"Go Games"

Go Games" continue to flourish and develop throughout the County. Good organisation and presentation of the "Go Games" last year ensured they were a major success again in 2009. These fair play games emphasise participation, fun and enjoyment with no pressure on any child to perform. The games were very well supported by the Clubs and officiated at by referees who were trained in our CARE programme as the Young Whistlers. They were familiar with the new rules and ensured they applied the "No Score Keeping Policy". Go Games were a key factor in all Meath Coaching and Games underage initiatives for 2009. They factored in the Part-time Coaching initiative, the Club Go Games Summer Blitzes, and Play and Stay in May in both hurling and football.
Four dates were planned altogether for the Club Go Games Summer Blitzes, two for football and two for hurling.

Ten Football clubs acted as hosts for the games on the 27th of June and another ten hosted on the 25th of July.
Altogether forty three football clubs took part with approximately 2,000 children participating.
Four hurling clubs acted as hosts on the 4th of July and another four on the 8th of August. Altogether fifteen clubs took part with approximately 900 participating. We have seen the numbers double since last year and we hope to see an increase again in 2010. We complement and congratulate all host clubs on their efforts in making each day a success, and their hospitality to travelling teams.

Play and Stay in May
"Play and Stay in May" for U8's was again an outstanding success in 2009. Eleven clubs acted as host venues for four consecutive weeks in May. Forty six clubs participated as host venues and this provided games for approximately 1,200 children on four occasions. The host clubs again must be congratulated on their efforts in making this initiative a huge success. Each host venue received a set of juvenile portable goals from Goalpost Ireland. All clubs were monitored throughout this Play and Stay in May initiative. The clubs that were proactive throughout were chosen to represent Meath in a special "Day Out in Croke Park" in which they got to play a match, had photos taken in the Presentation area of the Hogan Stand and experience the pleasure involved in performing in Croke Park.
Proactive clubs used their own initiative by building on the success of "Go Games" in engaging with Meath Coaching and Games and Bord Peil Na nOg. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them for doing this and fulfilling the Go Games criteria. We wish them every success in the future and we look forward to working with them in 2010.

Primary Schools
Part-time Coaches
In order to meet our targets in the county, for Coaching funding from Croke Park, ten part-time coaches were assigned a number of primary schools. Their function was to implement agreed coaching and games targets in those schools. This was a key initiative set up in 2008 which we have extended into 2009 and increased the capacity on the back of its recognised success. Initially, it was targeted at schools in large Urban areas but this year we targeted rural schools, primarily to provide quality coaching and games in those primary schools in County Meath and, to provide the opportunity for more children to "Play and stay with the Gaa". It was part funded by Leinster Council, Friends in Meath, and Meath County Golf Classic Committee. The ten coaches operated in fifty seven schools throughout Meath for ten weeks coaching hurling and football, four days a week. Approximately 9,000 children in total received coaching from second to sixth class. The coaches were selected at interview and partook in training workshops prior to appointment. Their role as a coach was to take a professional approach to the planning, preparation, and organisation of coaching sessions whilst ensuring safety and welfare of all participants. They were to engage and meet with all the relevant parties within the school and try to establish a club-school link. Thus, to encourage clubs to play a greater role in promoting our games in their local primary schools. They also had the responsibility to organise both internal and external Go Game Blitzes.
This initiative was a huge success in 2009 and we hope to receive the funding for it to go ahead again in 2010.

Post Primary Projects
In conjunction with our second level committee, Meath Coaching and Games put in place a detailed plan catering for all needs in support of second level schools in the county. This included; preseason viewing of squads, preparation of various Leinster and Meath competitions and extra games for teams that may have exited early from competitions.
It consisted of:
Super Sevens Competition,
Oliver Coogan Memorial Shield,
Ladies Football Blitz Day,
Junior and Senior Camogie Blitz,
U-14 and U-16 Hurling Blitz Day, &
Transition Year Courses.
The Super Sevens, again proved a commendable project in 2009. Over 2,000 1st year students took part from all of our second level schools. Our finals day in Dunganny held on the 22nd of April was again a major success and saw three hundred and eighty (380) boys and girls compete for the overall honours.

Football Champions
Ladies Football Champions - Scoil Mhuire Trim
St. Patricks Classical School, Navan
Hurling Champions -
Dunshaughlin Community College
Camogie Champions -
Dunshaughlin Community College
The Oliver Coogan Memorial Shield was a major success for the second successive year showing a serious increase in numbers partaking. This year we made a slight change in that we had an "A" and a "B" Blitz, which catered for all standards within the second level community schools, in the county. The day was a great accomplishment and saw two hundred and fifty (250) U-16 boys compete for both an "A" and a "B" title.
The ladies Blitz day went ahead on the 5th of November. This was a great success the second time round as we had to reschedule due to bad weather on the original date. Overall, two hundred and seventy (270) girls participated in this non-competitive blitz for a warm up to Leinster and Meath Competitions.

