Antrim Football Thread

[EOC1923]

U20 All Ireland final on at the moment.  We are serious levels away from this grade.   Operations role can't start soon enough.    Where do they begin though? So much to do

A coach like Paul Devlin would be a big help. Louth probably the team you could take more inspiration from than Tyrone who are on another level to most counties.

In Antrims defense playing at u17 and 20 in Ulster we are constantly coming up against Tyrone, Donegal, Derry etc. Most seasons Ulster has 4 or 5 of Irelands top teams at these levels each year. How could we ever progress, of the 9 Only Antrim and Fermanagh are consistently not at the level.
Louths, Offalys Roscommons seem to get more room to pick up results and make progress in their provinces as there isn't the number of top level counties present in them that we would face.

[imtommygunn]

Yep I would agree with that. Tyrone and Derry are routinely winning underage and schools all irelands these days.  I honestly think a proper B competition is needed - I think the football B competitions are too strong in underage though they are fairly new.

I would say Down seem to be moving into the camp of consistently not being at the level too.

[Spike]

what is it about our county and a lot of it's clubs that love a B competition?   it seems its the answer to everything.   

this love for their clubs to drop down into B competitions at juvenile level in order to try and pick up a medal and feel good about themselves while masking the lack of work they did in the years before that.

theres a time and place for it but it cannot be our answer to everything.  mentality has to change.

[inabsentia]

what is it about our county and a lot of it's clubs that love a B competition?   it seems its the answer to everything.   

this love for their clubs to drop down into B competitions at juvenile level in order to try and pick up a medal and feel good about themselves while masking the lack of work they did in the years before that.

theres a time and place for it but it cannot be our answer to everything.  mentality has to change.

Far too much emphasis on winning rather than competing, but there is something to be said about winning being a habit and you have to learn how to get across the line.

Really its just easier to mask poor training and coaching at lower levels.

[Take the Mark]

I imagine every club in the country will have teams at some age groups competing below the 'A' grade and theres nothing wrong with that. In years gone by there was no lower grade for kids to be playing in and if they were in a 'lighter' group for their age, some players would have got sick of the tankings and lost along the way - so the grading is good. Dropping a mid table 'A' team into lower leagues though simply to gain a bit of silver is wrong on the flip side. False success.

It again ends up with the coaching, if kids are coached properly throughout their youth then those with potential have every chance of making it to a good adult team regardless of his or her teams success at underage. Coached poorly, and their chances are much less.

[YoungSaff]

I imagine every club in the country will have teams at some age groups competing below the 'A' grade and theres nothing wrong with that. In years gone by there was no lower grade for kids to be playing in and if they were in a 'lighter' group for their age, some players would have got sick of the tankings and lost along the way - so the grading is good. Dropping a mid table 'A' team into lower leagues though simply to gain a bit of silver is wrong on the flip side. False success.

It again ends up with the coaching, if kids are coached properly throughout their youth then those with potential have every chance of making it to a good adult team regardless of his or her teams success at underage. Coached poorly, and their chances are much less.

I agree completely with you , however if you think some children have underage success this could influence their participation at later ages ?

I wouldn't be one for dropping down but we see plenty of teams doing it

[Take the Mark]

What did your club gain from it long term?

[YoungSaff]

What did your club gain from it long term?

Not talking about my own club , just saying I had chatted to a few coaches and they had said this as a point.

I completely disagree as I think it should be about development at younger ages compared to winning.

[imtommygunn]

I imagine every club in the country will have teams at some age groups competing below the 'A' grade and theres nothing wrong with that. In years gone by there was no lower grade for kids to be playing in and if they were in a 'lighter' group for their age, some players would have got sick of the tankings and lost along the way - so the grading is good. Dropping a mid table 'A' team into lower leagues though simply to gain a bit of silver is wrong on the flip side. False success.

It again ends up with the coaching, if kids are coached properly throughout their youth then those with potential have every chance of making it to a good adult team regardless of his or her teams success at underage. Coached poorly, and their chances are much less.

It's not about false success or silverware for me. Ulster has the most strength and depth of any province and year on year we take beating after beating. You want a place where these younger guys are competitive and maybe potentially have a shot at winning something but being competitive and winning some games would be a start.

It's not a lack of ambition either. We just can not compete in ulster football at any level any more and that is reality. This will not change overnight so there is bound to be something we can do where the county teams will at least be competitive in games. Surely?

Yes you can go down the road of coaching standard, standards etc etc but with your best case of that being dramatically improved it is still a number of years of taking some beatings in the process.

* We gave donegal a run for their money the other year so there will be the odd exception but a B competition should start post being put out of A anyway,

[Spike]

At what point / age do the differences begin to appear between Antrim youth and the other stronger counties?   i am sure there are plenty on this board who have been up through the system with their sons/ daughters.

is there a chasm from the start  or does it begin to show at u10s, u12s and onwards to minor? 

[SaffronSports]

I dont think they play county at all until u14 so tough to tell before that.

[NAG1]

I dont think they play county at all until u14 so tough to tell before that.

Well able to compete at club level in the any of the juvenile competitions and blitzes that are held around the country at these younger age groups in all codes as far as I have seen.

[Spike]

I dont think they play county at all until u14 so tough to tell before that.

Well able to compete at club level in the any of the juvenile competitions and blitzes that are held around the country at these younger age groups in all codes as far as I have seen.

this would be my thoughts as well.  so something changes around 14, 15 or 16?

[NAG1]

I dont think they play county at all until u14 so tough to tell before that.

Well able to compete at club level in the any of the juvenile competitions and blitzes that are held around the country at these younger age groups in all codes as far as I have seen.

this would be my thoughts as well.  so something changes around 14, 15 or 16?

SCHOOLS SCHOOLS SCHOOLS!!!!!!!!

[paddyjohn]

Wee girl can home from school there, one of her class mates was playing last night, they got beat 25-8 to 5goals. Surely that can't be correct grading of leagues?