Our Schools and the GAA

[DownFanatic]

Over the past year I have been hearing many stories about the lack of promotion of the GAA in the primary schools and secondary schools within my county. Many point to the fact that other sports such as soccer and rugby are taking precedence while others say that football and hurling are being watered down and not being considered as the traditional top dog sport in their schools.

At regional and county board level, club delegates are pushing our administrators to do something about this problem by getting more involved within the schools. The administrators are telling the delegates that those representing the GAA can only become involved in these types of matters with schools if the school invite them in. They advocate putting pressure on Boards of Governors and parents of children in these schools to push the issue.

With a wider and more diverse curriculum now in place in our education system, is the GAA being diluted in our schools and and if so what can we do about this?

[Joxer]

Is there not a number of County Players employed as coaching officers for the Primary schools in your County DF?

[neilthemac]

get parents and local reps onto the boards of governors in those schools

then they can advocate for the GAA as a sport in schools

[DownFanatic]

Is there not a number of County Players employed as coaching officers for the Primary schools in your County DF?

Ambrose Rogers, Martin Clarke, Conor Laverty and Benny Coulter all hold these roles.

Joxer, it is brilliant having these four men involved in this capacity but it is up to the schools to avail of them. Therein lies the problem, some schools arent requesting their services.

[brokencrossbar1]

Is there not a number of County Players employed as coaching officers for the Primary schools in your County DF?

Ambrose Rogers, Martin Clarke, Conor Laverty and Benny Coulter all hold these roles.

Joxer, it is brilliant having these four men involved in this capacity but it is up to the schools to avail of them. Therein lies the problem, some schools arent requesting their services.

Funding is a major issue, I spoke to my own kids school 2 days ago about it and Ambrose was there last year but will only be taking the senior students this year.  I am volunteering to do a bit myself but I would imagine I am on my own in that regard.  Money is the big thing.  At the end of the day there are coaches available but funding is an issue.  If you want to make suggestions for County Down, don't do it on here, send an e-mail to the county board, developmentmanager.down@gaa.ie, and make your points.

[DownFanatic]

Is there not a number of County Players employed as coaching officers for the Primary schools in your County DF?

Ambrose Rogers, Martin Clarke, Conor Laverty and Benny Coulter all hold these roles.

Joxer, it is brilliant having these four men involved in this capacity but it is up to the schools to avail of them. Therein lies the problem, some schools arent requesting their services.

Funding is a major issue, I spoke to my own kids school 2 days ago about it and Ambrose was there last year but will only be taking the senior students this year.  I am volunteering to do a bit myself but I would imagine I am on my own in that regard.  Money is the big thing.  At the end of the day there are coaches available but funding is an issue.  If you want to make suggestions for County Down, don't do it on here, send an e-mail to the county board, developmentmanager.down@gaa.ie, and make your points.

In Down, our clubs pay £500 every year to the county board on behalf of the primary schools within our parish to contribute towards coaching and coaching officers.

[brokencrossbar1]

Is there not a number of County Players employed as coaching officers for the Primary schools in your County DF?

Ambrose Rogers, Martin Clarke, Conor Laverty and Benny Coulter all hold these roles.

Joxer, it is brilliant having these four men involved in this capacity but it is up to the schools to avail of them. Therein lies the problem, some schools arent requesting their services.

Funding is a major issue, I spoke to my own kids school 2 days ago about it and Ambrose was there last year but will only be taking the senior students this year.  I am volunteering to do a bit myself but I would imagine I am on my own in that regard.  Money is the big thing.  At the end of the day there are coaches available but funding is an issue.  If you want to make suggestions for County Down, don't do it on here, send an e-mail to the county board, developmentmanager.down@gaa.ie, and make your points.

In Down, our clubs pay £500 every year to the county board on behalf of the primary schools within our parish to contribute towards coaching and coaching officers.

I live in Rostrevor but I am not sure if the club has paid any money. 

[Zulu]

I coach in schools and that is not my experience at all, kids love the games and will play them if we deliver the right type of coaching with a good programme of games.

[Milltown Row2]

I went to a Christian Brothers primary school, Gaelic games were the only sports played. the Brothers were the ones who ensured that every kid played (whether you liked it or not)

A local club also helped out, this was there way of getting kids to sign up, no parishes in the city!!

Sad to see how things have ended up and parents are the only ones taking an interest in coaching within the school. Fair play BC1 for getting involved.

We would always encourage our students from the club to get involved with a school and we have a few in different schools, but as someone has pointed out, there are feckers out there getting paid to do it and its worse now than ever!!

Who assesses these coaches and ensures all schools are getting looked after?

[Bud Wiser]

What they should do is ban gaelic football in schools altogether and just bring in hurling, then when the young lads grow up they'lll be well able to play football anyway. Hurling is a far more exciting game and parents would be more encouraged to let their children get involved in a male models game of basketball.

