Paul Kimmage article about Athenry club dispute.

sid waddell · May 07, 2018, 02:44:18 PM

Quote from: thewobbler on May 07, 2018, 02:37:23 PM
Paul Kimmage isn't the problem here. It's parents, then the club, and very much in that order.

"The parents are the problem."

My word.

16 sets of problem parents of kids on the same team.

What are the odds?!

thewobbler · May 07, 2018, 02:50:45 PM

Show me where it states 16 sets of parents, and then let's start again.

Jinxy · May 07, 2018, 02:54:21 PM

Sid, do you think he was right to name the two individuals?
One had written a letter of apology following mediation and the complaint against the other was deemed inconclusive as there was insufficient evidence to uphold the allegation.
Is it fair to name them in a national newspaper?
Also, the letter had 16 'signatories', it does not say who they were.

thewobbler · May 07, 2018, 03:00:29 PM

The article also suggests that two 10 year old boys - primary school kids - made their own decision to stop playing with their schoolmates and peers, and preferred to play with 13 and 14 year old boys, i.e. secondary school boys, many of which would be going through puberty and would be physically twice as big. Creative licence on show.

I'd have a lot more respect for Kimmage if he had have called this one correctly as parents stirring the pot. For that's what happened. His inability to provide an unbiased recount of events is actually making me suspicious of his "war on drugs".

Rufus T Firefly · May 07, 2018, 03:12:21 PM

I wonder what way Complainant A's emotive language differs from the emotive language of Paddy Kelly?

Jinxy · May 07, 2018, 03:31:03 PM

As much as I like Kimmage, he's too fond of developing a subjective narrative in his writing.
Take the following example.

'Two days later, on Monday, March 13, he places a call to Gearóid ó Maoilmhichíl, the National Children's Officer in Croke Park, that goes straight to voicemail: "I'm not available right now, please leave a message. Go raibh maith agat."

He calls again.

"I'm not available right now."

And again.

"I'm not available right now."

And again.

"I'm not available right now."

And is almost spitting blood when he finally gets through.'

Now some people will read that and think the guy was being ignored.
However, it's much more likely that the complainant made multiple phone calls in a short space of time.
Ever come out of a work meeting to see a load of missed calls on your phone?
Kimmage includes this irrelevant detail for a reason.
To him it's another example of 'officialdom' thumbing its nose at the little guy.
A bit like Jim Gavin keeping him waiting at a press conference.

yellowcard · May 07, 2018, 04:45:32 PM

Big fan of Kimmage so when I began reading this article given the headline, I expected to read a piece on scandalous behaviour within the GAA such as child abuse or something similar. After finishing the article it appears as though that the club was guilty of little more than failing to follow proper procedure. It was a distinctly underwhelming article from Kimmage when you consider what a fine writer he usually is.

Using bad language and haranguing young children is very poor behaviour from coaches and they should have been dealt with more severely by the club but I thought it most unfair that names be published in a national newspaper for what is effectively a local dispute among a few parents and the GAA club. Not a bit of wonder clubs are finding it difficult to get parents to give of their own free time when an amateur underage sport is being scrutinised by a national newspaper.

Therealdonald · May 07, 2018, 04:46:51 PM

This is all a case of modern Ireland gone wrong. The GAA has rules in place. But are we seriously to believe that the children have never heard it before? In a playground etc? I don't understand why the father isn't named. Surely making his name public would add credence to his case? Instead of hiding behind anonymity... just in my opinion as well, we can't blame Kimmage for this. He covers the story, but he doesn't create it.

Boycey · May 07, 2018, 04:56:11 PM

Because naming the father by extension names the child? What ever the rights and wrongs of naming the coaches surely everyone would agree an 11 year old child's identity shouldn't be in the public domain.

Jinxy · May 07, 2018, 04:59:32 PM

Nobody should have been named other than those who spoke on the record.

Rudi · May 07, 2018, 05:25:14 PM

All the ills in the world and PK picks on a U12 coach for using bad language. The club handled it badly. Sending 10 year olds up to U14 level was incredibly stupid thing to do what were the parents thinking. Feel a level of sympathy for the named coaches. PK is the most sensationalist eggit of a man.

sid waddell · May 07, 2018, 06:40:26 PM

Quote from: Jinxy on May 07, 2018, 02:54:21 PM
Sid, do you think he was right to name the two individuals?

Yes.

But they aren't even the individuals who come out of the article worst.

Stupid behaviour and breaches of protocol can and do happen.

The people who come out by far the worst are the people on the club executive.

They're the ones who have really dragged their club's name down.

And all because of pig headed ignorance.

thewobbler · May 07, 2018, 10:24:19 PM

Quote from: Therealdonald on May 07, 2018, 04:46:51 PM
This is all a case of modern Ireland gone wrong. The GAA has rules in place. But are we seriously to believe that the children have never heard it before? In a playground etc? I don't understand why the father isn't named. Surely making his name public would add credence to his case? Instead of hiding behind anonymity... just in my opinion as well, we can't blame Kimmage for this. He covers the story, but he doesn't create it.

He didn't create it. But nor is he covering it. Instead he's championing it. Championing it. And the problem he's going to run into should he wish to go on a crusade, is that it would be a crusade against volunteers. Which is something he will never gain support for, even in this modern world where snowflakes crumble into each others' arms on social media.

This isn't a Robin Hood scenario. It's attacking the poor to feed the poor.

I'd expect Kimmage has worked this out too.

Asal Mor · May 07, 2018, 10:36:40 PM

Excellent post Wobbler.

charlieTully · May 07, 2018, 11:32:27 PM

The way things are headed no one will bother volunteering to coach kids. It's getting to the stage talking to them is a child protection issue. I've only been doing it 5 years and there has been a change imo. It's a culture of fear now. Is it really worth the hassle taking grief from parents who contribute dam all. It is rewarding and the kids are great. No better buzz than seeing them progress. But its getting mad. Litigation culture.