Leitrim GAA organised a Super Games series for U12 footballers last month.
By Cian O’Connell
Affording young footballers opportunities to play is the chief reason for the U12 Super Games programme implemented by Leitrim GAA.
An invitation was extended to all U12 players in the county to participate with Cormac Haslam, a Games Development Administrator with Leitrim GAA, encouraged by the positive response once again. “2019 was the first year the Super Games was run here, and we try to run a block every year” Haslam explains.
“Every year clubs would be asking you about it and players would be always on to you if you were in schools, asking whether it was going ahead.
“The real premise behind it is that it affords players that may not be making their club starting team an opportunity to get more game time. It also allows players an opportunity to mix with players from other clubs and schools, that they wouldn't know.”
Haslam acknowledges that is important aspect. “It is a more relaxed environment,” he adds. There is no coaching, it is silent sidelines. Parents will come to watch, but there is nobody shouting or any competitive nature to it.
“You're going out playing, you're just getting football where you're out playing games. There is no stress or no panic, players are just happy out to be there. It is one of those, where people that want to be there, that want the football, they'll just come to play.
“If they don't want to come to play, there is no pressure for anybody to be there, we split the teams evenly and we let them play.”
Ensuring U12 players are afforded chances matters according to former Galway minor goalkeeper Haslam. “I do up a Microsoft form, it goes out to every club. This year was the first year we collaborated with the LGFA up here, we had 40 girls registered and the collaboration worked really well," he says.
“It is only for players U12, the reason we did this, is that in Leitrim with the smaller numbers, most U13s are playing up. So, the U12s can miss out for six to eight weeks where they mightn't have much football on. That is why we go with the U12 age group.
“You're just trying to get them playing football at a time of the year when they wouldn't have much games. That is the main thing.
“The way it fell this year we only ran two. Usually we'd run three, but just with other stuff on and being in the middle of camps, we didn't get the third night in. We had 87 the first night and 61 the second night. So, it was great.
“You're split up no matter how many comes to the session. We've maybe 10 sets of coloured bibs. No matter what way they come in, if three or four come from the same club, they aren't all on the same team. That way you're making them mix.
Cormac Haslam in action for Galway in the 2016 Electric Ireland MFC. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
“If we notice that teams are too strong, if they have all of the ball, we might just swap a few players around during the games.”
The format enables players to mix with footballers from other clubs. “A few years ago, we ran it with older age groups and there wasn't as good of a buy in as there is with the 12 or 13 year olds,” Haslam responds.
“I don't know is it that they are just out of Go Games, maybe it is that small bit of a stepping stone. It is a bit more competitive than the Go Games, but there is no competition in it, no scores are kept”
“I definitely think it is an interesting one because you could have players from Manorhamilton, in north Leitrim, all the way down as far as Mohill in south Leitrim. They'd have never met unless they played against each other in Go Games, but they end up on the same team here.
“You never know they might end up on a development squad together in a few years’ time. They are then a bit more familiar with each other, it can make things a bit easier for them, to get to know new people and people from clubs they mightn't know going into secondary school in September.”
Ensuring a satisfactory games programme is offered to clubs in the county is vital, but challenges exist. “St Mary's in Carrick-on-Shannon, they will always have big numbers,” Haslam says.
“A number of other clubs have big numbers, and are sometimes able to field two teams at different grades. Then, you have other clubs that might just have 15 on a given night.
“It is a year by year basis. You're trying to make sure everyone does get good game time, but it is a difficult challenge, it is something discussed here on a regular basis.”
Leitrim GAA’s approach has to be innovative with Haslam delighted to work alongside County Head of Games Thomas Keenan, Jack Casey, and James Mitchell. “There is a very good relationship in here,” Haslam says.
“You're trying to develop the players as best you can, you're just thinking about the long term. It isn't about the competition at underage level, it is about producing footballers in Leitrim in the long term.
“That is what you're looking at, to get as many players playing, whether that be at adult club level or as a Leitrim senior footballer, you're just trying to keep everybody involved for as long as you can. You've problems in Leitrim that are probably different to problems in other counties, the population base here is definitely the biggest issue and biggest struggle that they face.
“When you compare it to Galway where you have 280,000 people living in Galway, you have 35,000 in Leitrim. So, you're just trying to get the best quality of games and training to as many people as you can, that is the way we are trying to do it.”