Carroll says finances will be the major issue
SLIGO GAA chairman Sean Carroll fears that finances will be the overriding issue for County Boards and clubs in 2021 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Even when the GAA season gets underway – starting with inter-county games – it could be months before there are spectators permitted at games and even then attendances may be limited. “Two years of inter-county championships with effectively no spectators will have a knock-on impact on all counties,” he said. “We expect it will eventually mean added debt and, of course, no funding available for developments at club or county level.” Carroll, just weeks into his first year on Sligo GAA County Board’s hotseat, was giving his views to the Irish Independent as part of a national survey of County Board chairman.
How County Boards can generate revenue will hinge on when fans can return to the terraces – Carroll is optimistic of a turnaround in fortunes later this year. “I’m hopeful that club championships’ attendances and streaming of these games will start the [financial] fightback in the autumn.”
Last week the GAA at national level revealed it sustained losses totalling €31 million for 2020 as a result of the pandemic – chiefly because of no gate receipts.
In terms of a change to the format of the GAA’s All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, Coolera-Strandhill GAA Club member Carroll favours the introduction of a summer-based league.
This format would also feature a provincial championship run off at the start of the year.
“We would take the springbased Connacht [Senior] Championship very seriously, but more games at the prime time of the year is a key feature of the summer-based league,” he stated. Meanwhile, the GAA, LGFA and the Camogie Association have launched a major new coaching
increase on the previous week. The ‘Gals N Pals’ (a group of 104) have an average of 41.17km, while the ‘Lads N Dads’ (who are 61 in number) have an average of 39.45km. Well done to everyone involved, it has been a great effort and the ‘Lads N Dads’ certainly have it all to do if they want to claim bragging rights in the final week.
WEBSITE IS OFFLINE
The club are currently upgrading its website and, as a result, it will be offline for a while.
CONGRATS KATHLEEN
Well done to Kathleen Kane on her LGFA Volunteer Hall of Fame award – this is a recognition well-deserved for a lifetime of service to Ladies Football as a player, manager and administrator.
CONDOLENCES
The club express sympathy with Amanda Cassidy and family on the death of her father Kevin Byrne, Dublin, and the club also extend sympathy to Alice Higgins and the Higgins family on the passing of her brother John Kelly, Dromahair.
NATIONAL DRAW
Tickets for the annual GAA National Club draw are now in circulation and the closing date has been extended. The tickets cost €10 each with a top prize of a car. Please note that 100% of proceeds go to the club and the club would be grateful for the support of its players, members, supporters and friends. Please return the tickets as soon as possible to Mary Quinn. and sports science programme. Entitled ‘Be Ready to Play’, this programme is being delivered in association with UPMC, official healthcare partner of the GAA and GPA.
The programme – which will be delivered via webinars, website programmes, instructional videos and live online sessions – is a holistic coaching and performance plan that will be of great benefit to all club coaches and players, male, female, adult, and youth alike.
It will help players return to training post-Covid in a way that will hopefully increase enjoyment, performance, and participation, while simultaneously reducing the risk of injury.
The programme will initially be tailored to help people be active in lockdown, then progress towards a development phase and a prepare to play phase before culminating in a prepare to perform phase which will help players be at their peak for important matches.
Former Sligo player David Kelly from Tubbercurry is among those from the field of coaching and performance who will be giving advice and direction.
Kildare native Louise Keane, Performance Games Development Administrator with Sligo GAA, is also part of this upcoming initiative that is co-ordinated by the Gaelic Games Sports Science Working Group.
Areas covered will include games-based coaching, athletic development, psychology and wellbeing, nutrition, performance analysis, skill acquisition and biomechanics, physiotherapy, and injury prevention.
The ‘Be Ready to Play’ programme will commence on Tuesday next, March 2, with a live broadcast to outline the programme available and the schedule of coaching and sports science webinars. This will be presented by Des Ryan and others after which registration to participate in the programme will open.
remain available at Whiteside’s Centra (by the lotto stand). The cost is €10 per calendar. The calendar carries photos fromOwenmoe Gaels’ various teams from last year. The club thanks everyone who contributed sponsorship that enabled the calendars to be produced.
NURSERY PROGRAMME
Anyone with children born in 2015 or 2016 that are interested in partaking in the club’s nursery programme – when it resumes – should contact Thomas Kerins on 086 8190656 or Seamie Cannon 087 9630048. Children born in late 2014 that may not be yet strong enough for the U-8 grade will also be welcome.