[ardal]

One thing I don't think has been mentioned yet is:

it all depends on the relationship of the school and club within the community, and is not necessarily a case of the teachers having to teach the sports. I know of one example were the primary school has been visited by players from 2 local clubs at least 3 times during the year; yeah part of this was also about recruiting for the club.

Relatively small comunity/ townland; maybe 10,000 at absolute max, but the clubs and school remain the centre of the community. No problems therefore for the GAA in the schools.  Imagine it'd be a different kettle of fish though in bigger towns.

[INDIANA]

I would estimate that there is not much more than 5 years of promotion of Gaelic games left in most post primary schools.

There are many forces mitigating against the promotion of Gaelic games in schools.  Two of the most important are the shortage of teachers willing to take/coach games and the funding of the games. 

Part of the shortage is down to the change in society where teachers want to spend more time with their families and cannot commit to several evenings after school and most of a Saturday throughout at least eight months of the year.  The other reason is that the proportion of men teaching in most post primary schools is in sustained decline and there is not the same interest in taking Gaelic games among female teachers.

Funding of Gaelic games lies wholly with the schools and some are helped out by generous sponsors.  No funds are available from County Boards, Ulster Council or Ulster Colleges.  Schools are now under major financial constraints and that is before the cuts have begun to be felt.  In difficult times, extra-curricular activities will be lost before affecting teaching in learning and they have now arrived for every school.  Recessionary times mean that businesses are no longer able to sponsor Gaelic games in schools.

A further issue is that a growing number of parents are no longer interested in having their children play Gaelic games particularly in the urban areas.  Children are becoming more and more passive in their activities, X-box, PS3 and Wii in the bedroom with the satellite TV and dvd player means that many children no longer go out to play.  Not a problem when they are quiet and no bother closeted in their bedrooms.

No matter our dewy eyed we may be about the promotion of Gaelic games the beginning of the decline is already upon us.

Couldnt disagree more. More primary schools in Dublin play GAA then ever before. Even schools like Blackrock College have hurling teams at post primary level. If anything in Dublin its getting stronger.

[INDIANA]

I am not talking about primary schools, my experience is in the post primary sector.

Well when elite rugby schools in Dublion start playing GAA all of a sudden when Leinster rugby is allegedly on a high I think things are only getting better in Dublin.
For example:

Colaiste Eoin represent Dublin in the Leinster A senior hurling championship. the first school to do so for 20 years

Blackrock College and Terenure play hurling- I mean what odds would you get on that 10 years ago?

Our schools are actually now making an impact at Leinster Senior A Colleges level at football. We're not there yet but there is marked improvement in our performance in this competition

In Dublin anyway -things are only getting better really. Massive sponsorship from Vodafone is helping. More people playing the game, massive interest at primary school level. Clubs like Crokes in the heart of rugby country winning all-ireland titles.

Cant complain.

[nrico2006]

How many Primary Schools coaches are there in Tyrone?  Are they centralised or are there different coaches for different areas of the County?

I went to school in Strabane and at Primary Schools level there was very the way of coaches.  A man from my Club (Gerard O'Connor) was responsible for coaching all the Primary Schools in the area, and he put in a savage effort as well as coaching our underage Hurling teams. 

At Secondary school level we had to rely on whatever teachers were interested in coaching, and it was the same 3 or 4 teachers coaching every year group.  We had Danny Devine from Clan Na Gael, Brian Gormley from Carrickmore and Martin Morgan.  They put in some effort back then, and I am near sure that they are still as dedicated.  never had any real specialised coaching from County Board appointed coaches.

[Joxer]

Is there not a number of County Players employed as coaching officers for the Primary schools in your County DF?

Ambrose Rogers, Martin Clarke, Conor Laverty and Benny Coulter all hold these roles.

Joxer, it is brilliant having these four men involved in this capacity but it is up to the schools to avail of them. Therein lies the problem, some schools arent requesting their services.

Funding is a major issue, I spoke to my own kids school 2 days ago about it and Ambrose was there last year but will only be taking the senior students this year.  I am volunteering to do a bit myself but I would imagine I am on my own in that regard.  Money is the big thing.  At the end of the day there are coaches available but funding is an issue.  If you want to make suggestions for County Down, don't do it on here, send an e-mail to the county board, developmentmanager.down@gaa.ie, and make your points.

Should the clubs then not try to push their local schools to avail of it and to start participating in tournaments. 

your right in what you say however that service is there.  Personally speaking I know where it is more of a hinderence for teachers to take kids out for an hours PE or to even know what an O'Neills size 5 is.  Something has to be done or other sporting codes will come in and do the work and reap the rewards further down the line.