3 COACHE BETTER THA S ARE N ONE
TIME is a scarce commodity – or was until COVID-19 slowed down society and put most sporting activity on hold.
Work and family pressures, not least paying the bills and devoting limited precious time to family, made it a lot harder for many to play sport, never mind helping to look after teams.
It is difficult for clubs to find volunteers to manage teams. Much as former players and current players, and those even who have coaching qualifications would like to do it they have had to pass on running or helping with teams because their jobs entail spending a lot of time away from home.
Unfortunately that is the lot of today’s upwardly mobile workers who don’t have much time at home, at least until lockdown hit.
Whether working at home will become a permanent feature of life and free up more time for people remains to be seen as hopefully sooner rather than later a solution is found to the virus.
Whatever about the future it has been challenging for clubs. They are indebted to in a lot of cases conscientious parents and those with familial ties who become involved, realising the importance and value of sport to younger family members.
More compellingly is if they don’t step up to the plate then a precious and dear part of their son or daughter or siblings life as well as their pals will no longer be there.
A triumvirate within the Glenmuir club form a very interesting combination and shining example of the volunteers that have stepped in and ensured the continuation of a sporting outlet that could easily have been lost to young players.
Conor Hynes, Mary Amanda Kieran and Joe Sweeney comprise the management team of Glenmuir United who compete in the Dundalk Schoolboys League under-13 division 2 grade.
They share a common desire and a personal reason to enable a rather large squad of 24 to engage in the healthy and enjoyable pursuit of playing football and derive the many attendant benefits of friendship and help their individual development in learning the important ethic of being part of a team.
Ferdia and Dane who are sons respectively of Conor and Mary, are members of the team, along with Sam, the younger brother of Joe, a college student, who is aged 19 and plays with the club’s senior reserve team.
The trio bring different attributes to the role, in what Conor says is a ‘total collaborative effort.’ He is the senior member of the team who has been the longest carrying out the role, all the way along from under-6, and some times ‘I will decide on substitutions’
But he stresses the equal parity of input by the trio into the team, while graciously acknowledging ‘Mary probably puts in more than me,’ with work not allowing him always to be available.
He explained the fact is that running the squad ‘takes the three of us.’ Mary and Joe stepped in to answer a call for help in a crisis with the departure of coaches and players at this age level. There were three teams but now there is just one with a merger necessary to cater for the 24 remaining players.
WE ARE FINDING OUR FEET AND GOING TO GET BETTER. I’M REALLY HAPPY THE WAY WE ARE GOING. I THINK WE WILL BE BETTER NEXT YEAR.
Mary played on the club’s first girls team, and also when at school with the Marist College. She offered her services when Connor put out a message for help.
She sees her role in helping the young players gain fitness in training them. She provides enthusiastic and vocal encouragement from the sideline at games, where Joe seems to assume the role of the quiet, tactical, observer and at the interval and after the game imparts his observations and advice to the young players.
He has attained a couple of coaching badges and clearly commands the attention and respect of the players.
Conor provides a ringing endorsement of his coaching credentials: ‘He’s an absolute gent. A great role model; you couldn’t ask for a better coach.’
The progress the squad is making under the trio is pleasing to Connor. ‘We are finding our feet and going to get better. I’m really happy the way we are going. I think we will be better next year.’
For her part Mary has enjoyed the rest with the suspension of the league due to the corona virus, but admits she misses the involvement with a ‘good group of kids. Son Dane ‘misses it desperately as he is football mad.’
For his part Conor thinks that a return to training might be needed looking at Ferdia with ‘not much chance for exercise.’