This coming Monday, 16th February, Round Tower GAA Club will launch its Player Pathway. The club pathway will be unveiled at 8.15pm in the club and Round Tower GAA Club is encouraging all our Members to attend! Coaches, mentors, parents and adult players – we want to see you in attendance at the launch of this important resource. Adult representatives of our juvenile and adult football, hurling, ladies football and camogie sections are encouraged to attend.
The Player Pathway is one of the ambitious initiatives contained within the Club’s five year Strategic Plan 2013 – 2018 and will assist coaches, mentors, parents and players in coaching and developing the playing talent of juvenile players.
The appropriate development of playing talent and juvenile welfare is at the heart of the pathway. It aims to enable all juvenile players reach their full potential from nursery to adult level with club teams and beyond. It will aid juvenile coaches and players to gain maximum enjoyment and stimulation at various stages when they play with Round Tower GAA Club.
The Pathway
The player pathway outlines group characteristics that will guide coaches and parents as to the level their team is at in the particular phase of their childhood development. The pathway recognises each player will develop at different rates physically and mentally so the characteristics are ‘not written in stone’. “Rather than compare their team to what has gone before, mentors should be far more concerned with helping their own unique team reach its potential in an enjoyable and structured manner,” the pathway states. “Every player should have the resources to reach their own maximum potential whatever that may be over a long period.”
Skill emphasis, personality traits and decision making characteristics are outlined for age categories from four to six years of age up to 16 to 18 year olds. The Pathway outlines where the emphasis should be in coaching football and hurling skills for each age group, in developing the player physically, and informs of suitable games to complement skills and physical development. It outlines a series of football and hurling skill challenges for each of the age categories.
Club Comment
Niall Connaughton, Round Tower GAA Club Juvenile Chair & Club Vice-Chair states: “The launch of the Pathway is a very exciting and ambitious development for Round Tower GAA Club. It will prove a vital resource for supporting coaches, mentors, parents and players in the coaching and development of playing talent amongst juveniles playing with our club.
“As a club we are committed to ensuring children and teenagers who play Gaelic Games are supported by the best coaching structures and coaches and mentors. The Pathway places emphasis on developing the skills in the most appropriate and correct manner. Learning the skills will bring great enjoyment to juveniles and will support the club in ensuring we maximise the talent of young people playing Gaelic Games in Clondalkin.”
Tony Delaney, Club Chairman states: “I thank our Members who have worked diligently to bring the Player Pathway together. It will prove of great benefit for our juveniles and this will hopefully be brought to the playing pitches. The launch of the pathway is very significant milestone in implementation of our ambitious 5 year strategic plan. I encourage our coaches, mentors and parents of juveniles to utilise this valuable resource and allow it support you in developing and fulfilling the potential of our juveniles playing talent.”
