Hurling Thread

Started by ormondeboy, January 09, 2007, 02:33:06 PM

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ormondeboy

In the absence of any hurling thread(s) here, I said I'd plant a flag for the poor relation.

Any of the old posters still here? BT? HoH, Timmy, the Offaly bies?

Come back to us! I know it's quiet yet but we'll be motoring soon enough....

tayto

I'd really like to know more about what Paudie is doing, I've never heard a bad word about his coaching sessions but surely as hurling development officer he is co-ordinating coaches around the country, not flying around trying to do it all himself. i'd like to know more about what the new full time regional development officers are up to as well as paudie, you know, what the the overall plan is, not just his work on the ground.

Spiritof98

Sounds to be the right man for the job, remains to be seen if he can deliver, but wish him all the best, Hopefully he can improve the structures within ulster were hurling boards hold little or no clout.
I'll go back if Marsdens back

bottlethrower7

Happy new year OB. I'm still here but not so active of late (as theres little enough about hurling as you rightly said). I don't have anything on my mind hurling-wise and hence haven't much to be saying.

Good to see David Kennedy back in a county jersey!!

I think the KK lads are off in New Zealand at the moment. Not back until just before the Walsh Cup which I'm sure they'll be all out to defend.

Looking forward to the season though. Should be a good one with an improved Tipp, Limerick and Galway. Cork are potentially in flux and KK have to overcome the defending champions hoodoo (which each of the last 2 did in fairness). I'd be unsure what to expect from Waterford and Clare. The banner should be well and truly in rebuilding given their recent retirements and I can't ever see Waterford doing anything of note until theres an attitude readjustment (basically what Brian Corcoran said about them was right!!).

youbetterbelieveit

i was wondering where all the hurling posters had gone, good to see yous back.

AZOffaly

Well lads. Thanks be to God some of ye are still hanging around. The general sense from the Faithful is that McIntyre has performed much needed, albeit drastic, surgery on the senior panel. Lads like Michael Cordial, Damien Murray and a few other eyebrow raisers have been given the road, in favour of some younger lads that are mad keen.

A lot has been made of the 31 point drubbing in 2005, but to be honest, after a bright league campaign, the hammerings that Clare and Limerick (a poor Limerick at the time) handed out to us were almost as bad. Last year the appetite was gone after the Wexford disappointment. That's inexcusable for Offaly, and with our scant resources, if we don't have appetite, we have nothing. Young wristy hurlers are all very well, but Offaly's success is inextricably linked with the basic elements of defending, which only come about if you are hungry enough to put the work in. Blocking, hooking, harrying. It looked like we were getting back to those things in the League, but when the ground turned dry, when Offaly traditionally over the past 20 years come into their prime, there was nothing there.

Restoring the hunger will not a winning team make, but it may lay the foundations for a winning team in the near future. The skills are there, but you can't hurl without the ball.

slow corner back

Up here in Antrim all the focus will be on the national league to see what if any miracles the new "dream team" of woody and sambo can achieve. The change of manager was very bitter and a poor national league may well lead to the knives being out and another round of not very helpful round of infighting. Having said that supporters in Antrim are fickle and a couple of good league results could soon swing the hurling public back behind the team. We will not be contenders for Liam but being competitive at senior level would be a big step forward.

milltown row

Speaking to one of the panellist, and he's saying training is going well and he sees a definite improvement since they started, all the lads seem to be doing there own training on top of the work being done at the Ballymena complex.
Looking to head down for overnight stay in Galway for the league game, I've got over the selection of the managers now and will get behind the current boss's. most people had no problem with the men in at the minute just the timing.

Slow, is your team looking for any challenge games in February? If so let me know.

Bud Wiser

How'ye all.  I see Henry Sheff did not travel to New Zealand along with the Cats.  I kinda knew some of them would take the early training in preperation for Laois in the championship a bit serious.  I was down there in the parish next door to Nicky Brennans the other week in a place called Ballyfoyle and took the back road into Kilkenny.  By the amount of building going on there will be enough hurlers in the place for generations to come.

As for Paudi Butler, all the mayhem he had to deal with in Laois will have given him as much experience in his job as he gave us !!  Me still thinks that the GAA should be giving some of those 800 tickets they give to past GAA presidents to some of the national school teachers whose teams feature in underage - or encouraging hurling more in Primary Schools by whatever means they can cajole the teachers to do more.

