Irish soccer - aligned season

[Mickyd]

Looking at the reaction on Twitter there seems to be a huge divide in reaction to the decision. Half the people commenting seem to be involved in rural soccer are saying this will be a disaster. The other half are basically saying 'why should other sports impact when we play our games', this seems an arrogant opinion, surely the mentality should be to keep kids playing all sports for as long as possible. Winter soccer helped with this.

 

[Happyhonkaman]

Looking at the reaction on Twitter there seems to be a huge divide in reaction to the decision. Half the people commenting seem to be involved in rural soccer are saying this will be a disaster. The other half are basically saying 'why should other sports impact when we play our games', this seems an arrogant opinion, surely the mentality should be to keep kids playing all sports for as long as possible. Winter soccer helped with this.

The split in the opinions between Dublin and the rest of the country are more to do with the days sports are played on. Things are also far more polarised already, I cold write a thesis on it having seen it in action. What it boils down to in my opinion is that GAA remains a community endeavour, it is intrinsic in every village, town, city and people feel a real connection with their club. More importantly there is a team for every child regardless of ability. I know there will be replies to this saying its not the case because I know of a team that froze a fella out but as a general approach it is the case, and certainly is at the club I am involved with.

Soccer on the other hand is driven by the top clubs and filters down, by the time it gets to the bottom no one gives a monkeys about them one way or the other. Everything is driven by this deluded nonsense about elite levels, they all somehow think these kids are going to make careers in england despite it only applying to a few lads for the entire country every year, yet the entire development of the game still centres around this unattainable goal.. why? So the kids are treated as commodities, approached to join these clubs, taken out of their community and excluded from all other sports to be 'fully committed'.. then they keep them for a few years and release 2/3 of them again.. sent back to their community with their tail between their legs for not being good enough in some dope from home Farms eyes, and their confidence destroyed. There are lads my young fella has played with who have had 3 clubs at 12 years old.. Robbie Keane didn't lick this stuff off a stone!

The DDSL encourage this nonsense allowing Shels, Home Fram, Crumlin etc play their teams from the year below in Division 2 a year up, and displace teams of kids the correct age to make the space for them. I have never in my life seen an organisation eat itself actively like soccer, absolutely mental stuff run by morons

Aaaaahh, rant over


Before anyone suggests it, my young fella has been at the same club since he started playing, and isn't affected by the above. It is just my own observations from watching it all unfold in front of them.. and his coaches are decent lads trying their best to do the right thing and keep it somewhat fun

 

[Cloudy O'Ranieri]

So 4G pitches were installed all over the country only for a switch to playing through the summer. That's some genius level shit right there.

 

[Happyhonkaman]

So 4G pitches were installed all over the country only for a switch to playing through the summer. That's some genius level shit right there.

Ah, we need astros regardless with the weather systems deteriorating the way they are!
Last year any well maintained pitch was off for months on end

I have a separate worry about the amount of time kids are training and playing on astros though, I see young, fit kids complaining about ankle pain all of the time in spring after the winter. I have no expertise in the area though so maybe its fine, but it was never a thing before on this scale

 

[rebel boy]

The piece on off the ball was very revealing, even at DDSL level when trialed it was a disaster, never got off the ground as kids were on holidays and competitions never started never mind finished. No appetite for it. The FAI again not in touch with reality.

 

[Pooman]

Ah, we need astros regardless with the weather systems deteriorating the way they are!
Last year any well maintained pitch was off for months on end

I have a separate worry about the amount of time kids are training and playing on astros though, I see young, fit kids complaining about ankle pain all of the time in spring after the winter. I have no expertise in the area though so maybe its fine, but it was never a thing before on this scale

Something I've had concerns about for years tbh.
Interestingly in my experience they seem to be complaining about different things depending on the pitch. PUC 4G seems to cause a lot of hamstring injuries whereas in Bishopstown it's the calf.
Since you're a half adopted Dub at this stage Honky, FYI PUC is down the Marina and Bishopstown is in the Western suburbs. You're welcome....

 

[Happyhonkaman]

Something I've had concerns about for years tbh.
Interestingly in my experience they seem to be complaining about different things depending on the pitch. PUC 4G seems to cause a lot of hamstring injuries whereas in Bishopstown it's the calf.
Since you're a half adopted Dub at this stage Honky, FYI PUC is down the Marina and Bishopstown is in the Western suburbs. You're welcome....

