Down Club Hurling & Football

[thewobbler]

Questions need to be asked from the top down

Questions need to be asked from the bottom up.

We are never going to win Sam with the current generation*, but we might win an All-Ireland with the 8-10 year olds in the county if they were prepared right.

Its already been talked about in here already to a degree. But we need to examine every step from when a kid first kicks a football right up to the senior county squad and ask
- is this step fit for purpose?
- could we do it better?
- should we be doing it at all, or something else entirely?
- what are everyone else doing?


*barring a fluke of monumental proportions - to which I'd be absolutely fuking delighted!

Moving the u13 grade to go games on a smaller field is, I believe a remarkably bad decision. It might help a few weaker players maintain interest and progress to their maximum ability. But at same time it's tying a chain around the development of stronger players.

[Truth hurts]

Questions need to be asked from the top down

Questions need to be asked from the bottom up.

We are never going to win Sam with the current generation*, but we might win an All-Ireland with the 8-10 year olds in the county if they were prepared right.

Its already been talked about in here already to a degree. But we need to examine every step from when a kid first kicks a football right up to the senior county squad and ask
- is this step fit for purpose?
- could we do it better?
- should we be doing it at all, or something else entirely?
- what are everyone else doing?


*barring a fluke of monumental proportions - to which I'd be absolutely fuking delighted!

Moving the u13 grade to go games on a smaller field is, I believe a remarkably bad decision. It might help a few weaker players maintain interest and progress to their maximum ability. But at same time it's tying a chain around the development of stronger players.

I have to disagree on that as the best players will get to play u15 for their clubs. Lobbing 10 plus goals into a massive net with a wee 3 ft keeper standing there serves no one any good. u13 football last year was really poor to watch as the best players totally dominated. Getting the ball and running 70 meteres to score and crap like that. u13 this year should be better.

[Truth hurts]

The powerhouses in South Down including CPN are doing Trojan work at underage level
We are as strong at underage as any county in ulster club wise

Burren Mayobridge CPN Kilcoo Belfast clubs are putting in work that should be at the forefront of our county teams

We just are not seeing it transferred to a county minor level

The under 20s had a great run last year and we need to build on that

I would safely say Burren has more more underage titles in 2021 than CPN has won in the previous 21 years . LMFAO you are some craic.

[thewobbler]

Questions need to be asked from the top down

Questions need to be asked from the bottom up.

We are never going to win Sam with the current generation*, but we might win an All-Ireland with the 8-10 year olds in the county if they were prepared right.

Its already been talked about in here already to a degree. But we need to examine every step from when a kid first kicks a football right up to the senior county squad and ask
- is this step fit for purpose?
- could we do it better?
- should we be doing it at all, or something else entirely?
- what are everyone else doing?


*barring a fluke of monumental proportions - to which I'd be absolutely fuking delighted!

Moving the u13 grade to go games on a smaller field is, I believe a remarkably bad decision. It might help a few weaker players maintain interest and progress to their maximum ability. But at same time it's tying a chain around the development of stronger players.

I have to disagree on that as the best players will get to play u15 for their clubs. Lobbing 10 plus goals into a massive net with a wee 3 ft keeper standing there serves no one any good. u13 football last year was really poor to watch as the best players totally dominated. Getting the ball and running 70 meteres to score and crap like that. u13 this year should be better.

That depends on your club.

We had 2 x u13 sides last year and only one player (who is exceptional) played u15 grade.

If that was this year, we'd have almost 40 boys playing two-touch football. And the better ones, learning sweet FA from it.

[Truth hurts]

Questions need to be asked from the top down

Questions need to be asked from the bottom up.

We are never going to win Sam with the current generation*, but we might win an All-Ireland with the 8-10 year olds in the county if they were prepared right.

Its already been talked about in here already to a degree. But we need to examine every step from when a kid first kicks a football right up to the senior county squad and ask
- is this step fit for purpose?
- could we do it better?
- should we be doing it at all, or something else entirely?
- what are everyone else doing?


*barring a fluke of monumental proportions - to which I'd be absolutely fuking delighted!

Moving the u13 grade to go games on a smaller field is, I believe a remarkably bad decision. It might help a few weaker players maintain interest and progress to their maximum ability. But at same time it's tying a chain around the development of stronger players.

