GAA Coach Webinar – Returning to Gaelic games post COVID – Keeping your squad fit and preventing injury

The registration form for the latest in the GAA Coach Webinar series is now open. Please note that the session will commence at 7.30pm (Irish Time) on Tuesday, May 26th. Please click on the following link: https://learning.gaa.ie/gaacoachwebinar2020

Topic: Returning to Gaelic games post COVID – Keeping your squad fit and preventing injury

This webinar will look at the issues facing GAA athletes in the current COVID 19 situation and how to address them. We  look at the return to play post COVID, and ways we can mitigate for time out of play.   We will look at specific ways of tailoring training to avoid injuries both in the ’small group scenarios’ and also in the main group training when players return. We will discuss injury prevention and recovery strategies to use with your players during a condensed playing calendar.
Presenter: Eamon O’Reilly

Eamon is a chartered physiotherapist and clinic lead of SPARC South Dublin. He has worked with a number of intercounty teams in both football and hurling. He has worked with the Dublin hurlers since 2011. He has worked as physiotherapist for the Irish International Rules team on 3 different series. He has also been involved in physiotherapy services for the Irish high performance boxing teams. Eamon is also a current serving member on the national GAA’s medical, scientific and welfare committee. He also served on the sports science expert group for the GAA.  His main clinicial area of expertise involves complex chronic athletic injuries around the hip including recurrent hamstring issues, abdominal and hip/groin issues.

Cork Club Together for Pieta

The Cork Senior football panel and management team are coming together for Pieta House on Saturday May the 30th. 

They will run the required distance it takes to run through each of the 24 clubs involved in the set-up. Starting with the team captain Ian Maguire of St Finbarrs the players will run the total of 432km between them over the course of the day, finishing back with the team manager Ronan McCarthy in Douglas. 

Cork football captain Ian Maguire said: It was inspiring and heart warming to see the nation wide support for Pieta in absence of their main fundraiser Darkness Into Light, but we the Cork Footballers recognise that we can not rely on one event to fund such an essential service. We plan to show our solidarity with Pieta by running the required distance between the various clubs involved in our set-up. We plan quite literally to club together and share the burden of 430km between our clubs and each player to run 10kms on May 30th. This is fantastic cause and please come out and support us. 

The fundraising campaign has been launched via a Go Fund Me page, which you can find via “Cork Club Together 4 Pieta” on social media channels such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. They will also have auctions throughout the week so keep an eye on the social media pages. 

Ronan McCarthy manager of the Cork senior football team said: “It has been heartening to see over the last number of weeks and months so many clubs around the country making such massive efforts to support this outstanding organisation. Pieta is there for all in the community at any time that you need support and we want to acknowledge and support their wonderful work by making this effort to raise money for them. I urge you and ask you to donate to our efforts and let us all come together for Pieta House.” 

Pat Duffy of Pieta House: “I would like to thank the Cork Senior Football team and their management team for there support this year to help us overcome the loss of the Darkness Into Light event. The Darkness into Light event last year accounted for €6million which represents 45% to 50% of our annual fundraising. All services in Pieta House are completely free and we depend on the community for our funding. Overall, our annual funding from the community accounts for in excess of 80%. One piece of research that I would like to mention although from a few years ago through the Open University and in conjunction with the University of Ulster. Saving 1 person from suicide you actually help as many as 71 people.” 

 Donations can be made at gofundme.com/f/corkclubtogether4pieta

Pieta House Contact Details 

Telephone : 1800 247 247 

Text : Help to 51444 

 

Cork GAA – Covid 19 Circular

Firstly, on behalf of Coiste Chontae Chorcaí, we hope that you and your families are safe and well despite the obvious challenges which you are all facing currently.

We understand the frustration of members at present, but urge all to continue to comply with government and GAA restrictions.

This circular is in response to a few queries from clubs recently and is obviously sent while recognising that changes may occur in the future. If changes follow, we will continue to keep you up-to-date.

The statements in bold have been included in correspondence from Croke Park previously.

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“On the games front, the GAA has confirmed that no official on-field activity will resume before July 20th and our facilities will remain closed until that date. 

 
The maintenance of facilities can continue while adhering to the guidelines and as of May 18th construction work on our grounds is also permitted and clubs should liaise with their County Committees on this issue.
 

As per the communication from Croke Park above, please note that GAA facilities remain closed, apart from maintenance works and the completion of construction works that have received permission from Croke Park / County Committee.

Therefore, clubs are asked to continue to prevent any playing activity on GAA facilities taking place. We are grateful for the continued contribution of club officers in this regard.

Maintenance can continue provided;

  • The persons undertaking the works should as far as possible be the usual person designated to undertake such work at the club
  • All persons undertaking works must be informed of the HSE advises re social distancing and they have to confirm they are not sick and not under any restrictions that would prevent them working as per advises from health officials. Posters / information advises should be in place at the club. These were included with previous communications and are available on https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/covid19-updates/partner-resources/
  • Social distancing and other advises from HSE must be adhered to
  • Equipment should only be used by designated persons and will need additional cleaning after each use by the designated person. PPE must not be shared and should be cleaned after use
Clubs might also need to conduct security checks on the property and water systems may require flushing to prevent legionella.
If the persons who regularly do this work are unavailable and somebody else needs to take on these duties the club will need to ensure these persons are competent to undertake the tasks. In the event of an accident the GAA club will be considered to be their employer from a liability point of view and is thus legally responsible for ensuring that the persons undertaking such tasks are competent to do so.

