James Barrett from Sarsfields GAA club in Kildare pictured with his father Keith after receivin ghis Foundation Certificate in Youth Leadership and Community Action from NUI Galway for completing Module three of the Dermot Earley Youth Leadership Initiative.
By John Harrington
The Dermot Earley Youth Leadership Initiative brings to mind the old Irish proverb, ‘mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí’ – encourage the young and they will prosper.
Brought together by Foróige, the GAA, NUI Galway and the Dermot Earley family, the DEYLI enables young people to develop the skills and qualities necessary to be good leaders, and challenges them to use these skills to improve society.
Modules one and two are made up of 15-hour workshops were, overseen by trained club facilitators, where the participants explore and work on leadership skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, debating, and conflict resolution.
Participants who complete Modules one and two attend a recognition event in Croke Park where they are awarded their certificates by the GAA President, and then have the option to complete a third module which is a 20-hour self-directed community action project that earns the participants a Foundation Certificate in Youth Leadership and Community Action from NUI Galway.
Sarsfields GAA club in Newbridge have participated in the DEYLI for the last four years and have found it to have a hugely positive impact on not just the young club-members who participate, but the club and community as a whole.
Keith Barrett is a DEYLI facilitator with the Kildare club and has seen at first hand the transformative impact it has had on those who take part in it.
“In fairness to Foróige, it's set up to succeed and the feedback we get from both the participants and their parents is brilliant,” he told GAA.ie
“The lessons are step by step. It's bringing the participants on lesson by lesson. They're not thrown in at the deep end at any stage, they're brought through a process.
“In module one they use the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timebound) principle to present a goal and that’s followed by an assessment.
“In Module two there’s syndicate work and we have chats on a variety of topics such as why girls drop out of sport, drugs in sport, all sorts.
“The participants can be quiet initially because it's a new group but then the group forms and they bond and by the end of module two you can see a really positive change and they're all as thick as thieves.
“The positive change you see in them over the course of the four months is just huge.
“They won't say anything to you at the start, but by the third or fourth month they're defending their decisions and giving their opinions to you in a respectful way. You really see the develop of leadership and communication skills over the course of the two modules.”
James Barrett picured giving a safety briefing and thanking the Tidy Towns committee and the Naas U14 hurlers for their help with his Curragh litter pick-up project.
Barrett’s son James was one of those who participated in the Dermot Earley Youth Leadership initiative this year and went on to complete the Module three which earned him the Foundation Certificate in Youth Leadership and Community Action from NUI Galway.
For his Module three Community Action Project he liaised with the Newbridge Tidy Towns Committees and GAA teams in the area to organise a clean up of 104 acres of the Curragh being used by clubs for training.
“I spotted it as a problem area while I was out running with my Dad and out training for athletics,” Barrett told GAA.ie “You'd see fast food wrappers and all sorts of other rubbish in along the trees.
“I took a walk around, we marked out certain areas, and then we liaised with the Tidy Towns Committee who were delighted to get involved and provided us with equipment and a few helpers as well to cover the more dangerous parts of the area closer to road where the kids wouldn't have to go.
“I worked with Naas U-14 hurlers and Sarsfields U-15 camogie team and they came out at different times to help and we sent them on different paths and they all came back with at least two bags filled with rubbish each.
James Barrett pictured with the Naas U14 hurlers and their coaches who participated in the Curragh litter pick-up project.
“When the course started I thought that maybe Module three wasn't for me, just that idea of approaching other people and teams and organisations to help.
“But by the end of the two modules you've learned a lot of new skills and have the confidence to put theory into practice. You know what you need to do and how to do it in regard to all the planning.
“You have your goals and you're able to set out a plan and you're comfortable with aspects such as approaching a team in the club or an organisation like the Tidy Towns.
“Overall, I found the Dermot Earley Youth Leadership Initiative really good and enjoyed multiple aspects of the course. I gained a load of new skills from it which benefited me not only in Module three but also in school around studying and achieving other goals and grades.”
James Barrett pictured with the Sarsfields U-15 camogie players and their coaches who participated in the Curragh litter pick-up project.
Having seen the success of the DEYLI on Sarsfields at a multitude of levels, Keith Barrett doesn’t hessite to encourage other clubs to get involved.
“I think it's one of the best things a GAA club could possibly do,” he says. “I would recommend any club to participate because you're going to benefit your young club members and the club as a whole.
“And they're not just playing members who take part in this, in each of the four years we have run it we have always had several non-playing members participate.
“Those who are in that 15 to 17 age-group who have maybe stopping playing but still want to participate in this and often go on to do things like refereeing or other things for the club.
“The participants benefit but so too does the club, especially from those who do the module three projects. We have had fundraisers for various good causes including our own All-Stars programme in the club which is very successful. Most of the participants in the group have end up helping with our All-Stars programme every Saturday morning.
“We've had all sorts of projects ranging from James linking up with Tidy Towns to multiple projects in nursing homes. We have had so many great projects and everyone benefits from them. The kids benefit, the facilitators benefit, and the club and the community benefits from the projects that are rolled out.
“When you start it you're a bit apprehensive about taking on such a programme. But it really is set up to succeed thanks to the help you get from Foróige and the GAA. It's something every club can pull off.”
Information Evening
Information evening will be held for GAA clubs interested in taking part in the Dermot Earley Youth Leadership Initiative on Thursday 30th January @ 8pm via zoom. Please register your interest in attending the meeting HERE.
DEYLI Training dates
Tuesday 18th, Thursday 20th & Tuesday 25th February (7pm to 10pm) on zoom.
People can register for the training HERE.