18 is not the problem

people make life choices at 18 and many people give up sport to Study, travel, socialise..etc, they become adults.

the issue is more critical at 13,14 and 15 the drop off is enormous and it's not all to do with choice. We are poor at catering for the late developers who then become disillusioned or hurt by our treatment of them. I believe that some of us take the easy option and coach the skillful early developer instead of really coaching the late developer who needs more work.

it's not so much a critisism but more of a reality that we need to grapple with. ironically the smaller Rural clubs with fewer playing resources that manage this better more out of necessity than design.

for example Mullaghhoran, in Cavan, are not great at underage but it appears that they take a huge proportion through to Senior, whereas the Urban or bigger clubs lose leigions of players every year.

ochonlir (Cavan) - Posts: 4343 - 03/12/2010 18:13:22    827344

everyone keeps on about drink and drugs, thats rubbish. the reason lads stop playing at 18/19 is that they either go away to college or start working. if theyre in college, they're no longer in their home town so getting to training and matches, especially during the week, is a bigger deal. the committed ones stick at it, those who arent as committed may drop away. and then there are those who really want to play but cant because of college/work commitments. its only a game at the end of the day, if its a choice between education/work and football, especially in times like these, its not that hard a choice to make.

monkey (Westmeath) - Posts: 223 - 05/12/2010 18:01:03    827961

Hello!

ochonlir (Cavan) - Posts: 4343 - 06/12/2010 08:25:21    828137

Work commitments and wanting to relax at the weekend after a hard weeks work rather than worrying about going to training or paly a football match.

KCurrie (Tyrone) - Posts: 157 - 06/12/2010 12:18:19    828221

Drink, work, woman, players ability are certainly the main reasons but I think one reason which has been overlooked is the level of hurling the players adult team is playing. It is far easier for a player to continue playing when a club is senior, playing in the highest division underage etc, than to continue playing if the club are at a lower level and struggling to fill teams. Although this also to do with the mentality of the club eg. we're not that good so lets not bother etc.

AnonymousPerson (Limerick) - Posts: 58 - 19/12/2010 18:05:19    835382

Surely the post of the decade if nothing else!

who oh why would you choose to be anon???

ochonlir (Cavan) - Posts: 4343 - 20/12/2010 16:44:19    835826

Folks

Just getting back in touch to give you a chance to take a look at the results of our findings. We completed the research on behalf of the St. John Bosco club from Newry, Co. Down. There was a formal launch of the report in Bosco's clubhouse at the start of June which was attended by Down clubs, the county Board, Ulster Council GAA officials as well as local politicians.

Our report is the tip of iceberg with regards to the possibilities this type of research holds and there is hope that the Ulster Council and the GAA nationwide could launch a much bigger and wider project to help deal with this issue of younger players quitting our games.

If you are interested in viewing the document you can do so by logging onto the St. John Bosco website [url]www.newryboscogfc.com and clicking on Download section on the left hand side and then click research.

If you have any thoughts or views on it then feel free to get in touch.

gaaresearch (Antrim) - Posts: 39 - 04/07/2011 10:06:21    973951

Sorry there seems to be a problem clicking on the link. If you cut and paste the address into your toolbar it should work. www.newryboscogfc.com

gaaresearch (Antrim) - Posts: 39 - 04/07/2011 10:15:05    973962

I think average players lose interest when they go to college as they dont have a hope of making the college team. i thinkl there should be much more universaity teams at all levels.

LohansRedHelmet (Clare) - Posts: 2679 - 04/07/2011 10:25:36    973976

Something that turns lads off aswell is not being given a chance. When lads who are 19/20 are being overlooked for lads who are 37/38 there going to lose interest

moomoo (Kerry) - Posts: 4023 - 04/07/2011 10:31:28    973985

lads quit because it is a shambles of an organisation we all know that and that is why people leave en masse. but like most things the gaa just turn a blind eye and still think we live in a society wehere the gaa has some sort of right over young people

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 04/07/2011 12:50:22    974181

LohansRedHelmet
County: Clare
Posts: 332

973976 I think average players lose interest when they go to college as they dont have a hope of making the college team. i thinkl there should be much more universaity teams at all levels.

Definitely agree. I was a distinctly average player and played till minor, don't think we had an u-21 team for my time (either that or nobody thought I was worth telling about matches haha), went to college and that was basically that for my GAA career!

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12164 - 04/07/2011 13:15:34    974202

well said Ball Boy. GAA is a poorly run organisation. It has mirrored the carrying on in the Dail for donkeys years. It expects its members to put up with crap all the time. For all the hours that players, coachs, volunteers and parents put in, they get a raw deal from the commitees in return. More fool us for putting up with it.

kpd (Mayo) - Posts: 51 - 04/07/2011 15:37:53    974419

drink , women and work

cboyle92 (Down) - Posts: 184 - 04/07/2011 21:58:27    974975

I read your report with interest and was surprised at your finding that injuries are a significant reason for dropping out.
I suspect the drop off is probably less noticable in say Dublin, but there still has to be a proportional drop-out rate of Dub 18 year olds.