In relation to CE Scheme Workers any decision for them to return to work is in the hands of their Sponsor Group and Local Supervisor and they also need to adhere to social distancing and HSE guidelines.

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The GAA Player Injury Scheme will remain closed until an official return to activity is confirmed.”

Please remind all members that organised training is not permitted and that there is no player injury cover in place. Therefore, it is totally forbidden for any team management to engage in any organised sessions with their players.

Of course, if players are availing of the various coaching videos circulating on various platforms currently, this is to be encouraged, once it is clear that they do so in a personal capacity and not as part of a formal team programme.

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“No official on-field activity will resume before July 20th.  We do not expect any inter-county championship games before October 1st”.

The Cork County CCC are currently are currently examining revised competition schedules for games. That information will be shared when those arrangements are finalised and we have clarity around return-to-play timelines. Any changes to existing championship structures will require the approval of the County Committee.


“Clubs are reminded that membership and public liability will need to be in place for the return of our activities and are advised to process same in the weeks ahead.”

We thank Clubs that have sent in monies due for Affiliation, Insurance Premiums and the Player Injury Scheme this year. We have no updates on whether there will be any rebates due to the current cessation of activity.


Allowing for the complexities associated with the current situation, the GAA continues to plan for the staging of this year’s Kellogg’s Cúl Camps and will communicate any changes to this approach with our clubs if they arise.

We have no further information on this matter currently.

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Finally, many thanks to all clubs for your continued cooperation. The wonderful contribution being made by members to local communities at this time is a credit to all.

Keep active and help your club win with the Irish Life Healthy Club Steps Challenge

4 x €2,500 O’Neill club vouchers up for grabs during June challenge

Throughout the Covid-19 emergency, GAA clubs across the 32 counties have been helping their members and communities stay healthy and connected within the restrictions of public health advice.

To help reward this contribution and to celebrate the importance of staying active, the GAA’s Community & Health Department has teamed up with Irish Life, CSR partners to the Healthy Club Project, to launch a special ‘Steps Challenge’ set to run during the month of June.

Four lucky clubs will win a €2,500 voucher with O’Neill’s. All clubs must to do is:

  • Register your club’s participation by June 1st on Irish Life’s MyLife App
  • Get a minimum of 15 participants to register on the club page on the MyLife App
  • Get walking! (See below for detailed registration instructions.)

The club in each province that records the highest average number of steps during the challenge period will win. Participants must be aged 18 and over. The Steps Challenge, which officially begins June 3rd, is open to all GAA clubs. (See below for step by step guide of how to register your club.)

GAA President John Horan thanked Irish Life for their on-going support: “Irish Life, along with Healthy Ireland, the HSE, and the National Office for Suicide Prevention, has worked with the GAA as our valued CSR partner for the Healthy Club Project since 2014, helping us to engage 300 clubs to date in this health-focused project.

“This Steps Challenge celebrates and rewards the fact that GAA clubs are supporting the wellbeing of their members and their communities even when our official training and games have been forced to stop.”

Commenting on this initiative, Declan Bolger, Chief Executive, Irish Life Group said: “MyLife is Irish Life’s innovative Health & Wellbeing App that can be downloaded and used by everyone. It is a great tool to help us all stay healthy and fit along with offering rewards to Irish Life customers.  As the CSR partner to the GAA Healthy Club Project we are delighted to collaborate on the Steps Challenge, and help people in our communities and GAA clubs stay active and well during this challenging and unusual time.”

The Challenge starts on June 3rdt and ends June 30th, 2020.

What do I need to do to take part?

Register your club’s participation by June 1st on the following link:

https://mylife.irishlife.ie/Gaa-Healthy-Clubs-2020

How do club members join the challenge?

  1. Download the MyLife app from the App store or Google Play store
  2. Register your details
  3. Tap on the social tab on the MyLife app
  4. Select challenges
  5. Select the challenge for your province

Tap on join & select your club!

 

 

 

 

West Cork On Line Football Coaching Proving Popular

An initiative by games development staff James McCarthy and Paudie Crowley has proven to be a big hit with footballers from clubs across West Cork.
Throughout the month of May, Paudie and James are delivering weekly football training sessions via on line platforms. The sessions are open to boys between u12 and u14 in all Beara and Carbery clubs. The development officers come as a double act with age appropriate skill work and advice to the players.
Speaking on the success of the initiative, GDA James McCarthy notes “the aim of these sessions is to reach out to boys who may be missing activity with their clubs at present. By offering these sessions, boys are getting out and being coached and feel part of something positive and enjoyable. The aim is to help them with ideas on how they can develop their skills at home while providing mental health benefits that physical activity  brings”.
Paudie Crowley is delighted with the engagement so far with over 500 players getting involved in week 1 and great feedback from clubs and parents. “We are trying to keep the activity simple but challenging and players can get the sense of  being part of a collective training without being together which is a novelty”.