Transition Year Foundation Courses
These were held in five second level schools throughout Meath. This course is hugely popular in the schools and is an excellent means of engaging young people to coach and invest in coach training for the future. Twenty four students from each school have completed the certificate in foundation level coaching. This involves coaching in local schools and in their own clubs, under the watchful eye of Meath Coaching and Games and their own club coaching officer. The schools that took part in this year's course were, Gormanston College, Boyne Community School, St. Patricks Classical School, St. Peter's, Dunboyne and Dunshaughlin Community College.
It is prudent for the success of this course that pupils are selected on merit and are interested in coaching and games development, rather than being instructed to attend, to fill places.

Blitz's
Meath Coaching and Games in conjunction with second level schools committee are satisfied with the success of all Blitz Days to date and look forward to upcoming dates in the New Year in hurling, camogie, football and ladies football.

Meath GAA Cul Camps
Maintaining our numbers in Meath VHI Cul Camps in 2009 was essential. Despite weather conditions Cul Camp numbers were not only reached but exceeded from the 3,000 we had last year. Twenty six clubs were identified as host venues for these camps run over eight weeks of the summer months. With over two hundred applicants for our summer camp coaching positions, the final thirty three successful coaches were employed to work with our well fulltime/part time coaching staff on the Cul Camps.

Intercultural Cul Camp
Another new initiative taken on in conjunction with 2009 targets was the provision of an intercultural camp in Mosney centre. One hundred and forty children took part in this three day camp held in Mosney training grounds. Twenty children from two local clubs, St. Patricks and St. Colmcilles, were also invited to attend and coaching was modified to cater for the needs of almost fifteen different nationalities. Children from as far away as Nigeria, the Congo, Palestine, Sudan and Iraq were exposed to the skills of Gaelic football for the first time through this camp, which was provided free of charge. It was refreshing to witness the joy, innocence and eagerness to learn the skills of Gaelic football among the adolescent teens present on the camp.

Fair Play Leagues
Coiste Peil na nOg in association with Meath Coaching and Games committee, organised "Super Touch" Fair Play Leagues for U12 and U15 teams throughout the county. The U15's was well supported with seven divisions catering for forty four teams with a minimum of eight games throughout the summer months. The U12's Fair Play League catered for fifty clubs throughout the summer, resulting in over 1000 players participating, each having a minimum of five games.
This fair play league encouraged clubs to engage with their development of all players within the clubs. In excess of two thousand players were participating in our games and learning the skills over the summer months with these leagues.

Pre Schools of Excellence; Under - 12 & 13
There were eight coaching sessions organised in Dunganny from June to August. Considering our summer it was again a real success. The idea of this School is to introduce children firstly, to the basic skills of our games and secondly to meet future county colleagues in a safe non competitive environment. All clubs were represented with the players interacting and making friends from other clubs. Over one hundred and eighty children registered and each received a t-shirt and certificate of participation. The certificates were presented by Meath Local Sports Partnership.

School of Excellence and Development Squads
This initiative caters for the Underage development of County panels for teams. It is an opportunity for underage to experience elite coaching.
Players are selected from clubs within the county that have been judged to have the potential to excel in the future. Player selection is on an inclusive basis and we insist that all clubs are represented. This is for the age profiles of 14 and 15 year olds and the Schools have been organised on a centralised basis. Players participate in eight quality coaching sessions and four blitz days. Our Schools of Excellence have been led by coaches with the minimum requirement of an Award 1 coaching qualification.

U14 Football
The Meath squad used seventy players, coached over two hundred and fifty players over eight sessions. Two balanced squads were used and the same team was not used twice, this proved very successful, with the teams playing four games.
Michael Garland - Manager, Finian Murtagh, Paul Mooney, Donal O' Neill, Eamon Sheridan and Darren Clarke

U14 Hurling
Colm Doyle - Manager, Eamonn Regan, Peter Durnin, Michael Mullally

Saturday 23rd May 2009 - D.J. Carey School of Hurling Blitz in Dunganny.
Played: Louth and Westmeath, In the week of the July 6th - July 9th 2009 - D.J. Carey School of Hurling in St. Kieran's College, Kilkenny.
Other counties involved in our week: Offaly, Westmeath, Kilkenny, Carlow and Wicklow.
Activities included: Workshops, Practical Skill Sessions, County Blitzes, Inter-County Matches, Skills Challenges and Meeting with Kilkenny Senior Hurlers.
Saturday 29th August 2009 - Tony Forristal Tournament held in Portlaoise.
Meath lost to Carlow and Kerry narrowly and thus qualified for the Plate Competition. Meath defeated Roscommon in the Plate Semi-Final and proceeded to the Plate Final in which Meath defeated Armagh.

