The future of laois hurling

[Jd]

I'd say fair play to them. It'll require a huge amount of volunteers to run it anyway long term but there will have to be a paid fella or lady put in there full time to oversee the thing cos as you say people will get tired after a few years of it

[Laois man]

I Was at a lot of U15 games this year so far between league and the feile some fine hurlers from a lot of clubs. Castletown are back strong again harps strong plus a lot more. Would now be the time to pull 30 plus of these lads together get a top management team in place and plan for the minor leinster championship in 2 years time.

[clonadmad]

I Was at a lot of U15 games this year so far between league and the feile some fine hurlers from a lot of clubs. Castletown are back strong again harps strong plus a lot more. Would now be the time to pull 30 plus of these lads together get a top management team in place and plan for the minor leinster championship in 2 years time.

Looking in at that u15 grade this year there's the potential to turn that age group into something similar to the minor team of 2022 in 2 years time

But I feel the opposite will happen

Firstly it took nearly 7 months of begging last year from the County board before any sign of a management team was put in place

It was May last year when that happened every other county was up and running since October/November

I'm loathe to criticise the lads that stuck their heads above the parapet but from what I'm hearing is there are struggles with basic organisation

The training that I've seen taking place consists of 15 v 15 games and hurl away yourselves lads and backs v forwards

Nothing in the way of direction and/or spot and fix

No goalkeeper training

And lads hurling corner backs with their clubs now hurling corner forwards with the county,I have the suspicion that the lads over them don't actually watch too many club u15 games.

I've watched probably 10/12 sessions in passing in the last 12 months

I'd definitely retain the lads that are there currently but they need a top class coach and manger to come in and put a structure on things and provide direction

Otherwise this will be another group of lads who won't fulfill their obvious potential


The u14 group by comparison don't seem to have the organisational issues but in another year they will need similar specialist coaching assistance.

[Giovanni]

Roughly how much do you think it would cost for a really decent coach for these lads?

[clonadmad]

Roughly how much do you think it would cost for a really decent coach for these lads?

It's one thing finding and  paying a top end coach but your also looking at a support staff also

Top end Minor teams could have anything from 6 to 14 people who are also excellent in their areas of expertise

[Giovanni]

But wouldn't most of these 6-14 people be volunteers at this level? Maybe the County Board could run some courses to build up skills for these volunteers? I'm still not really understanding why we're so far behind or why our volunteers are of lower quality than other counties?

[clonadmad]

But wouldn't most of these 6-14 people be volunteers at this level? Maybe the County Board could run some courses to build up skills for these volunteers? I'm still not really understanding why we're so far behind or why our volunteers are of lower quality than other counties?

Of course many would be voluntary but it's a big commitment on their part and is the enthusiasm there at the minute ?

Is the budget or support there either ?

You made an excellent point about training up people,Is the forward planning on the part of the county board there to do this in evidence?

I know a father of a lad who will be playing in the minor final this weekend and the level of planning attention to detail and player development for the past 2 years would stun you.

And this is one age grade

You have u14/15/16/celtic challenge plus all the schools pulling their weight and then minors being put up into an even higher level of excellence with an u20 set up

[Giovanni]

If you say that there is a good crop of kids at u15 level this year, I would absolutely believe it.

You'd hope that this fact would increase the level of enthusiasm and the support of the county board and others. If not, then we're really going nowhere at all.

[clonadmad]

If you say that there is a good crop of kids at u15 level this year, I would absolutely believe it.

You'd hope that this fact would increase the level of enthusiasm and the support of the county board and others. If not, then we're really going nowhere at all.

I'd also think we have the raw material too at u14 but it need to be coached and developed otherwise it will wither on the vine

There's been a few of examples in recent years of very competitive laois teams at u14/15 and it based on raw talent

Then the other counties coaching and s&c programs kick in and those laois teams get left behind

[clonadmad]

Roughly how much do you think it would cost for a really decent coach for these lads?

€60k-€100k a year

It costs to run a successful intercounty minor hurling team

I asked 2 people in 2 separate counties that would have been involved with teams that played in minor all ireland very recently and that's what they came back with

When those 2 teams were u15 you were looking at costs of €40k-50k that year

[georgedoylesrightleg]

youd wunder where our asociation is gone wen youre spendin a hundred grand to win an u17 medal

[ottoman]

Roughly how much do you think it would cost for a really decent coach for these lads?

€60k-€100k a year

It costs to run a successful intercounty minor hurling team

I asked 2 people in 2 separate counties that would have been involved with teams that played in minor all ireland very recently and that's what they came back with

When those 2 teams were u15 you were looking at costs of €40k-50k that year

Its crazy money to be competitive at underage level. I live in Dublin these days and I know from chatting to fellas out and about at underage club games that to the money involved in running things in Dublin for u13 development squads to the u17 panel is about 170/200k a year. Obviously, we wouldn't compare to Dublin as they are trying to coach/manager a much larger playing pool, but we would be looking at over a 100k a year if we were to have a similar operation in place from u13 level through to u17.

[Giovanni]

Roughly how much do you think it would cost for a really decent coach for these lads?

€60k-€100k a year

It costs to run a successful intercounty minor hurling team

I asked 2 people in 2 separate counties that would have been involved with teams that played in minor all ireland very recently and that's what they came back with

When those 2 teams were u15 you were looking at costs of €40k-50k that year

This is really good information.

Let's imagine that our county board are only spending half the amount of the top counties. So in order to really compete, we'd need to come up with about EUR 20,000 for our talented u-15s to give them a chance to compete. Wouldn't it be possible to get say 4 businesses in the country to become the sponsors of that particular talented group and follow them up through the ranks? I think people would be interested in getting behind a particular team. I really don't think that would take too much effort. But of course the volunteers would have to be properly respected and supported too. This really should be possible.

[Blow-in]

Now let's imagine your a business person and Laois GAA approach you for the 20k. Think about it and look at the people who would be asking you.

Chairperson - PJ Kelly, I can't think of one positive thing he has done in his role as Chairperson. No leadership or personality. Look across the border and see the influence Michael Duignan has had.

Hurling GDA - Declan Buggy, I don't know anything about him so I can't comment. I've heard some positive things from his previous job.

Football GDA - Donie Brennan, less said the better (represents alot of what's wrong with Laois GAA)

Head of S&C - Tom Hargroves, ran out of Tipp for running a very poor, laughable program with their senior hurlers. Their conditioning this year is chalk and cheese with last years. Just look at our senior footballers and how far they look off the pace from the middle of the road teams this year.

If 3 out of 4 of these people approached me I'd run a mile. No inspiration or initiative between them. Until we remove the deadwood and get passionate, progressive people involved we are wasting our time. We need to make Laois GAA a fashionable product and look at it as a business people want to investinandbe part of. If as it is in its current state is the best we can do, I certainly wouldn't be investing.

I'm just fed up of the whole thing and being bottom of the barrel. We will realistically never win an all ireland but we can be competitive and give people something to support and that kids want to be part of but right now, no chance. We are facilitating GAA not promoting it. Disillusioned with the whole thing.

[clonadsane]

https://www.laoistoday.ie/2022/11/22/new-look-laois-gaa-jersey-for-2023-season-with-new-sponsor-revealed/

Couldn't agree more regarding our chairman. He references 'ambitious plans' in our sponsorship deal with laois hire, however from what I've heard, it's worse it's getting. Clear out needed from top to bottom. We seem to be a county paying lip service to the GAA.