Irish soccer - aligned season

[Mickyd]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2024/1205/1484830-fai-general-assembly-to-vote-on-aligned-calendar/


FAI has voted to align all levels of soccer in Ireland with the senior professional league.

So switch from winter soccer to summer soccer for underage! As a soccer coach (who also coaches GAA) of underage girls this is a bad decision I feel.

It was perfect as it was where kids could play GAA in summer and play soccer in winter.

Now they will be in direct competition with each other and in rural areas most kids will choose GAA.

 

[Happyhonkaman]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2024/1205/1484830-fai-general-assembly-to-vote-on-aligned-calendar/


FAI has voted to align all levels of soccer in Ireland with the senior professional league.

So switch from winter soccer to summer soccer for underage! As a soccer coach (who also coaches GAA) of underage girls this is a bad decision I feel.

It was perfect as it was where kids could play GAA in summer and play soccer in winter.

Now they will be in direct competition with each other and in rural areas most kids will choose GAA.

The seasons for both codes might be different but my experience is that they completely overlap regardless. I coach GAA and we will train through the winter and play friendlies most weekends, you couldn’t stop with the development required at the upper levels given there are 2 codes to be worked on!

The soccer season ran right to the summer last year as well to get it finished out because there was so many matches called off with the brutal stretch of weather last spring

We have GAA matches on Saturdays and soccer on Sundays, I don’t see why they can’t live side by side to a certain point, and then undoubtedly the commitment to one over the other will become a thing for kids playing at a decent level, so you play one seriously and the other for fun

 

[Mickyd]

The seasons for both codes might be different but my experience is that they completely overlap regardless. I coach GAA and we will train through the winter and play friendlies most weekends, you couldn’t stop with the development required at the upper levels given there are 2 codes to be worked on!

The soccer season ran right to the summer last year as well to get it finished out because there was so many matches called off with the brutal stretch of weather last spring

We have GAA matches on Saturdays and soccer on Sundays, I don’t see why they can’t live side by side to a certain point, and then undoubtedly the commitment to one over the other will become a thing for kids playing at a decent level, so you play one seriously and the other for fun

What age group are you?

I coach U13 and there is some overlap in October (where the soccer were short a rake of players for a couple of games due to GAA) but that's it.

We have had no games postponed this season despite the weather.

League due to finish in April.

It's working perfect.

In the summer it's tough enough balancing camogie with football and that's with both codes working well together.

 

[TheOutdoorThreadmill]

I have two playing soccer and GAA, great relationship between the two clubs , 4 clashes (games that mattered) in 2 years. This is going to goose everything. They play rugby as well.

FAI has voted to align all levels of soccer in Ireland with the senior professional league.

This is the issue, bar the Scandinavians, how many leagues in Europe are aligned with the LOI.

 

[Mickyd]

What about the coaches also?

I coach all three sports. I'm going to drop soccer if there is alignment.

Believe me there is no one eager to put up their hand to replace me.

 

[Happyhonkaman]

What age group are you?

I coach U13 and there is some overlap in October (where the soccer were short a rake of players for a couple of games due to GAA) but that's it.

We have had no games postponed this season despite the weather.

League due to finish in April.

It's working perfect.

In the summer it's tough enough balancing camogie with football and that's with both codes working well together.

U13 as well

This year has been good for matches being played, let’s see how it goes after Christmas. We don’t tend to have much of an issue with clashes, rarely happens and something has been worked out bar one occasion.

It’s mostly the same kids so they don’t want the aggro between clubs either, best to try work together to accommodate them, but that will come to a head next year with the county development squads as the A groups in soccer team and both GAA codes are mostly the same bunch of lads so they will have to miss 6-8 weeks of soccer. Our group would almost entirely side with GAA when it comes to it despite being a handy soccer side as well

 

[outdagap]

The seasons for both codes might be different but my experience is that they completely overlap regardless. I coach GAA and we will train through the winter and play friendlies most weekends, you couldn’t stop with the development required at the upper levels given there are 2 codes to be worked on!

The soccer season ran right to the summer last year as well to get it finished out because there was so many matches called off with the brutal stretch of weather last spring

We have GAA matches on Saturdays and soccer on Sundays, I don’t see why they can’t live side by side to a certain point, and then undoubtedly the commitment to one over the other will become a thing for kids playing at a decent level, so you play one seriously and the other for fun

It'll be interesting to see what happens. Depending where you are, a lot of clubs/codes work together (as it should be) but others are completely arrogant and will go out to screw each other over, just because they can.

 

[Happyhonkaman]

It'll be interesting to see what happens. Depending where you are, a lot of clubs/codes work together (as it should be) but others are completely arrogant and will go out to screw each other over, just because they can.

Half of the GAA teams in Div 1 have already told their kids they must drop soccer as a serious sport, they can play games but not train so need to drop to their Div 3 teams to do that

Having said that the top soccer sides all have a complete ban on GAA (and every other sport) if you want to play with them. They are amongst the most deluded people in the country!

I’m absolutely for keeping kids playing as many sports as they like for as long as they can, but you can see how it becomes overwhelming because the school teams also want to train and play their games. My own youngfella was absolutely smashed by the time summer came last year, there were days when he had a training session before school, then a match or training session after school, and another training session that evening with one of the clubs.

 

[TheOutdoorThreadmill]

Half of the GAA teams in Div 1 have already told their kids they must drop soccer as a serious sport, they can play games but not train so need to drop to their Div 3 teams to do that

Having said that the top soccer sides all have a complete ban on GAA (and every other sport) if you want to play with them. They are amongst the most deluded people in the country!

I’m absolutely for keeping kids playing as many sports as they like for as long as they can, but you can see how it becomes overwhelming because the school teams also want to train and play their games. My own youngfella was absolutely smashed by the time summer came last year, there were days when he had a training session before school, then a match or training session after school, and another training session that evening with one of the clubs.

There was a good chat on OTB last night, the DDL seem to play a lot more months than down here, Evan Ferguson's dad is involved and he was on the show, saying they barely had representation at the meeting bar one age group

 

[Happyhonkaman]

There was a good chat on OTB last night, the DDL seem to play a lot more months than down here, Evan Ferguson's dad is involved and he was on the show, saying they barely had representation at the meeting bar one age group

Everyone involved in soccer seems to hate everyone else involved in the game so I’m not surprised!

Elite this, elite that.. elite, elite… oh, fock off