I think Laois will put up a good show this year in the hurling and while they may not have any silverware at the end I expect to see a marked progress and the same with Dublin and Offaly.  Anyway, heres hoping for a good one and if you want to motivate your team take out the shotgun, place a few oil cans on a stump, pretend they are Ger Loughnanes head and away you go.  He said it works.

aontroim

SUNDAY 11th FEBRUARY 2007

All-Ireland Club JHC Semi-Final
SKEHANA (GALWAY) v CLOONEY GAELS (ANTRIM) - [MULLINGAR, 12:45pm]

All-Ireland Club SHC Semi-Final
LOUGHREA (GALWAY) v RUAIRI ÓG, CUSHENDALL (ANTRIM) - [MULLINGAR, 2:30pm]

All-Ireland Club IHC Semi-Final
KILLIMORDALY (GALWAY) v GORT NA MÓNA (ANTRIM) - [NAVAN, 1:00pm]


Guillem2

That's a nice double header in Mullingar. The Ulster junior champions always struggle at the semi final stage. Junior in the rest of Ireland is far higher standard than in Ulster.  I'd expect Cushendall to give Loughrea a good game but Ahoghill will be out classed.
Talking is an overrated way of communicating.

theskull1

Quote from: Bud Wiser on January 10, 2007, 09:37:24 AM
Me still thinks that the GAA should be giving some of those 800 tickets they give to past GAA presidents to some of the national school teachers whose teams feature in underage - or encouraging hurling more in Primary Schools by whatever means they can cajole the teachers to do more.

Agree with that Bud. Was at our primary school nativity play a few weeks back (just before christmas in fact  :) ) and was amazed at the number of boys who didn't play the game. The are alot more young footballers training now than hurlers now even though from a membership point of view we would be viewed as hurling club who play a bit of football. Do you think the danger element is leading kids to opt for the lesser sport (no flames please - this is a hurling thread)? I'd be interested to hear how we could possibly address this issue.

Another big issue for hurling is the general reduction in the size of families, which in turn means those families with a hurling tradition are taking up a smaller slice of club panels. The big task for hurling is to get non traditional families enthused about the game and help them understand the effort required at home to make the game become enjoyable and positive outlet for their children. Its so easy to see even at 7 year of age the ones who practice at home from those who pick up the stick once or twice a week. To the non traditional families training is a baby siting exercise in our club at the moment. We're hoping to change that over time.

My third issue within our club is the lack of coaches (from both a bodies on the ground perspective and a coaching standards point of view). Our juvenile hurlers need serious work over the next 5 years. It will take dedicated quality coaching to turn them round. We will have failed these kids if we don't grasp the nettle now. Here's hoping

It's a lot easier to sing karaoke than to sing opera

Guillem2

A shortage of qualitry coaches is a major problem all over. Some of the larger clubs in terms of membership cann't get anyone prepared to look after the kidsat all, never mind quality coaches. Even getting parents to drive to away matches is a struggle. They expect the club volunteers to do it all for a membership fee of a £10 a year!
The only way to improve hurling in the north is through coaching at a young age. That's where the focus of the association needs to be.
Talking is an overrated way of communicating.

theskull1

Quote from: Guillem2 on January 10, 2007, 01:28:32 PM
A shortage of qualitry coaches is a major problem all over. Some of the larger clubs in terms of membership cann't get anyone prepared to look after the kidsat all, never mind quality coaches. Even getting parents to drive to away matches is a struggle. They expect the club volunteers to do it all for a membership fee of a £10 a year!
The only way to improve hurling in the north is through coaching at a young age. That's where the focus of the association needs to be.

Although quality coaching from a young age is only part of the package G2. These take it or leave it parents take me to the fair. For the life of me I cannot understand why these people are not trying to invest in their child future by showing a bit of interest in what they are doing and actively encouraging them. So many of todays parents think that buying a playstation and subscribing to sky sports makes them good parents.  >:(
It's a lot easier to sing karaoke than to sing opera

milltown row

The days of plenty of people giving up their free time is gone. I've been helping senior and juvenile teams for a number of years and still playing, when members of the club sit on their holes expecting or wondering why the kids are not as good as they were when they were that age. On a Saturday (juvenile football) morning at my club we have any amount of good ex and current senior players coming down to coach the next generation and one coach is looking after up to 6/7 kids.

Sunday (juvenile hurling) mornings! completely different three coaches looking after sometimes up to fifty kids. Madness!!! Football is simple bag of balls some bibs and cones and the kids are off playing away. Hurling, well that's a different matter. I believe some clubs wish they did not play hurling as it cost an absolute fortune in equipment, jerseys, balls and sticks, not to mention juvenile helmets. Another area which is letting us down is the schools, most teachers now days are women (no offence to women posters) they don't have the same interest in taking the kids hurling after school. Also parents seem to be afraid to let their wee darlings play as they see it as a dangerous sport. And we know different. Not too much footage of handbags on UTV when hurling is on.

Anyway got that of my chest. Kids are back this weekend indoor hurling camps Saturday and Sunday.