I have to disagree on that as the best players will get to play u15 for their clubs. Lobbing 10 plus goals into a massive net with a wee 3 ft keeper standing there serves no one any good. u13 football last year was really poor to watch as the best players totally dominated. Getting the ball and running 70 meteres to score and crap like that. u13 this year should be better.

That depends on your club.

We had 2 x u13 sides last year and only one player (who is exceptional) played u15 grade.

If that was this year, we'd have almost 40 boys playing two-touch football. And the better ones, learning sweet FA from it.

How many times in a senior game would you see a player take more than 2 touches. move the ball quickly. Do you think young McGovern learned much by scoring 10 goals a game versus players who are no where as good as him both technicaly and physically.

[thewobbler]

Questions need to be asked from the top down

Questions need to be asked from the bottom up.

We are never going to win Sam with the current generation*, but we might win an All-Ireland with the 8-10 year olds in the county if they were prepared right.

Its already been talked about in here already to a degree. But we need to examine every step from when a kid first kicks a football right up to the senior county squad and ask
- is this step fit for purpose?
- could we do it better?
- should we be doing it at all, or something else entirely?
- what are everyone else doing?


*barring a fluke of monumental proportions - to which I'd be absolutely fuking delighted!

Moving the u13 grade to go games on a smaller field is, I believe a remarkably bad decision. It might help a few weaker players maintain interest and progress to their maximum ability. But at same time it's tying a chain around the development of stronger players.

I have to disagree on that as the best players will get to play u15 for their clubs. Lobbing 10 plus goals into a massive net with a wee 3 ft keeper standing there serves no one any good. u13 football last year was really poor to watch as the best players totally dominated. Getting the ball and running 70 meteres to score and crap like that. u13 this year should be better.

That depends on your club.

We had 2 x u13 sides last year and only one player (who is exceptional) played u15 grade.

If that was this year, we'd have almost 40 boys playing two-touch football. And the better ones, learning sweet FA from it.

How many times in a senior game would you see a player take more than 2 touches. move the ball quickly. Do you think young McGovern learned much by scoring 10 goals a game versus players who are no where as good as him both technicaly and physically.

How many players do you think strive at senior football without the ability to open the legs, or walk out of a tackle, or work their way out of a tackle?

How many defenders do you think strive at senior football when they opt to back off a ball carrier after they've had two solos?

There's two sides to this coin.

Tyrone have players coming of 5-6 macrory cup schools at present. They're playing grade A, full sized football at school from 11 years old. That's where I'll look for my evidence for which side to choose.

[Johnnysboys]

Being a good schools player doesn't automatically mean you will be a good adult player

Development sqauds are ok from under 16 up but it has to be run right which is not happening in Down that's why we have so many drop out

My nephew was on one and he got word on a Thursday night that he was training on Saturday and it could have been anywhere. Now that's ok only his parents worked so it was a scramble to get him sorted with a lift and eventually he just stopped going as he was already training with his club 3 nights and maybe 2 schools session

Whether we like it or not it's just not fancy to play for Down anymore

Look at the buzz around Armagh at the minute and the big crowds they are getting compared to us

Questions need to be asked from the top down

How are they not being run right??? How do we make it that it is run right???

[Wolfetones]

Questions need to be asked from the top down

Questions need to be asked from the bottom up.

We are never going to win Sam with the current generation*, but we might win an All-Ireland with the 8-10 year olds in the county if they were prepared right.

Its already been talked about in here already to a degree. But we need to examine every step from when a kid first kicks a football right up to the senior county squad and ask
- is this step fit for purpose?
- could we do it better?
- should we be doing it at all, or something else entirely?
- what are everyone else doing?


*barring a fluke of monumental proportions - to which I'd be absolutely fuking delighted!

Moving the u13 grade to go games on a smaller field is, I believe a remarkably bad decision. It might help a few weaker players maintain interest and progress to their maximum ability. But at same time it's tying a chain around the development of stronger players.

I have to disagree on that as the best players will get to play u15 for their clubs. Lobbing 10 plus goals into a massive net with a wee 3 ft keeper standing there serves no one any good. u13 football last year was really poor to watch as the best players totally dominated. Getting the ball and running 70 meteres to score and crap like that. u13 this year should be better.

