Antrim Hurling

[maxpower]

I think Skulls point, and indeed Woody refers to it in todays papers, with all these county matches the club scene simply does not have the weekends or the regularity (?) to prosper.  Dunloy played 2 matches in June, none for reserves. Not the way to keep interest in a sport, indeed in Summer for lots of hurlers it becomes a spectator sport, where the excitment is generated not but participation in our own leagues but by the hype of the Munster Championship, how can our hurlers ever be the equal when we spend our days in awe of them

the horse has to go before the cart, we need our club hurling to be of a high quality before the county will follow, Dinny to his credit managed to improve the skills of 10-15 of our best hurlers, but this approach is not sustainable. 

Also note Cushendall put a good win against Loughgiel, a bit untypical of the Dall to be in form this early in the year but maybe the though draw has forced their hand, anyone at it

[NAG1]

So we are all in agreement that we need to develop the grass roots and bring it through in a proper structured way.

But while that is happening is there anyone out there who can have the mangerial skills to get a team prepared while giving the clubs their fair share to get the hurling scene back up on to its feet in Antrim?

Max any names from Dunloy worth a mention?

[theskull1]

"But while that is happening is there anyone out there who can have the mangerial skills to get a team prepared while giving the clubs their fair share to get the hurling scene back up on to its feet in Antrim?"

I don't believe so. The reality is there are too few prepared to really try and deliver proper coaching standards in clubs and as a result get burnt out because they are fighting against the tide of apathy and lack of support. We are being killed by a lack of enthusiastic adults with children prepared to step up and show the right level of passion for the game. There is no point just balming S&W and the County Team for our woes. Leadership at this stage is vital. The administration in this County needs to wake up and show a different way forward that has a long term well planned strategy to turn the ship around. History has taught me from a county administration point of view to expect the same old same old.

[NAG1]

I understand what you are saying skull.

But my point being, what would be wrong with appointing a manger and giving him the remit to go around the senior and junionr clubs and assess the level of training that all our players are getting. Therefore he could see where the fall downs are and maybe run seminars for these coaches throughout the year that are mandatory.
Therefore lifting the level of coaching through out the county, yes it is short term for the senior panel for now but just one idea allied to the juvenille strucutures being sorted for future generations.

[johnneycool]

I understand what you are saying skull.

But my point being, what would be wrong with appointing a manger and giving him the remit to go around the senior and junionr clubs and assess the level of training that all our players are getting. Therefore he could see where the fall downs are and maybe run seminars for these coaches throughout the year that are mandatory.
Therefore lifting the level of coaching through out the county, yes it is short term for the senior panel for now but just one idea allied to the juvenille strucutures being sorted for future generations.

Is that not the job of these full time coaches we now have?

[NAG1]

Yeah but they obviously arent doing it, maybe the county manager would have more sway with some of these coaches anyway and if it was part of a mandatory session thing then they would get more respect and would help them develop.

[the colonel]

NAG1, these officers have only been in a matter of weeks and months, both at county and Ulster level. You talk about player development being a long process, then give these officers a wee bit more time to see where they believe things go wrong.

You cant simply barge in after a week or 2 and say to the clubs- this is the way things are going to go. You need to evaluate the clubs, have discussions and set out a plan. The benefits of these officers will not be known for months yet.

A senior County manager may not be the best man for youth development. Ideally we would like a Micky Moran type of person who is looking at the whole set up with the county he is managing but that is completely unique. This will be the jobs of the FT coaching officers

[NAG1]

Im not talking about these new coaches I am prepared to give them time, but if they are working to the same plans as the previous ones then no progress will be made.

We are woefully under funded for the size of our county in terms of coaches on the ground.

Im not talking youth development by the county manager I am talk about him going around Senior sessions in each club to assess the standard then to help design a programme to coach these coaches etc

[Tony Baloney]

Will this years relative success by the footballers and the level of support behind them mean that the county board will channel more money and resource into driving football in the county to the detriment of hurling? Discuss.

[NAG1]

Was this not always the case? TB

[milltown row]

Cushendall beat Loughgiel and i heard that Johnny Campbell broke a leg during the match and another injury to a Loughgiel man!!

oh how did they get on with the Fies final incident?

be a big blow to Loughgiel should they be missing him.

as for the finance between the county teams, I'd like to think its equal. would show disrespect to the managers should there be different levels regarding a budget.

i don't think we can put the senior team on hold Skull, but a policy of club teams playing with their county players regularly and those players training at least once a week their clubs would be a start. Also if the clubs have a league game 4/5 days before a county game, then they should be able to play. better than training. Players can get hurt in county training as much as club games.

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[MrT]

Cushendall beat Loughgiel and i heard that Johnny Campbell broke a leg during the match and another injury to a Loughgiel man!!

oh how did they get on with the Fies final incident?

be a big blow to Loughgiel should they be missing him.

Johnny campbell has broken ankle I think and James cambell has a broken hand.

The loughgiel fan apparently got a 2 years suspension from all games, dont see how thats going to work but  
Ding also has been suspended for 2 months following the feis game

[theskull1]

Bad luck for Johnny. He was hurling well. Is James a brother? Can see Ding coming back to fill that space if MrT actually mean't skinner as opposed to Ding

[maxpower]

Nope Skull i think, or at least i heard the Ding had got suspeded out of an incident seen on the video footage. 

bad bit of Fortune for JC, terrific hurler and really makes the Shamrocks tick