2013 Creggan U-21 Tournament

[INDIANA]

The Minor Ulster club is a strange one too, good competition. But setting the Semi final on a Stephens day is strange. Same every year.

At least let young lads enjoy xmass, Its run late in the year as most County Championships would have finished around October. Know if i was a Minor I wouldn't be a happy chappy training through Christmass, even it meant a place in a Ulster Final.

Its crazy in my view. You can play more matches in Dec/Jan then July/Aug.

The idea that you can develop skills more so in winter then summer is GAA created.

[RandyDupree]

Remember Brick Molloy playing in this tournament 3/4 years ago. Crazy that he's still U21 

[rodney trotter]

Remember Brick Molloy playing in this tournament 3/4 years ago. Crazy that he's still U21 

Seems like he has been around for years and still 21, he was a key player on the Donegal u21 team in 2010 when they reached the All Ireland Final. Didn't get much game time this year with Donegal Seniors.

[ogshead]

The Minor Ulster club is a strange one too, good competition. But setting the Semi final on a Stephens day is strange. Same every year.

At least let young lads enjoy xmass, Its run late in the year as most County Championships would have finished around October. Know if i was a Minor I wouldn't be a happy chappy training through Christmass, even it meant a place in a Ulster Final.

Whenever I was a minor in the 90's we played the Semi final on St Stephen's day. It was a brilliant experience and none of our players complained about not getting "out" on Christmas night. Unfortunately we lost that day but the players who were eligible the following year were chomping at the bit to get back there. The club eventually won it in the 2000 season and the majority of players; including boys who went on to play for Armagh, still say that it was a highlight of their playing days.

[Any craic]

Interesting debate here on the pros and cons... legendary Down manager Pete McGrath adds his views here at Creggan Kickhams Ulster U-21 Draw, he's in charge of Bryansford: http://tinyurl.com/cpwhrwz

[trileacman]

Far too much football at that age group for a small minority of players.
Not enough football for the majority.

True, the vast majority of underage teams break up at minor level, their football years end as their drinking careers begin. Only the successful teams or those with vast numbers of underage players carry teams on.

[ck]

AFS sorry mate but your post underlines my original point. This is a pointless tournament set up by people who dont give a damn about player burnout and only care about their own egos and would be from the "ah sure young lads love playing football" brigade. The Ulster council stand idly by and do nothing about it as is their speciality.

Ok, you do understand that your opinion, regardless of how persistently you state it, and reality are not necessarily synonymous? It's simply your opinion that this competition is pointless. Evidentally, the competition has a point in the opinions of those taking part.

Let me put it this way. Most of my club U.21s dont see a ball from Sept to February. The best players in the best clubs (elite) are being flogged. To say this is pre season and sure a few games will do them no harm is naive in the extreme. The best players are on county teams, trials, college teams, senior teams and then the best of these are also being asked to compete in tournaments that only serve to increase the profile of the organising club. Creggan and St.Pauls both included.

A minority of the players taking part in this competition will be involved with multiple teams at that stage of the season. A minority of the player will be involved with multiple teams at most stages in the season. That's a fact of the GAA, and it always will be without a radical overhaul of the whole shambolic calendar. I don't agree that opportunities for the majority should be stymied because of vague worries for a minority.

I'm no fan of the Ulster Council as I see them year after year dodge taking responsability for many issues. This is just another in a long line.

I'm not sure what it is, perhaps the three digs in the space of two posts, but I get the feeling I may have discovered the impetus behind your complaint.

You sound upset with someone disagreeing with you. Your original naive viewpoint that these are young lads and should be let play as much as possible is a traditional viewpoint of GAA people all over the country but is not helpful when it comes to player welfare or burnout. Its a bit like people saying that race horses should be whipped and jumped over fences "cos they love it" In the absence of a competant governing body actually governing on this issue, meaningless tournaments will be played in a crazy thoughtless and over crowded GAA calendar at the expense of elite young athletes! ...but what odds, sure they love it.

[rodney trotter]

The Minor Ulster club is a strange one too, good competition. But setting the Semi final on a Stephens day is strange. Same every year.