But surely the important thing is they stay in the game? no matter where they choose to live or what they opt to do. If most 18 year olds leave their homes and move to college and university and wish to remain in the games, local clubs would be delighted to cater for them. In Dublin there plenty of clubs around the IT's, Universities to take the more casual player. With 9 hurling divisions and about 13 Football ones there is plenty of playing options for all abilities. Now I know that doesn't provide a solution to say rural teams who are losing these players - but I think priority has to be to keep them at the games. They need not be hyper-intensive, its surely a great way to keep boys/girls fit, make friends etc etc win win, you can still have your drink and women.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4938 - 05/07/2011 09:02:57    975005

I didn't give up but in relation to others:
1. Other sports mostly soccer. Alot of good players went and played soccer instead eventhough in their earlier years it would have been mostly GAA.
2. Other gave up because once they reached adult level there were the following issues:
a. A core group (in the case of my club farmers) who dominated the club
b. Too many ould men hanging around still playing instead of letting the young fellas get involved (see point 'a' above). Also I think there should be a Seniors grade or Over 35's grade.
c. Average players didn't see any oportunities at adult level to continue on. Generally the better players from each year went into the Junior, Intermediate or Senior side. There were years where no new players went on to play with the adult team (see 'a' above)
d. Young players were not encourage or chased to play with the adult team (see 'a' above). I was one of the better players to go through but if I decided to play overseas in the US for a year nobody actually tried to change my mind (see 'a' above).
e. Once the GAA gets to adult level it's taken alot more seriously. Soccer clubs etc.. are more fun and social I found. Alot of players who aren't brilliant prefer them because of this. No body cares as much if you are not brilliant.

Hope this helps. Just my experience.

Nick (Wexford) - Posts: 1100 - 05/07/2011 09:46:14    975027

First time I seen this thread lads so I'll give my view,


I quit gaelic when I was 16 going on 17, I'm now 18 going 19 end of the month. The reason I quit at the time was I felt there was lads who were a lot worse than me starting on the team. I was on the bench most games and was tearing my hair out watching some of the lads out there, I might seem like a big headed c**t but it was the reality at the time.

Looking back I should have just stuck with it and continued training and probably eventually I'd have got my place.

I havent bothered going back since, the main reason been I'm just too lazy. I still love going to all the Meath games and that but just havent found the motivation to go back to the club. I've also found a new hobby, Shooting, I get far more enjoyment out of this.

So I'll draw my conclusions of why lads drop out,

1. Lack of motivation
2. Other interests
3. College/work

SUPER_ROYALS (Meath) - Posts: 123 - 05/07/2011 12:12:59    975195

Once the GAA gets to adult level it's taken alot more seriously. Soccer clubs etc.. are more fun and social I found. Alot of players who aren't brilliant prefer them because of this. No body cares as much if you are not brilliant.


I think you've hit a core reason that drives young lads away once they reach adult level. The level of commitment required for senior or intermediate level football/hurling is a major disincentive for many young lads.
Holidays need to be planned around an ever-changing fixture list, nights out are routinely missed, and training is often to a higher level of intensity than professional/semi-professional Airtricity League teams.

When contrasted with playing some junior soccer, where training involves a bit of a run and lots of passing/shooting and games, and matches don't run the risk of being rearranged at the last minute because the county team won/lost, some lads see the continuing to play football/hurling as just too much effort.

black&white (Sligo) - Posts: 1628 - 05/07/2011 12:59:39    975259

Just saw this thread

I got seriously injured when i was 17 and was kept out of the game for 2years.. By the time I was fit enough to go back I was in College while holding down a full time job at the same time.. I had also found Mr Arthur Guinness... Although I had worked so hard on my recovery by the time i was fit to go back training college and work had to take priority. I felt that I was not given the chances at underage level as some of the other players at my club were growing up (some of them now quite successful) so I havent played or trained properly since..

To cut it down, I didnt quit because of injury, I quit because there is more to life than the GAA and I think clubs especially small clubs letting any ould tom dick and harry coach their underage teams are a major factor on why younger people are quitting the sport.. I can recall of 6players in my own small club who quit at about the age of 16 because of management and later came back in their mid 20's and have become major factors on our senior squad

twohands (Galway) - Posts: 149 - 05/07/2011 13:27:15    975293

Hello,

Could you send me a copy of this survey as it wont open on surveymonkey anymore and im also doing research into this topic

hurleyball13 (Cork) - Posts: 1 - 22/11/2013 12:05:32    1516499