Liz Galwey keeps the record straight as a diligent PRO
THE essence of positive publicity on a sporting club or organisation includes articles in newspapers, radio and on forums, blogs and social media platforms leading to positive results as it ensures a club can expose its services and success to a wider public.
By far the most important selection process at an Annual General Meeting of any club is the role of the PRO. However, the majority of clubs select the “most important officers first” and leave this vital role to the last.
For one Castleisland club, the role of PRO is seen as a vital element in their continued success, growth and their unrivalled interaction with the wider community.
For the past two decades, at various times, Liz Galwey has been the voice and the face of St. Mary’s Basketball Club. She was elected Juvenile PRO of this dynamic club in 2000 and senior PRO in 2001. Her coverage of National League games took place from 2010 to 2014. She took a mini break for two years before returning as PRO of the
Christmas Blitz and then as Club
PRO from
2017.
Since then she has elevated the role of PRO to new heights with creative and innovative ways of linking the club with the general public through the media.
Her phenomenal blanket coverage of the annual St. Mary’s Christmas Basketball Blitz, run over five days, is unparalleled in any sport.
“I am honoured to be part of a great club with some incredible coaches, players and volunteers,” she told The Kerryman.
Steeped in sport, her late father Moss Teahan was very involved in the Desmonds GAA Club, and he and his wife Peggy were also very involved in camogie, while her husband Tim, a Currow native, was a Kerry minor footballer. Her late father-in-law Mick Galwey played with the Kerry minors in the 1950 and went on to become a high profile referee.
Liz was a prolific basketball player for club and school in her teens and is still playing Division 2 basketball with St. Marys.
A highly versatile and experienced PRO, Liz also served in this role with the Kerry Area Basketball Board for a number of years and also with Castleisland Golf Club and Beaufort Golf Club.
“I love meeting and interacting with people and this helps greatly in my role as PRO,” she said. “The role has many minute elements and when they come together you have achieved the goal of promoting your club in a positive and proactive way. For me, one of the key elements is getting to know the various sports journalists, photographers and sports editors both on radio and in the print media. To work better as a team I need to know their deadlines and the constraints they have in terms of space on any particular week. That close bond, friendship and professionalism enables me to pick up the phone and ask for a little more space on a particular week or ask for a photographer to added a function or ask Radio Kerry would they like to interview a particular player. By giving due respect to these professionals they reciprocate that respect back to you.”
Liz is always passionate about her subject matter. She demands high standards and this is evident in her written and oral reports.
“A good PRO must always remember there are two teams competing. While your heart is very much on one side, the other team also deserves equal coverage and this is something I feel very strongly about. Whether it’s senior or juvenile competitions, it’s important that all players get equal treatment during your coverage of a game. I also feel it’s very important to list all the players by their first and surnames, it shows respect. The continued development of sport is very much dependent on today’s children, and as PROs we can give them that little nugget of publicity that could be the difference of a particular player staying in the sport or just dropping out.”
Last year St Mary’s Basketball Club marked the 50th year of their annual Christmas Blitz.
Founded in 1970, the blitz has grown from year to year throughout its 50-year existence. Just two competitions were held in the first year, one male and one female, with six teams in each competition featuring 84 participants and 18 games played across the event.
Fast forward to 2019, and the blitz boasted 22 competitions, 133 teams and 169 games played over five days across two venues. A whopping 1,578 players took part in the event which attracted over 13,000 spectators.
The Blitz is a busy time for Liz, both in the months leading up to the event and on the week itself.
“We always look forward to the Blitz. The committee put a lot into the organising of the event and what makes it extra special is the fact that one of the founding members, Donal ‘Duke’ O’Connor, is still so active in the event. The blitz is such a huge part of Christmas in Castleisland and throughout the county.
“This is a busy time for me but I am surrounded with some amazing people. It’s hands on for the five days with reports to be compiled for Radio Kerry Sports, the print media and various social media platforms at the end of each game. It’s demanding, exciting and exhilarating while at the same time you need to be fully grounded and careful that your attention span is not centred on just one or two teams each day and every day of the blitz.”
Despite her mammoth work load, Liz and her daughter Amber, a journalist with Radio Kerry, combined their creative writing skills to produce a glossy and unique publication, ‘Something Special’ which celebrated the Golden Jubilee Blitz. The booklet documented fond memories that accumulated over the past five decades, all outlined by the three founding members and chairpersons over the years.
“It is vital all PROs keep an archive of images and newspaper clippings of their work. Maintaining proper records is vital for the club and can be accessed at any time for background information on specific players or events. Just a few weeks ago, due to Covid-19, we held our Awards Night online. I was able to access pictures of the various players from my archives and upload them for the event.”
As a PRO, Liz is also cognisant of the key role sponsors play in the financial well-being of a club.
She highlights the need for PROs to give maximum coverage, either photographically or in text, to sponsors who assists the growth and development of a particular club.
“For me the role of PRO is enjoyable and rewarding. When you do something you really enjoy it’s not classified as work.
“I have a number of rules that I hold sacrosanct. If I send a fixture list to the media then I also feel, out of courtesy, that I should send a brief match report the following week. I try to attend as many games as possible; trying to write or compile a report from a score sheet a day or two later, which doesn’t do justice to the players involved, is both disingenuous and shows little or no respect to players or their club.
“The role of PRO demands hard work but it also leaves behind a massive sporting legacy for this and future generations.”