At least let young lads enjoy xmass, Its run late in the year as most County Championships would have finished around October. Know if i was a Minor I wouldn't be a happy chappy training through Christmass, even it meant a place in a Ulster Final.

Whenever I was a minor in the 90's we played the Semi final on St Stephen's day. It was a brilliant experience and none of our players complained about not getting "out" on Christmas night. Unfortunately we lost that day but the players who were eligible the following year were chomping at the bit to get back there. The club eventually won it in the 2000 season and the majority of players; including boys who went on to play for Armagh, still say that it was a highlight of their playing days.

I'd say it was probaly a good experience, still Gaa players all over the Country get a break at Xmass, most do anyay.

Playing a Semi final on Stephens day and the Final on News Years day is crazy in my opinion. If the Ulster Council loved the Competition so much why not have every County Minor Championship finished earlier so the Ulster Minor Club could be ran off before Christmass.

Not about lads going on the beer over Christmass, they deserve a break at that time of the year. Probaly training a full 12 months between schools, Club and County Minor. Burn out is what that leads too....

[HiMucker]

Far too much football at that age group for a small minority of players.
Not enough football for the majority.

Spot on

[fitzroyalty]

WTF is burnout?

[rodney trotter]

WTF is burnout?

Burnout from Drinking , what do you think it is, Burnout from an excesive amount of football at a young age, where some lads could be playing between 5/6 team Under age to Senior to County and College.

Cian O Sullivan the Dub Footballer suffered from it. And picked up a lot of injuries. Trianing too much etc.

[imtommygunn]

I always believe that burnout is a lot more likely in dual players.

If you're playing football across teams then you should be able to cometo an arrangement re training and games so you wouldn't be overdoing it. Some of that depends on your manager ok but shouldn't be unmanageable. You can't miss hurling training because you've been to football training. Sccer likewise.

Definitely think a few derry boys, mark lynch in particular, have suffered from that.

[rodney trotter]

An article about O Sullivans injury,
http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=cian+o+sullivan&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CDQQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.independent.ie%2Fsport%2Fgaelic-football%2Fcian-osullivan-has-overcome-an-injury-woes-to-embody-pat-gilroys-new-breed-of-dub-defenders-3172653.html&ei=S4fgUOaQEMaKhQfIgIGABQ&usg=AFQjCNFaYcr3Fez7smg-MVp2GqLRQfP65w

Or it can also be used as an excuse for any good underage player not cutting it at senior.

Nearly every senior county player will have played a fcuk load of football growing up.

Ye,s and because some of them pick up injuries doesn't mean they aren't good enough. O Sullivan is a quality player.

[ck]

You sound upset with someone disagreeing with you. Your original naive viewpoint that these are young lads and should be let play as much as possible is a traditional viewpoint of GAA people all over the country but is not helpful when it comes to player welfare or burnout. Its a bit like people saying that race horses should be whipped and jumped over fences "cos they love it" In the absence of a competant governing body actually governing on this issue, meaningless tournaments will be played in a crazy thoughtless and over crowded GAA calendar at the expense of elite young athletes! ...but what odds, sure they love it.

I'll be fair with you here. If you can find me where I said the bit emboldened above, we'll continue the discussion. If/ when you can't find it, I won't make any fuss and we can pretend you never made that embarrassing attempt at misrepresentation. Deal?

My point was to address the naive nature of previous posts. This included yours as you stated that this tournament is Jan to Feb and sure won't players will be back training for the new season anyway. To suggest that these lads had stopped training, have a break or prepare for a new season in a periodised manner is sadly ill informed and/or very naive. You only see the games and these "innocent" tournaments but the story behind the headlines is that these young elite players have several masters and compete at all sorts of levels which overlap, yet random clubs are allowed to set up so called "provincial tournaments" which are deemed important and the provincial governing body sits back and does sfa to legitimise or reject these for the sake of young players.

[bennydorano]

Harps won Armagh today, i see we play Dromore. Any dates set? Didn't pay any attention to this last year, any returningteams? Ballinderry favs?