Break For Ball - Win a Free GAA Training Weekend

[BallyhaiseMan]

f**k sake HS,

stop showing me up will ya(i know it doesnt take much mind you)   

Indoor golf,sorry not paintballing.

[ONeill]

Jeez it'd be bad craic to turn up at the golfing yoke hurling paint at the customers and each other. It's be hard to stick in court. It was just a mistake m'lord. I thought he said paint-balling.

[BallyhaiseMan]

i really should do the research..

[Gold]

Not as bad as when BallyhaiseMan and his Cavan mates turned up and started driving golf balls at each other. Larry Reilly was there and said to Maroon, "Hey boy, how do you know when yer out?"

driving through Cavan one Friday night back in July(as you do) i happened upon a football match and pulled the car over to have a look. It was Knockbride v Denn in the 1st round of the championship. i was standing against a fence but had to sit down as my head got dizzy watchin Larry doing that jink time and and again--that man would still be well fit to start every Cavan County game

ps: i think that break for the ball is  a good idea that would provide a good service but seems a bit pricy

[carnaross]

Talk about going off the subject. This thread has developed into a slagging match. Incidentally, I have no problem with anyone offering/advertising a service on this board to members of this board who might benefit from the service being offered. Good luck to Madden, I say.
To get back on the topic - has anyone got any experience of said activity? If so, was it worth the money and what benefits were gained? Is it just a glorified piss-up? From what I can see, it's about £120 per head plus flights (from Leeds), around £200 per person in total (plus beer money??), sounds a lot in these hard times for clubs, however the benefits may well outweigh the costs, so I would be grateful for constructive feedback from anyone who has partaken. 

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

When I started off playing senior football I remember one or two boyos who would have a couple of pints in the club BEFORE the game....I shit you not...

And tell us 5 Sams, just what was the cause of Down's rapid descent into the football doldrums?

[bannside]

I think its a bit de-meaning to try to associate a BFB weekend as a piss up. If thats your take on it, then I think that says more about you or your clubs ambitions, than what BFB are trying to promote.

I agree that individually any club or person could avail of similar services - but the attraction to this is that all services are available under the one roof. As far as I know Kevin has agreed discounted block booking rates on all his services and facilities. So even if an individual could put a similar package together of this quality, it is doubtful if it could be done as competitively.

Would be interested to see what feedback there is from the first two or three teams that go on a BFB weekend!

[stiffler]

Great idea, hope the business is a success.

[Zulu]

I think its a bit de-meaning to try to associate a BFB weekend as a piss up. If thats your take on it, then I think that says more about you or your clubs ambitions, than what BFB are trying to promote.

Horseshit, what the hell has happened to the GAA when the suggestion that having a few pints on a team weekend away shows a lack of ambition or indicates you are all a bunch of alcoholics? Christ almighty, how many times do most teams get to spend some social time together as a group, not a lot I would suggest. I've seen some high level teams in other sports (some professional) and they have good nights out on the beer every so often, without any harm to their competitive prospects.

Look nobody is suggesting you should go away for a training/bonding weekend and drink the shit out of it, but at the end of your training day there is nothing wrong with heading into town for a meal and a few pints. The timing would have to be right obviously but if you're not playing an important game in the following week or two there should be no problem. With teams I'm involved with I like to arrange 2 or 3 occasions in the year when players can enjoy some social time as a group and it can be a major component in developing a tightly knit squad. time for a lot of lads to get down off the pulpit I think.

[Mhic Easmuint]

Comment from BFB
"The unique selling point of break for ball is that clubs will not purchase the accomodation any cheaper by booking directly with the hotel. The level of service e.g. High profile coaches, video analysis, access to pitch facilities, access to specialists in areas such as strength and conditioning and nutrition, are things that most club teams would have difficulty in organising for their weekend. The media training is an option, but more likely to be availed of by top clubs and county teams. Breakforball established that there is a demand for such a service by surveying over 50 clubs, 95percent of whom indicated they would use the service. The pricing structure was based on the information that clubs relayed in the questionnaires."

