Minor competitions could be scrapped under new proposal
November 18, 2012
Former Tipperary minor hurling manager William Maher speaks to his players. INPHO
The high-powered Hurling Development Committee (HDC) is behind a bold bid to take the pressure of underage players doing the Leaving Certificate.
"We are looking at is the minor grade, the move from youth to adult," revealed HDC chairman Tommy Lanigan in today's Irish Mail on Sunday. "There's a whole issue around the Leaving Cert and college games. I don't think the policy makers have actually looked at that territory seriously.
"The under-17 model is one worth pursuing. I'm a former secondary school principal. I don't need anecdotal evidence to realise the pressure put on students by sports coaches at the most difficult time of their lives when they're trying to get a Leaving Cert, get into college and so on.
"The whole area of burn-out has been talked about for a long time. An 18-year-old, between hurling and football, can play at 10 different levels. That's lunacy."
The HDC is set to finalise their proposals in the coming weeks and HDC secretary Pat Daly - also the GAA's Director of Games - confirmed that any proposal, while being driven from a hurling perspective, would ultimately take in football and be applied at club level.
"Realistically, if we make any adjustment, it has to be across the board so there is uniformity."
The HDC is also finalising proposals for inter-county league and championship reform in 2014 which could have a hugely positive impact on club players.
"We're working on guaranteeing dates from April to August for club games," added Lanigan. That they would be sacrosanct.
"We're trying to put the club player at the heart of it all, at club and county. The club player wants a proper calendar." Tweet
