Lavey's underage trophy cabinet was amply replenished last year. The club's juvenile chairman says it's a credit to an awful lot of people locally. Whatever the Lavey youngsters have been treated to by the club over the past few years, a score and more clubs elsewhere around Cavan would dearly love to know the recipe. It's fair to say that the black and white starlets have been positively blazing a trail to the winners' rostrum at underage football level in recent times. And while he determinedly steers clear of allowing himself to be inveigled down the road of crystal ball-gazing, Gerard Tierney can't but acknowledge that the Dublin road-based crew is on the right road. As outgoing chairman of Lavey juvenile committee, Gerard is naturally delighted with the way the club performed at underage level in the past year, for instance, with county titles being scooped at under 13 and under 14 championship levels. The aforementioned double triumph followed on from under 12 league and under 13 championship title victories in 2004. But for defeat in the under 14 league decider to Killinkere last year, a brilliant hat-trick of titles would have been bagged by the outstanding Lavey youngsters. So what's the club's recipe for success then Gerard? "There's no secret formula, no magic wand. "The club was lucky to have a great team-management in place and a very good squad of talented players who are very keen to learn and easy to manage." Gerard explains that he personally wasn't greatly surprised by how well "basically the same squad" did at under 13 and under 14 levels last year. "The same group of players showed a lot of promise years ago when they came together at under 10 level and fortunately they stayed together and have gelled well ever since." Making the most of the football talent which has emerged from the proven football nurseries that are Killyconnon and Aughadreena national schools has been the name of the game for the Lavey club for many years now, Gerard contends. Numbers available to Lavey's juvenile committee and coaches are at a premium each year and, like many another small club, the black and whites are happy to 'rely' on girls to strengthen their various underage teams. For the most part the girls who have formed successive underage troupes in Lavey have been top notch. The captain of the all-conquering under 14 crew last year, Alison O'Reilly, being a case in point. "The club has worked hard to promote the game among the schoolchildren and to maximise the talent that emerges in the schools. "We haven't as big a 'pick' as some people from other clubs may think even though there are two schools in the club's catchment area. "I believe that in one of our schools, there is no boy in sixth class which speaks for itself," Gerard says. The hard-working juvenile committee chairman enthuses about the buzz that was generated within the club, as a whole, by dint of the latest trophy-winning feats of some of the best of the club's young talent. He talks about the club having "a nice pool of players, all around the same age." "The teams' success has given the whole club a tremendous boost and there's a great level of enthusiasm and definitely a lot of optimism about the club at the present time. "A lot of people have given the teams support, including the local teachers, the club's parent committee, the senior players who'd encourage the juveniles at training and the parents of the kids as well as the coaches of course." The achievement by the club's under 13 and under 14 troupes last year was complemented by success at other underage levels. Lavey reached two minor division two finals last year, winning the minor division two championship and reaching the minor league decider only to lose out. In addition, the club careered to three Under 21 finals in as many years, winning one of them in the process. "It all adds up to a lot of good talent coming up through the ranks which augurs well for the club," Gerard enthuses. Even the most blinkered member of a club looking at Lavey's modus operandi from a distance can only but be impressed by the work ethic of all with a black and white hue. Certainly the success reaped by Lavey in 2005 is part of a pattern of cup-winning trips to Kingspan/Breffni Park on finals day. Gerard expresses the hope of all belonging to Lavey when he says the hope is that an under 16 county title is secured in the next year or two. "The young ones are talented, committed and all are interested in playing and improving their skills so the raw material is there, you might say. "Success by Killyconnon national school at Cumann na mBunscol level backs that theory. "It was great for the club to see five local players included on the county under 14 development squad and seeing Oliver Smith make the Cavan under 16 Fr. Manning Cup team," explains Gerard who was himself a member of a Cavan Fr. Manning Cup squad from times past. Now entering the fourth year of his chairmanship of Lavey's juvenile committee, Gerard, at every turn, insists that a lot of people have to be given credit for Lavey's ongoing success at various underage grades. Lavey's underage troupe has hit a purple patch but he's not surprised given the hard work that has gone into the club's grass roots section for a long number of years. "People like Seamus Smith and Eamon Rice put a lot of work into putting into place the support structures and back-up for the coaches at underage level down the years. The club is now seeing the benefits of the seeds that those people sowed years ago." It's hardly over-stating things to say that Lavey's resurgence at underage level over the past number of years bodes well for the club's bid to make senior ranks it's home sooner rather than later. Gerard agrees that reaching the top flight is Lavey's ambition and he reckons the club has the up and coming talent available to attain senior status in due course. Everything is in place in Lavey, he suggests, to pave the way for a leap to the top flight. "We have the talent, hard-working committees, good support from the community and one of the best playing surfaces in the county which can be played on in any type of weather." It seems like the Lavey club is simply on the up and up. The official opening of the club's new pitch last June further added to the feel-good factor down Lavey way. All the while though, there has been a determination among the club's leaders to make sure there's an equal and sustained investment in the youth of the area to go along with the investment in 'bricks and mortar' representing the most outwardly sign of the club's ambition and pride. And yet the ethos within the club is one of enjoyment and fun over a win at all costs mantra. "Winning cups is great but we're not in the business of putting pressure on either the players or the coaches to get to finals or win trophies. "Winning's definitely not the be all and end all of what we're aiming to do. "We should have another good panel at under 14 level this year but we want them to first and foremost enjoy their football this year. " If they win the county title, it'll be a bonus. "When the coaching of the teams start in February, we hope that as many players as possible take part and we try to make it enjoyable for them. "If we end up with one cup or more than one by the end of October, that's great but if not, we just have to accept that as well." Gerard is nevertheless "hopeful" that more cups will waft their way Lavey's direction in the coming year, whatever the grade. The affable administrator delights in explaining that Lavey currently fields 13 teams spanning the underage, adult and ladies football sections of the club. A lucky number in 2006. Gerard certainly hopes so! Tweet

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