Influences on youngsters playing and staying with a defined sport?

[tbrick18]

It's a like bit of everything I suppose. Main thing obviously is an interest. If they don't have it your wasting your time, and best not to push them as they may come back to it a few years later. I'm learning that with my eldest lad. Classmates in the club will keep them going to training. Fun aspect during training make the drills interesting and fun. Also bringing them to games.  Even if they just go for the sweets or the running on the pitch at full time to meet the players. I'm coming purely from a GAA aspect though. Obv croke pk don't let the kids on the precious pitch. My 2 youngest love going to the county games. And it has increased their interest on the pitch with their team.

I'd agree with that, bringing my kids to county games in particular has really increased their appetite for playing.
My house isnt a huge soccer house, and by huge, I mean I never watch a game. Occassionally watch MOTD. But, I have 10 year old boys and they know about all the teams from their friends and from playing fifa!

Definately much more difficult for kids to stick at the GAA now post u12s. It's ultra competitive and the average kids at that age never get to kick a ball.
GAA def don't deliver for all and it's a huge miss.
Soccer clubs make a better go at this, but there is certainly a higher financial cost to participants.

[Armagh18]

Bring back gaelic games on the playstation. Those were the days!

[balladmaker]

underage managers who picks winning trophies over development is a massive reason of the drop off in the GAA

+1.

I find it a little shocking that kids at U12 are being sidelined and getting a lot less game exposure due to the manager wanting to win every game by playing his strongest 15.  Without the match exposure, how will a child ever improve ... lack of game time and associated coaching results in kids walking away, and that pisses me off at younger age groups.

[Cavan19]

underage managers who picks winning trophies over development is a massive reason of the drop off in the GAA

+1.

I find it a little shocking that kids at U12 are being sidelined and getting a lot less game exposure due to the manager wanting to win every game by playing his strongest 15.  Without the match exposure, how will a child ever improve ... lack of game time and associated coaching results in kids walking away, and that pisses me off at younger age groups.

It's a big problem and one that causes many's a row between parents and coaches.

[clarshack]

underage managers who picks winning trophies over development is a massive reason of the drop off in the GAA

Absolutely this and i'm actually personally experiencing this atm.

[imtommygunn]

Have experienced it and tbh good part of the reason I stopped.

[blanketattack]

A bit off topic, but are there any either live gaa podcasts or ones available a couple of hours after the games on a Sunday?
A few times last year I was driving home a couple of hours after a game, mad to hear more about the game and the radio coverage would be over so it'd be great to have a podcast available around that time (7pm on a championship Sunday)

[Armagh18]

Sideline eye does this in Armagh, great coverage of club and county games with podcasts and various different player/ex player and management interviews.

[square_ball]

underage managers who picks winning trophies over development is a massive reason of the drop off in the GAA

Absolutely this and i'm actually personally experiencing this atm.

I find its a mix of the managers in charge of these teams and the parents of the 'stronger' players who push this.

[sensethetone]

underage managers who picks winning trophies over development is a massive reason of the drop off in the GAA

+1.

I find it a little shocking that kids at U12 are being sidelined and getting a lot less game exposure due to the manager wanting to win every game by playing his strongest 15.  Without the match exposure, how will a child ever improve ... lack of game time and associated coaching results in kids walking away, and that pisses me off at younger age groups.

+1

[onefineday]

In all the talk of giving up the summer to other sports in the split season there is never a mention of the fact that even when we had them there was nothing aimed at kids.
My nephew is glued to soccer clips and skills on YouTube. It's something the GAA need to look at.

A decent fantasy game and somewhere to get proper accurate stats could really make an impact on the younger generation too.
Like it or not it's very difficult to compete with the global appeal of soccer when it comes to YouTube, TikTok etc - moments like canavan's dummy solo and grugan's goal are great, but since kids don't know who half the players are, they're not going to have the same desire to watch them. Award 6 fantasy pts for a goal by a midfielder though and....

[twohands!!!]

In all the talk of giving up the summer to other sports in the split season there is never a mention of the fact that even when we had them there was nothing aimed at kids.
My nephew is glued to soccer clips and skills on YouTube. It's something the GAA need to look at.

A decent fantasy game and somewhere to get proper accurate stats could really make an impact on the younger generation too.
Like it or not it's very difficult to compete with the global appeal of soccer when it comes to YouTube, TikTok etc - moments like canavan's dummy solo and grugan's goal are great, but since kids don't know who half the players are, they're not going to have the same desire to watch them. Award 6 fantasy pts for a goal by a midfielder though and....

Also in terms of the younger generation for a huge chunk of them the fact that so many games are on TG4 is massively offputting.

[GoldCoastRossie]

I know my own personal experience growing up as a crap footballer, I went to every training session from Under 10 - Minor and started a total of 1 match and came on as a sub once. It was more soul destroying being part of the same 6-8 lads at training every session but never getting in the starting 15.  The only reason I got to play 7 games at minor was we only had 15/16 players and were getting hockeyed by 30 points a match.

I notice where I live now there are 5 soccer clubs with about 4/5 teams per age group. There is a new GAA club which will make it interesting. The GAA academy for the established club has started for 4 year olds and they are getting about 60 four year olds on a Sunday morning which is great to see. My young lad had no interest in playing with any type of football not for lack of trying on my behalf but his 3 best friends in creche all go and he asked last week that he wanted to go play with his friends which is great news ! Swimming ends early May and I will happily bring him along. My 2 year old daughter is ball mad whether its rugby, football or using a sliothar and hurl plus she is always ready to shout "Up the Rossies" at the drop of a hat, such a good kid LOL

[ONeill]

I remember going to watch indoor bowls being played in east Tyrone when I was 14. This woman was throwing and got her skirt caught in her knickers and I was transfixed. She was in her 60s but it didn't matter. Ever since, I've been mad about indoor bowls.

[thewobbler]

In all the talk of giving up the summer to other sports in the split season there is never a mention of the fact that even when we had them there was nothing aimed at kids.
My nephew is glued to soccer clips and skills on YouTube. It's something the GAA need to look at.

A decent fantasy game and somewhere to get proper accurate stats could really make an impact on the younger generation too.
Like it or not it's very difficult to compete with the global appeal of soccer when it comes to YouTube, TikTok etc - moments like canavan's dummy solo and grugan's goal are great, but since kids don't know who half the players are, they're not going to have the same desire to watch them. Award 6 fantasy pts for a goal by a midfielder though and....

Also in terms of the younger generation for a huge chunk of them the fact that so many games are on TG4 is massively offputting.

You're not allowed to say this out loud.

But now you have. I totally agree with you.