MINOR MATTER IS A MAJOR CONCERN
IT’S the talk that won’t go away in the GAA.
But it’s not even a debate, with the vast majority of stakeholders across the Association believing the minor grade should return to Under-18.
Many of them are frustrated and angry that it hasn’t happened yet.
The subject is not one bit glamorous, but it affects every single club in the country, and every family with GAA members.
If you have kids playing Under-11 or Under-13, it’s creeping up on you quickly as well.
It’s been front and centre of GAA debates for the past two years and it’s far from so-called ‘winter talk’.
The fact it actually came up at the most recent Central Council meeting shows the GAA are not tone deaf to the concerns of members, but it seems to be an issue where they’re determined to kick to touch.
Decoupling underage and adult fixtures has been a massive bonus for the adult game and for fixture-makers.
It’s given a lot more certainty around fixtures and meant a lot less postponements.
Floated
But, by the GAA telling counties they could only return the minor grade to Under-18 if those players in their final year don’t play senior, top brass effectively punctured their own idea before it was even floated properly.
Rural clubs will shoot that down straight away, probably far quicker than they should.
There’s a temptation to say clubs shouldn’t need 17- and 18-year-olds to field at adult level. The alternative for many is not being able to line out a team, and potentially having to fold or amalgamate. It shouldn’t be, but it is?
Maybe it’s time for some clubs to face up to reality, as much as they don’t want to.
There comes a point when fighting the fight is no longer good, but is damaging to players and hardworking members, who could potentially have a better experience in a more viable long-term entity — a bigger club.
Sometimes young players, likely to be blooded too soon, might need to be saved from themselves.
But what of this second batch of 17-year-old kids about to be spat out into the adult world of GAA next year who aren’t really ready?
There are no stats to say that the Under-17 grade has led to increasing player drop-out on an already high figure. And the GAA will hardly go looking to compile them.
It’s a common sense argument though that an 18-year-old will be more ready and able to mix it with adult players than a 17-year-old — mentally and physically.
Getting along with teammates in their 20s and 30s isn’t easy either. The older that young players are going into a squad, the better.
There are other issues too.
Bench
A lot of 17-year-olds going into adult football will find themselves left on the bench and seeing little game time, as they’re simply not ready, or the old guard in the club are looked after.
Either way, this is not going to encourage them to keep on playing, and if soccer, rugby or other sports have an Under-18 grade they could well be lost to a different code.
One potential answer — an Under19 grade — has been a failure.
Schools football and hurling should fill the void for a spell at Under-18 level, but can be hit and miss, while there is often no place for the weaker player, with very few schools fielding a second team.
There is little appetite in the GAA at any level for plugging the gaps here, bar a few progressive clubs who put their own coaches in to fill any voids that exist at schools’ level.
One potential solution could be to return the minor grade to Under-18 and also allow Under-18s to play at adult level. But set it in stone that adult fixtures cannot be postponed or delayed due to any clash with underage games.
Let parents, players, coaches and clubs use their common sense.
Everyone is now more cognisant of long-term player welfare so give them the scope to show it.
Right now the many are being sacrificed for the welfare of the few who can make the leap and may no longer need to be protected the way they once did.