Hi Guys...
So basically I'm 23 years of age and play for my local club back home in Donegal. We are intermediate standard and I've been playing at this level for the past 6 years and would count myself a fairly decent player. I would like to go to the states this summer to play football and have been speaking to lads in the past who said that they have gone out and really enjoyed themselves. The club paid for their flights, put them up in a house and got them sorted with a job in exchange for them representing the club. I'm just looking to know where are the best places to go and how do you go about contacting someone about this?.. All help would be greatly appreciated.
P.S I understand I am not a county star, and far from it, but do these clubs in the states want players like myself?
Thank you in advanced
Quote from: samuel maguire on November 11, 2019, 03:45:45 PM
Hi Guys...
So basically I'm 23 years of age and play for my local club back home in Donegal. We are intermediate standard and I've been playing at this level for the past 6 years and would count myself a fairly decent player. I would like to go to the states this summer to play football and have been speaking to lads in the past who said that they have gone out and really enjoyed themselves. The club paid for their flights, put them up in a house and got them sorted with a job in exchange for them representing the club. I'm just looking to know where are the best places to go and how do you go about contacting someone about this?.. All help would be greatly appreciated.
P.S I understand I am not a county star, and far from it, but do these clubs in the states want players like myself?
Thank you in advanced
They'll usually come looking you via Facebook or whatever. If you've played for Donegal at underage level it'll do no harm to take the initiative and get in touch with them. The GAA community is small enough, someone will know you if you are at Intermediate level and handy I don't see why not, but the bigger clubs obviously only tend to take the bigger stellar name. The standard out in the US isn't as bad as you might think, don't think you'll stroll it - plus it's also only 13 a side so if you aren't fit, you won't enjoy it.
On the other side, you might have to fly out yourself and make it with them, I know lads who've done that - it's not exactly superstar but none the less the contacts you make will be invaluable at 23.
Best approach is reach out to the local clubs stateside, or at least reach out to the divisional boards that run the games in the different cities. They should be fairly easy to find on Facebook. The biggest cities for J1 summer players are New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco. I recommend SF but then I'm biased!
If you're from Donegal, you should start with the Donegal teams in NYC and Boston. Both are big clubs the U.S. Get a Visa such as a. J1 if possible
Thanks for the replies men. Also, would anyone have any contact details for GAA men over in the states i.e emails or phone numbers?
Thanks
Quote from: samuel maguire on November 16, 2019, 02:05:10 PM
Thanks for the replies men. Also, would anyone have any contact details for GAA men over in the states i.e emails or phone numbers?
Thanks
Try Facebook, most clubs will have a Facebook page