Three-time All-Star and four-time All-Ireland winner, Kieran Donaghy, Dublin footballer and six-time All-Ireland winner Dean Rock and Cork hurler and four-time All Star winner Patrick Horgan, were at the National Games Development Centre at Abbotstown to attend the GAA Super Games National Blitz Day 2020 in partnership with Sky Sports.

The National Blitz day is an integral part of the GAA Super Games initiative which is delivered in Post Primary schools from September- April by County Games Development Personnel in each county nationally. On the day players have the opportunity to play with and against players from different schools & counties as part of the blitz format as well as meet & learn from Sky ambassadors.

Last year Kieran Donaghy travelled the length and breadth of the country to shine a light on the work of The Super Games and the role they play in keeping young people playing the sport. His journey was documented in a five-part special which aired on Sky. This year, he’s back again to travel to counties in the four provinces with a Sky Sports crew.

Health and Wellbeing will be the prime focus as Kieran travels to Clare, Longford, Roscommon and a cross border Super Games event in Down/Louth.

Speaking about his involvement in the initiative, Kieran said: “I’m delighted to be supporting today’s National Blitz and the GAA Super Games in partnership with Sky Sports again this year.

“Last year was a real eye opener for me working on The Super Games. Speaking to parents, coaches and kids there were lots of reasons which affect dropout but the one that really stuck out for me was Health and Wellbeing, whether that’s physical health, mental health, anxiety or bullying. I know making clubs and communities a healthier place is crucial to the GAA, so this year, with Sky, I’ll be looking a bit more at how important health and wellbeing is when it comes to kids staying with the sport.”

The GAA Super Games is one of three initiatives that Sky supports as part of its continued investment of €3m in Grassroots GAA over five years. As well as providing equipment and kits for the Super Games, Sky also supports Super Games nationwide with ambassador visits. Previous ambassadors that have supported the Super Games include Conor McManus, TJ Reid, Con O’Callaghan, Jonny Cooper, Paul Geaney, Carla Roe and Joe Canning.

Over the course of five weeks Kieran will visit four Super Games; St Flannan's College in Ennis, County Clare, St Mel's College in Longford, Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon and DkIT, Dundalk for a cross border Super Games with kids from Louth and Down. Each of these visits will be documented by Sky Sports for a new midweek GAA show called Inside the Game and will also feature on Sky Sports’ social channels.

Sky Sports will this year visit Clare, Louth, Longford and Roscommon with a special focus on Health & Wellbeing as part of its grassroots partnership on GAA Super Games.

Kieran Donaghy will also be back in action on the Sky Sports analysis team.

About the GAA Super Games

Super Games were developed in 2013 to respond to a 58% drop out rate from Gaelic Games in youth players between the ages of 12-22 yrs. The dropout rate has now been reduced to 49% (2017). Research has indicated that this is in line with youth sports drop out trends worldwide which range from 30-55%.

In 2019, 36,065 youth players (12-17 yr olds) participated in Super Games across 1,053 GAA Clubs & Post Primary Schools.

The ambition in 2019 was to increase participation to over 36,000 by 2020.

*Super Games focus on 6 'Play to Stay' Values which are promoted through involvement & participation in GAA Super Games nationwide: *

1. Positive Feedback - All communications are positive and promote growth.
2. Effort - Effort and physical fitness are promoted.
3. Belonging - Every player feels connected to the GAA.
4. Enjoyment - Players have fun.
5. Empowerment - Players shape and own their own games experience.
6. Respect - Everyone has due regard for each other’s feelings and rights.

Reason's indicated to the GAA why youth players drop out of Gaelic Games are:

1. Focus is too competitive and too much emphasis is placed on winning/success.
2. Players get little or no game time.
3. Players don't get selected for teams.
4. Lack of a developmental ethos (culture is on keeping the best and ignoring the rest).
5. Lack of adequate games opportunities for youth players i.e. emphasis on competitive structures and absence of a regular meaningful games programme.
6. Players having negative experiences (which is a combination of the reasons above).

Benefits to be involved in Super Games:

1. Small sided games.
2. Everyone gets to play and gets game time.
3. Games are organised by young people for young people.
4. Emphasis is on playing games rather than drills or training.
5. Fun and social element to games (players/teams are mixed up, so players can end up playing with players they don't know/are from other clubs or counties/are of different ability levels).
6. Involvement in Super Games doesn't demand competition level commitments.

*For more information on the GAA Super Games in partnership with Sky Sports, visit www.supergames.gaa.ie