Looking at the underage successes of Roscommon and Tipperary,you have to ask the question,why can't a county like Meath improve in these areas? Especially looking at Tipp,they are a hurling county,don't have as many football clubs as Meath,but have been successful over the last few years at underage.Meath are a traditionally mad football county,what needs to be done,and is it been done?

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 19/04/2015 20:28:31    1715542

Good man ziggy perhaps your are right but I have a feeling that every once in awhile a county gets a good group of talented young players and thats what has happened in both Tipp and Ros, both had fine Minor teams a few years back Tipp beat the Dublins in 2011 in Minor Final and they pipped the Rossies on the way, I have no doubt that both these Counties will slip back into the shadows again for a decade or so.

But yes your right Meath are not producing Talent enough but then which Leinster County is for all the talk Kildare are winning nothing bet yesterday by Louth, They still will be a treath to Meath's Fine Minor side of 2015 which is the best hope of doing something since McEntees side of 2012, This years group has power and speed and my hopes are high

glenny (Meath) - Posts: 1108 - 19/04/2015 20:43:59    1715549

Yeah I think the current minor team is good,but how do we bring more consistency to our under-age teams,especially at U21 level?,like I said if Tipp can do it..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 20/04/2015 09:28:06    1715620

Guys , there is a massive leap between 14-16-Minor and U21 . Throwing the generalised statement that underage success automatically guarantees success at later stage is a bit bogus .
As stated many times before if you have a good minor team ( eg Tipp/ Dub/ Rossies) and you develop them along good practise lines . Proper coaching , player development systems . the probability is that they will end up at the business end of the game in the future . But the important thing here is , proper coaching , player development from mentors that take over and improve upon not stagnate the players development.
take a look at Cavan, Kingpins of Ulster U21 football ,whose U16s won the Gerry Reilly Memorial Cup last year , while Meath didn't even figure in the shake up .
Does that mean that these guys will progress naturally to All Ireland Senior /Minor Success ,or even to Ulster Senior / Minor success . I think that hypothesis has been proven not to be correct . It depends on what you do with these guys in the interim period....
In truth Meath football has nothing to show with regards to Minor success in recent years . Andy achieved a final appearance on the back of a back door system , and last minute winners in the all Ireland semi finals and Leinster semi finals. No silver ware to show from it . However the organisation of that years minor team raised the bar in relation to preparation at that level with Meath teams . That preparation was modelled on other counties , and it took Andy McEntee to try to introduce it here . Unfortunately that level of player development is not widespread within the county Development scene . And indeed it was not until last year when the 2014 U14 Management team introduced a regionalised system of selection that anything appeared to be changing with the way the county Dev teams were been selected and prepared.
Meath need to smell the coffee, you will not appear at the main table if your youth player development policy is non existing , if its only a paper exercise , and if the resources for development are not supplied .
We all wish this years Minor team well in the Championship . They appear to be a well balanced team with some excellent leaders in all areas. Preparation is key , and as such resources should be afforded to them to achieve their potential . The Minor league defeat to Dublin was unfortunate , but the positives were there for all to see . This group is possibly the best hope we have of obtaining All Ireland status for the next 5 years . The Co Board should pull out the stops this year to ensure the team can reach its potential .

Chaisleain_Abu (Meath) - Posts: 220 - 21/04/2015 09:35:21    1715895

Chaisleain_abu...your singing your own praises... because you were part of that u14s managerment team last year..self praise is no praise...

ghostrider (Meath) - Posts: 28 - 21/04/2015 11:00:05    1715922

Chaislean Abu

You all good points,but do you see things improving in regards prep and development?

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 21/04/2015 11:13:16    1715927

By the way trumpet blowing is for those who are insecure about themselves .Something that I could never be accused off , so therefore you have the wrong man Ghostrider .
Meath Underage structures will improve once the Club coaches , mentors , Managers , all start partaking in the coach education system .We complain about the amount of paid coaches they have in Dublin , Ulster . and say that's why they are more successful . If that's the case then what can we do to raise our standard . I suggest that we train , improve the level of Coaches within the clubs . If we can't afford the level of paid coaches as they have in other areas then the next best thing is to improve the level of coaches at club level , by increasing the level of coach education out there in the county . And most definitely not by restricting it . If the level of coaching at club level improves , obviously the level of players going into County Dev systems must also improve.
In many counties the coach education system is used as a catalyst to raise the standard of coaching throughout the counties .
It is not meant to be an elitist situation , where only X inter-county players are involved . Commitment to improve is a great gauge on peoples, personalities and character . If a club coach is committed to learning more,an bettering themselves then as a person they have shouwn their commitment to the game , they will be the type of coach or mentor that will assist in the improvement of underage structures within clubs and therefore improve the outputs at County Dev level etc .

Chaisleain_Abu (Meath) - Posts: 220 - 21/04/2015 13:33:02    1716008

I definitely have the right man..if it wasn't you ....you wouldn't of got all defensive....

ghostrider (Meath) - Posts: 28 - 21/04/2015 17:02:28    1716099

you are spot on ghostrider - you have da right man all right! the u15's better look out this year!

royalass (Meath) - Posts: 89 - 21/04/2015 21:06:00    1716202