U15 Hurling
The U15 Development Squad had a very positive year in 2009. The final squad selection saw 14 clubs being represented in the panel.
The main target for the squad was the Wexford Invitational Tournament held at the end of August. The team competed in two blitzes before this tournament in June and July, seeing victories against Westmeath and Antrim and on both occasions with losses to a strong and most improved Kildare team. Unfortunately, these blitzes had only groups of three (3) teams competing, so any loss was vital.
Squad: Chris Dunne (Killyon); Shane Whitty (Blackhall Gaels); Jason Dowdall (Killyon); Sam Benville (Donaghmore Ashbourne ; James Andrews (Trim); Adam Flanagan ( Killyon); Conor Darby (Boardsmill); Caoimhin Griffin (Clann na nGael);
Darren McNevin (Killyon) Vinny Moore (Navan O'Mahonys); Fergal Flattery
(Boardsmill); Shane Lenihan (Trim); Sean Gavin (Drumree); Declan Smyth
(Kilmessan); Dylan Keenan (Dunderry); Paul Melia (Trim); Martin Quinn
(Donaghmore Ashbourne); Phillip Carey (Blackhall Gaels); Senan Kiernan (Clann na Gael); Mark Chesser (Kildalkey); Conor Whelan (Kilmessan); Eamon Ryan
(Kiltale) ; Gareth Whyte (Trim)

Conor Gavin - Manager, Ken McKenna, Davy Gaughan

U15 Football
This year the Meath U15 teams competed in the Leinster Blitz. There were two panels made up of over fifty players representing over twenty clubs across the county.
The teams played Dublin, Kildare, Offaly, Westmeath, Louth, Longford and Sligo in the Leinster Blitz. They also took part in a Blitz in Crematin, Co. Monaghan where they played Roscommon, Monaghan and Armagh.
Brendan Dardis - Manager, Alan Daly, Shelia Downey, Richie Harding, Tony Heaney and Gerry O'Rorke

Development Squads
These squads and academies are designed to assist high potential players in reaching their potential within the County Gaelic games programme. Player selection is on an exclusive basis. These squads are for the 16/17 age groups and the squads were coached and organised on a county basis. Players were encouraged to participate in eight quality coaching sessions and four blitz days. Our development squads are currently led by coaches with the certification of an Award 1 coaching qualification.

U16 Hurling
The Meath U16 Hurling Team had a very successful year winning all their games they played in the Leinster League. The team reached the semi finals in the All Ireland "B" Blitz in Westmeath. Overall a very successful year for the panel of 25 from throughout the county.
Manager, James Togher. Selectors: Philip O Brien, Kit McGovern.

U 16 Football
This squad had a selection programme over eight coaching sessions. As this panel was made up of over fifty players from across the county, they operated as two teams of equal ability. The teams played in the Leinster Blitz with opposition from
Dublin, Kildare, Offaly, Louth, Longford, Westmeath, Wicklow and Wexford
Stan Gibney - Manager, Frank Farrelly, Paul Everard, PJ Cudden and Brendan O'Connor.

U17 Football
This is the first year the U17 manager has been appointed by interview. The two squads played Cork in Ratoath and then had the long trip away to Mallow for two more games. There is a squad of forty six players still in place, who also had the experience of eight coaching sessions. This is ideal preparation for our Minor team of 2010.
Dermot Rooney - Manager, Tom Hanley, Dermot Reilly and George Plunkett

Coach Education
Meath Coaching and Games Development Committee carefully planned a professional CARE programme of education for experienced coaches, aspiring coaches and new arrivals. This programme spans part of the Autumn, all of the Winter and most of the Spring months, catering for coaches from clubs and development squads throughout the county. Not only this, but consistent updating with, workshops and In-service training is available to all coaches. Also the following;
Nursery Fundamentals, for 4 - 8 year olds. It is an introductory course for activities to improve balance, agility and coordination whilst progressing to running, throwing, jumping, catching, kicking and striking skills necessary for Gaelic Games
Code of best practice, this is compulsory for our coaches, with a new format
Foundation Courses,
Award 1, incorporating Child, Youth and Adult
Club/School links, there are twenty four clubs actively involved in this project
First Aid, Strapping, Defibrillator,
Referees. Young Whistlers; a total of sixty eight 13 - 17 year olds qualified last year and there are thirty four already registered for this intake.
Our Coach education programme has certified approximately one thousand participants in the last year.

Our Gratitude
We are grateful for the continued support of the "Friends of Meath GAA", and the "County Golf Classic Committee", without whom many of the above listed projects would not be included.
To: Barney Allen (Cathaoirleach), Michael Mulally (Bord Imann Na nOg), Peter O'Halloran (Bord Peil Na nOg) and Francis Flynn (Cumann Na mBunscol), Bea O'Reilly (Runai - Fe 18) it's been a rewarding year with your committed support.
We are also grateful to Leinster Council and in particular Shane Flanagan and John Horan for their advice and support throughout the year.
We offer Christine O'Brien and her family our special support at this time. Christine, you are very close to our every thought, throughout each day. This is our time to ensure you are, kept informed of all the good you did and will again with this team within Coaching and Games.
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