This place is notorious for people posting dreadful stuff due to the lack of moderation.. but this is a new low


AdminnY - eject the Poo

 

[Mickyd]

The split in the opinions between Dublin and the rest of the country are more to do with the days sports are played on. Things are also far more polarised already, I cold write a thesis on it having seen it in action. What it boils down to in my opinion is that GAA remains a community endeavour, it is intrinsic in every village, town, city and people feel a real connection with their club. More importantly there is a team for every child regardless of ability. I know there will be replies to this saying its not the case because I know of a team that froze a fella out but as a general approach it is the case, and certainly is at the club I am involved with.

Soccer on the other hand is driven by the top clubs and filters down, by the time it gets to the bottom no one gives a monkeys about them one way or the other. Everything is driven by this deluded nonsense about elite levels, they all somehow think these kids are going to make careers in england despite it only applying to a few lads for the entire country every year, yet the entire development of the game still centres around this unattainable goal.. why? So the kids are treated as commodities, approached to join these clubs, taken out of their community and excluded from all other sports to be 'fully committed'.. then they keep them for a few years and release 2/3 of them again.. sent back to their community with their tail between their legs for not being good enough in some dope from home Farms eyes, and their confidence destroyed. There are lads my young fella has played with who have had 3 clubs at 12 years old.. Robbie Keane didn't lick this stuff off a stone!

The DDSL encourage this nonsense allowing Shels, Home Fram, Crumlin etc play their teams from the year below in Division 2 a year up, and displace teams of kids the correct age to make the space for them. I have never in my life seen an organisation eat itself actively like soccer, absolutely mental stuff run by morons

Aaaaahh, rant over


Before anyone suggests it, my young fella has been at the same club since he started playing, and isn't affected by the above. It is just my own observations from watching it all unfold in front of them.. and his coaches are decent lads trying their best to do the right thing and keep it somewhat fun

I have limited experience with soccer but from what I have seen I couldn't agree more.

There seems to be an idea in the soccer club that if you have 2/3 players who are good enough to be transferred to play for Cork City then you are successful, meanwhile you have limited numbers playing at adult level in the club because all the other kids have left along the way.

Simple things like the best underage players at U12 playing up a level at U13 at the expense of a child who is sidelined all so you can 'win' a relatively meaningless underage league.

Quite a few coaches are only concerned with their son/daughter making it as a professional soccer player and they couldn't give a shite about the state of the club in a few years!

Mad stuff!

The GAA philosophy of 'involvement', keeping kids playing and the club being the most important aspect regardless of individuals is the way to go!

ps: I also want to state that most people in the soccer club are good people who do care about the young players and the club itself but they don't seem to be supported by those who make the decision from above!!

 

[Happyhonkaman]

I have limited experience with soccer but from what I have seen I couldn't agree more.

There seems to be an idea in the soccer club that if you have 2/3 players who are good enough to be transferred to play for Cork City then you are successful, meanwhile you have limited numbers playing at adult level in the club because all the other kids have left along the way.

Simple things like the best underage players at U12 playing up a level at U13 at the expense of a child who is sidelined all so you can 'win' a relatively meaningless underage league.

Quite a few coaches are only concerned with their son/daughter making it as a professional soccer player and they couldn't give a shite about the state of the club in a few years!

Mad stuff!

The GAA philosophy of 'involvement', keeping kids playing and the club being the most important aspect regardless of individuals is the way to go!

ps: I also want to state that most people in the soccer club are good people who do care about the young players and the club itself but they don't seem to be supported by those who make the decision from above!!

yep, simple things to illustrate the difference in thinking - we had the first experience of 3 players togging out for Dublin hurling this year in the friendship games against Antrim. The 3 of them were congratulated by the group and told how proud we were of their achievement, but then told they were not to turn up to training wearing the gear they were given on the day to make sure there is no one-upmanship in the group.. the other lads all contributed to getting them there.

Same goes for the development squads next year - we will have a decent showing at that and they will also be given gear, the fellas that make the panel will get bags etc also. Club policy is that no one turns up to training with any of that gear for the same reasons

Club first, keep the feet on the ground

 

[SoundsAboutRight]

This is going to affect a lot of adult clubs and players too. I know locally we have 2 teams, a senior and junior team in the Munster Senior League.

The Senior team is a lot less competitive without the sprinkling of 5 or 6 GAA players. The junior team also has a few. Now that alone mightn't seem too bad as others get a chance, but what happens then is the second team gets pulled with fellas having to go up to the seniors. You then have 9 or 10 lads getting no regular game time and inevitably call time on it for the year or worse.

There's also the social aspect to it. Winter is miserable in Ireland at the best of times. The soccer gives an outlet to lads. And I know people can play 5 aside and other things but it's not really the same as the team environment, training, matches during winter. Maybe a few pints after as you have the post mortem of where things went wrong.

Seems ill thought out to me.