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Good luck with that Mhic Easmuint, I think it entirely appropriate that you publicise such a venture that's so finely tailored to modern GAA and all that that entails on this board.

[carnaross]

I think its a bit de-meaning to try to associate a BFB weekend as a piss up. If thats your take on it, then I think that says more about you or your clubs ambitions, than what BFB are trying to promote.

I agree that individually any club or person could avail of similar services - but the attraction to this is that all services are available under the one roof. As far as I know Kevin has agreed discounted block booking rates on all his services and facilities. So even if an individual could put a similar package together of this quality, it is doubtful if it could be done as competitively.

Would be interested to see what feedback there is from the first two or three teams that go on a BFB weekend!

I am not trying to associate the training/coaching weekend with a piss-up - it's just that some individuals could consider it so. As for saying it's more about my ambitions or those of the club - any club financially supporting such a venture would want to ensure it wouldn't develop into a piss-up. After all, what would be the purpose of having a coaching weekend, with all the inherent expense, and it developing into a major session. It would have to be one or the other for me. I'm sure all clubs look after their players in some way or another after the season's over - I know we did.

As for feedback, I'm still waiting to hear.

[bannside]

Fair enough. Hey, having a few pints is 100% ok with me - no bother. If thats what you or your team want at the end of a BFB weekend, thats for you to decide. Im sure most managers wouldnt expect you to be in bed at eleven o clock, and personally a few in moderation can be helpful to the group synergy/dynamic. Most times around the year I`d say its not a huge deal, if the lid can be kept on it.

Personally I think its a superb idea, and deserves to do well. And I have no problem with someone trying to bring a GAA related product to our attention - at the end of the day its an ambitious venture by a man who is from our own wider community.

Why do people find it essential to be so begrudging? Is it an unwelcome Irish trait?

If Kevin has spotted a niche market, and it gives good value, then good luck to the whole thing. I hope it surpasses his expectations.

[saffron sam2]

You go away for a while and you miss the seminal post of our generation.

But rather than Mhic post in every thread where unsuspecting posters happen upon it, it would be better to have just this thread.

But it was only posted in 2 other threads, Antrim and Derry - the two threads he'd post in. You're be very unreasonable and I think an apology is needed.

And to think hundreds of young boys in west Belfast have Mr O. O'Neill as their English teacher, you feckin numpty.

Other points about this thread.

hard to take a man seriously who has david healy playing the flute as his avatar !!
i think you're right O'Neill, madden has took his place on the Antrim team as a fresh faced (although bad looking) teenager when SS2 was nearing the end of his career.

You appear (possibly erroneously) to assume that I either expect to be or want to be taken seriously.

The idea is a good one with plenty of potential for expansion into other sports. I don't think the quoted price is out of the way, particularly given the standard of accomodation. Having organised team bonding weekends in the past, I would also be tempted by the knowledge that someone else is taking responsibilty for that. It has the potential to be very successful, time alone will tell.

I also have a couple of gripes with the website that could maybe be taken on board by the webmaster (if he was to read this).

1. The overuse of the word 'true' e.g. 'true legend', 'true great'.

2.

Jimmy McGuinness - Few could disagree that Jimmy has been Donegal's finest footballer since they captured the All-Ireland in 1992.

I would be one of the few. I never really "got" Jimmy McGuiness. Assuming you are excluding the entire 92 squad, I could name a dozen or more Donegal men who were / are better than Jamesy.

[Old Bill]

Fair play to Kevin on his venture and the best of luck with it. I dont mind Mhic Easmuint givng the business a plug on here. Why not? Its GAA based and its not like pop up advertisements saying we have won an Audi A4! We can look at it if we like and if we dont like it dont bother. Ok SS2? As for the business, Kevin has found a niche here (Similar to Aidan O Rourke's Sporting Visions enterprise) where the GAA is lacking and He has expoited it. Fair play. His use of Nutritionists and S+C coaches is ambitious and innovative. Seems a wonderful idea but the only thing is with the countrys finances tightening up, clubs committees might see it as an expense not needed.