out the worst in coaches and parents in my view and since no-one is going to remember who won the u9.5 tournament in bally-wherever in 2022, then it shouldnt be made out to be such a big deal.

I coach myself and I try to always make it about enjoyment and encouragement. Of course there are times when you think to yourself "ah jaysus", but that's not something young kids need to hear.

The real reason for tournaments, that no-one has mentioned, is to raise money. A club can lift 1-2K for an underage tournament when they take in entry fees, shop etc.
I don't like them. But I'll probably still keep going to them as the kids love them.

The big cup tournaments aren't the best for development but when you get a win most of the kids love it but it's very difficult to win and get everyone equal game time. My lads are just out of U11.5 and they've been to cup tournaments at 8s, 9s and 11s. They hurled all that time too, and no club has run a cup tournament in Down, or at least Ballela didn't go/get asked if there was. It's always blitzes, 3 or 4 games and away home. I honestly can't say one is better than the other for development of senior players but there's definitely less of the shite you mention in the hurling blitzes.

Silent sidelines could be good, but it wouldn't last 10 minutes with some of the eejits about.

[tbrick18]

The GAA needs to bring in silent sidelines up to U11.5

I was at an u9.5 tournanent in Carryduff a couple of weeks back. After the group stages of games they said that no coaches would be allowed near the goals due to an incident in an earlier game they had to address. Turns out an opposition coach was "distracting" the keeper. Seriously. At an u9.5 tournament.
The keeper thing at some tournaments annoys me too. go-games have no keeper so tournaments should be subject to the same rules. But clubs set their own tournament rules.
I think there was an attempt a couple of years ago to ban tournaments in favour of go-games only, but I don't know if that ban is just ignored or if it fell through.

I dont mind coaches giving their own players instructions and that's why i wouldnt want a silent sideline, but some coaches and parents need to catch themselves on a bit.

edit: a very well run tournament in carryduff by the way. Some excellent referees and loads of football.

[Armagh18]

The GAA needs to bring in silent sidelines up to U11.5

I was at an u9.5 tournanent in Carryduff a couple of weeks back. After the group stages of games they said that no coaches would be allowed near the goals due to an incident in an earlier game they had to address. Turns out an opposition coach was "distracting" the keeper. Seriously. At an u9.5 tournament.
The keeper thing at some tournaments annoys me too. go-games have no keeper so tournaments should be subject to the same rules. But clubs set their own tournament rules.
I think there was an attempt a couple of years ago to ban tournaments in favour of go-games only, but I don't know if that ban is just ignored or if it fell through.

I dont mind coaches giving their own players instructions and that's why i wouldnt want a silent sideline, but some coaches and parents need to catch themselves on a bit.

edit: a very well run tournament in carryduff by the way. Some excellent referees and loads of football.

Silent sideline bar say 2 designated coaches, one on each side?

[bigarsedkeeper]

The GAA needs to bring in silent sidelines up to U11.5

I was at an u9.5 tournanent in Carryduff a couple of weeks back. After the group stages of games they said that no coaches would be allowed near the goals due to an incident in an earlier game they had to address. Turns out an opposition coach was "distracting" the keeper. Seriously. At an u9.5 tournament.
The keeper thing at some tournaments annoys me too. go-games have no keeper so tournaments should be subject to the same rules. But clubs set their own tournament rules.
I think there was an attempt a couple of years ago to ban tournaments in favour of go-games only, but I don't know if that ban is just ignored or if it fell through.

I dont mind coaches giving their own players instructions and that's why i wouldnt want a silent sideline, but some coaches and parents need to catch themselves on a bit.

edit: a very well run tournament in carryduff by the way. Some excellent referees and loads of football.

Do you mean there's no keeper at all? I know some Armagh tournaments have 2 points for a point and 1 point for goal.

[johnnycool]

Personally, I like the go-game format.
Plenty of football played in the right spirit by all sides. And nearly every game ends in a draw.
Kids go home happy, have practiced their skills and hopefully enhanced their love of the game and the organisation.

Lets face it, only a small percentage will ever go on play Senior unless they are from a very small club.
So it should be about fun, building friendships, keeping healthy and promoting the games. The "star" at u9s won't necessarily be the star at minor or senior, he has just developed quicker. Give me a team of mediocre kids who love the game and try their best any day over a star who won't pass the ball to someone as they aren't good enough.

I find the tournament format is way too competitive for the younger teams. I think u11.5 is early enough to start tournaments, and even at that I think the same approach should be used as with go-games. Especially with coaches and parents.
I've seen coaches making a go for a ref at underage tournaments, shouting at kids and leaving them in tears as they didn't track back or cover the space.
I've seen one coach tell the whole team they were useless when they got beat in a shield semi!
It brings out the worst in coaches and parents in my view and since no-one is going to remember who won the u9.5 tournament in bally-wherever in 2022, then it shouldnt be made out to be such a big deal.

I coach myself and I try to always make it about enjoyment and encouragement. Of course there are times when you think to yourself "ah jaysus", but that's not something young kids need to hear.

The real reason for tournaments, that no-one has mentioned, is to raise money. A club can lift 1-2K for an underage tournament when they take in entry fees, shop etc.
I don't like them. But I'll probably still keep going to them as the kids love them.

Eh?

how much are clubs charging on entry fee's?

£30 tops for any our club has been to and there's maybe a dozen clubs/teams at them...

[thewobbler]

I doubt there's a clear £1k made from many tournaments over the year myself.

And trust me, there's a hundred easier ways to make a grand than running a tourney.

[trailer]

Personally, I like the go-game format.
Plenty of football played in the right spirit by all sides. And nearly every game ends in a draw.
Kids go home happy, have practiced their skills and hopefully enhanced their love of the game and the organisation.