That depends on your club.

We had 2 x u13 sides last year and only one player (who is exceptional) played u15 grade.

If that was this year, we'd have almost 40 boys playing two-touch football. And the better ones, learning sweet FA from it.

How many times in a senior game would you see a player take more than 2 touches. move the ball quickly. Do you think young McGovern learned much by scoring 10 goals a game versus players who are no where as good as him both technicaly and physically.

How many players do you think strive at senior football without the ability to open the legs, or walk out of a tackle, or work their way out of a tackle?

How many defenders do you think strive at senior football when they opt to back off a ball carrier after they've had two solos?

There's two sides to this coin.

Tyrone have players coming of 5-6 macrory cup schools at present. They're playing grade A, full sized football at school from 11 years old. That's where I'll look for my evidence for which side to choose.

U13 football in Tyrone is two touch, as U14 was before that. Your point in general is correct though.

[Truth hurts]

The amalgamation of Ulster colleges and Vocational schools is a big no no for the smaller schools. The Down vocational school final was a great day in the school's diary and it gave a huge profile to the likes of st Columbans and st Malachy etc

[befair]

Should our priority be (1) a successful county team, or (2) keeping as many young people, of all abilities, playing football for a long as possible? Pehaps the two ae mutually exclusive.
Every club should have a 3rds team, for the lads who just want to play a game every week without having to live like Spartans; but instead all the focus is on the 'elite' footballers (for whom it will never be a career or a living, only a hobby).

[thewobbler]

Befair, i would argue day and night that the two biggest drivers of GAA interest - at all ages, among all abilities - is success for your club/parish, immediately followed by success for your county.

[Truth hurts]

Should our priority be (1) a successful county team, or (2) keeping as many young people, of all abilities, playing football for a long as possible? Pehaps the two ae mutually exclusive.
Every club should have a 3rds team, for the lads who just want to play a game every week without having to live like Spartans; but instead all the focus is on the 'elite' footballers (for whom it will never be a career or a living, only a hobby).

sure lets play go games at senior level lol

Some clubs cannot field a 1st team never mind a thirds team

[bigarsedkeeper]

It's very difficult to get both right. GAA is all about developing players to improve bring success to that particular club and by knock on the county. My own lads started soccer this year and you can see how different the set up is. It's about developing players full stop. Some stay at the club and play first team, some only ever play 3rds or lower, some play 5 a side and some move on to bigger clubs. They have more teams and less pressure which is great for the kids but you have to deal with more players that are never making past 12 years old and the issues that brings.
A lot of the coaching tips you hear on twitter etc are from people coaching in a big club in Dublin where they need to keep 10% of the U11s they have and the parents have no real affiliation with any particular club. In most clubs in Down you need 70% of players to be retained.

[stiff breeze]

Befair, i would argue day and night that the two biggest drivers of GAA interest - at all ages, among all abilities - is success for your club/parish, immediately followed by success for your county.

The two biggest drivers of gaa interest in any young person are their parents and wanting to play with a group of friends . Never once heard a child talk about the love of their club or county . That comes much later and presently the only love for county football is the bit of prestige that comes with it . Coaching structures need to change , coaches need to get better , we need better coaching awards . The coaching awards within the county presently are a joke , any eejit could become a level 1 coach and still not have a clue how to run a session . 

[thewobbler]

Tyrone have players coming of 5-6 macrory cup schools at present. They're playing grade A, full sized football at school from 11 years old. That's where I'll look for my evidence for which side to choose.

Erm, as WolfeTone has pointed out there is a two-touch rule in place in U13 club football in Tyrone and has been for some time now back to when it was an U14 competition (introduced in 2009 IIRC). I think Derry have the same rule at the same age level too.

I'm happy to be corrected! Is it even two touch in championship?

So for the past 10-12 years, all Tyrone u13 (u14s) have played Go Games format for all club games, but roughly 80-100 of them a year play full rules in D'Alton and Corn na nOg football?

I find this truly bizarre.

Maybe two routes is the best way forward.  Just strikes me as it shouldn't be. When for example do Tyrone defenders learn to hunt in packs?