Lets face it, only a small percentage will ever go on play Senior unless they are from a very small club.
So it should be about fun, building friendships, keeping healthy and promoting the games. The "star" at u9s won't necessarily be the star at minor or senior, he has just developed quicker. Give me a team of mediocre kids who love the game and try their best any day over a star who won't pass the ball to someone as they aren't good enough.

I find the tournament format is way too competitive for the younger teams. I think u11.5 is early enough to start tournaments, and even at that I think the same approach should be used as with go-games. Especially with coaches and parents.
I've seen coaches making a go for a ref at underage tournaments, shouting at kids and leaving them in tears as they didn't track back or cover the space.
I've seen one coach tell the whole team they were useless when they got beat in a shield semi!
It brings out the worst in coaches and parents in my view and since no-one is going to remember who won the u9.5 tournament in bally-wherever in 2022, then it shouldnt be made out to be such a big deal.

I coach myself and I try to always make it about enjoyment and encouragement. Of course there are times when you think to yourself "ah jaysus", but that's not something young kids need to hear.

The real reason for tournaments, that no-one has mentioned, is to raise money. A club can lift 1-2K for an underage tournament when they take in entry fees, shop etc.
I don't like them. But I'll probably still keep going to them as the kids love them.

Some people would really need to have a word with themselves at these tournaments. Coaches and parents. Lots of the time its young people referring these games .They haven't went on an intensive referring course and yet the abuse they can get over a simple decision is frankly ridiculous. People absolutely losing the run of themselves. Roaring and shouting.

I coached our underage team and we actually won a tournament but we got far more out of the Go Games. Players in different positions, trying different things, less serious more fun.

There are some fantastic people involved with teams but there are also some nutters.

[tbrick18]

The GAA needs to bring in silent sidelines up to U11.5

I was at an u9.5 tournanent in Carryduff a couple of weeks back. After the group stages of games they said that no coaches would be allowed near the goals due to an incident in an earlier game they had to address. Turns out an opposition coach was "distracting" the keeper. Seriously. At an u9.5 tournament.
The keeper thing at some tournaments annoys me too. go-games have no keeper so tournaments should be subject to the same rules. But clubs set their own tournament rules.
I think there was an attempt a couple of years ago to ban tournaments in favour of go-games only, but I don't know if that ban is just ignored or if it fell through.

I dont mind coaches giving their own players instructions and that's why i wouldnt want a silent sideline, but some coaches and parents need to catch themselves on a bit.

edit: a very well run tournament in carryduff by the way. Some excellent referees and loads of football.

Do you mean there's no keeper at all? I know some Armagh tournaments have 2 points for a point and 1 point for goal.

Any go games I've ever been to never have a keeper.
I've been at tournaments with a GK and they its 1pt a goal and 2pts for a point to encourage kids to shoot for points. But teams then play tactics, and use the keeper as a fly keeper as they dont mind the goals! For me that defeats the purpose of the format.

[tbrick18]

I doubt there's a clear £1k made from many tournaments over the year myself.

And trust me, there's a hundred easier ways to make a grand than running a tourney.

Pre covid, our club ran an annual u8s and u10s tournament (thinking about it that's even before they changed the age groups).
16 teams minimum, maybe 20.
16 x 30 entry is 480 quid.
A tuck shop....usually lifted a solid 6-700. Between the 2 tournaments we were looking at clearing 2k-ish. That money was then held for the youth teams to fund buses, balls, training equipment etc.

I've been at tournaments where entry was 50.
That have a BBQ running....and in my view that left really long periods where a team could be standing around for an hour waitin for the next game. So kids head to the shop or for a burger. Blatant fundraising.

[trailer]

I doubt there's a clear £1k made from many tournaments over the year myself.

And trust me, there's a hundred easier ways to make a grand than running a tourney.

Pre covid, our club ran an annual u8s and u10s tournament (thinking about it that's even before they changed the age groups).
16 teams minimum, maybe 20.
16 x 30 entry is 480 quid.
A tuck shop....usually lifted a solid 6-700. Between the 2 tournaments we were looking at clearing 2k-ish. That money was then held for the youth teams to fund buses, balls, training equipment etc.

I've been at tournaments where entry was 50.
That have a BBQ running....and in my view that left really long periods where a team could be standing around for an hour waitin for the next game. So kids head to the shop or for a burger. Blatant fundraising.

They can be a decent fundraiser. We were invited to one and the entry fee was €100. We didn't go in the end up.
Silent sidelines would be a great introduction. I can't have people shouting or even talking to my players. I always call that out. No other manager or supporter is allowed to shout at my team for any reason.

[thewobbler]

I doubt there's a clear £1k made from many tournaments over the year myself.

And trust me, there's a hundred easier ways to make a grand than running a tourney.

Pre covid, our club ran an annual u8s and u10s tournament (thinking about it that's even before they changed the age groups).
16 teams minimum, maybe 20.
16 x 30 entry is 480 quid.
A tuck shop....usually lifted a solid 6-700. Between the 2 tournaments we were looking at clearing 2k-ish. That money was then held for the youth teams to fund buses, balls, training equipment etc.

I've been at tournaments where entry was 50.
That have a BBQ running....and in my view that left really long periods where a team could be standing around for an hour waitin for the next game. So kids head to the shop or for a burger. Blatant fundraising.

No doubt they can make money. But the majority make a trivial amount, would be my guess.

We did get invited to an u9 or u11 tournament this year with an £85 entry fee. I chuckled at that one. But in what might be an upside,  if all clubs go down ghis route there'll be a lot fewer tournaments.