Athletics Ireland development and RDO functions

shels4ever

Hi there,
Was just asked a question today about what help is available to clubs through the RDO's. It seems most of the established clubs have their structures clicks already in place. What can new clubs or existing clubs expect from AAI if anything?

From their site it seems there is a lot offered or at least the plans look good, is this been implemented

http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/?page_id=722

Cheers.

Timmaay

I have personally found my last two local RDOs very useful and approachable, but to be honest, they are totally overstretched, and could have enough work for 10 different people! This is a problem that obviously cannot be fixed overnight unless either Athletics Ireland gets a serious boost of funding, or diverts funding from another area to hire more of them, and put further structure's in place to ensure they get their task of development of the clubs done!

shels4ever

Timmaay wrote: »

I have personally found my last two local RDOs very useful and approachable, but to be honest, they are totally overstretched, and could have enough work for 10 different people! This is a problem that obviously cannot be fixed overnight unless either Athletics Ireland gets a serious boost of funding, or diverts funding from another area to hire more of them, and put further structure's in place to ensure they get their task of development of the clubs done!

Thanks.

Timmaay

shels4ever wrote: »

It seems most of the established clubs have their structures clicks already in place.

Care to elaborate abit here??

shels4ever

Timmaay wrote: »

Care to elaborate abit here??

Was just suggesting that there are some good groups already running between clubs. Where by you can have runners from club A training with club B coaches. It's worked in some areas more so at the elite end of things. But if there is some kind of coach sharing between smaller newer clubs.
I know they have some sort of super club format in the UK with feeder clubs etc But not sure if that is an option or even been looked at here.

dna_leri

Timmaay wrote: »

I have personally found my last two local RDOs very useful and approachable, but to be honest, they are totally overstretched, and could have enough work for 10 different people! This is a problem that obviously cannot be fixed overnight unless either Athletics Ireland gets a serious boost of funding, or diverts funding from another area to hire more of them, and put further structure's in place to ensure they get their task of development of the clubs done!

I would have nothing but good to say about the RDOs that I have met also but I don't actually know what they do. I wonder are they overstretched doing the right stuff?

There also seems to be a strange regional split that does not align with the provincial setup for underage competition, any good reason why?

RoyMcC

shels4ever wrote: »

I know they have some sort of super club format in the UK with feeder clubs etc But not sure if that is an option or even been looked at here.

Not aware of that Shels. There have been a few mergers but there are still many clubs, widely spread. But generally the better Brits seek to join the BAL Premiership clubs for the best competion. The elite however have even bigger fish to fry and don't turn out much for club events.

Local example - Jersey's Zane & Shadine Duquemin now first claim for Shaftesbury Barnet.

Timmaay

Only thing that I know of would be what we have in Wicklow, with Sli Cualann AC. Superclub would certainly be an overstatement there yet .

In terms of the RDOs, equally as important in the development of club athletics should be the County Athletics Boards, I've seen vastly different levels of support from Co. Boards, the age old problem of too much politics/infighting amount the clubs can wreck meetings, and totally wears the patients of the committee members and club officials attending, so people just stop going and refuse to go on the committee then etc, leaving a Co. Board committee that struggles to preform its basic tasks, not to mind move athletics in the county forward.

dna_leri

Timmaay wrote: »

Only thing that I know of would be what we have in Wicklow, with Sli Cualann AC. Superclub would certainly be an overstatement there yet .

In terms of the RDOs, equally as important in the development of club athletics should be the County Athletics Boards, I've seen vastly different levels of support from Co. Boards, the age old problem of too much politics/infighting amount the clubs can wreck meetings, and totally wears the patients of the committee members and club officials attending, so people just stop going and refuse to go on the committee then etc, leaving a Co. Board committee that struggles to preform its basic tasks, not to mind move athletics in the county forward.

Sli Cualann may not be a superclub but it is a step in the right direction as are some of the National League county teams.

Are the RDOs now doing work that was previously done by county (and provincial) boards? If so did they take this work over deliberately or did it just default to them either because the boards were disfunctional?

Getonwithit

Some of the RDO functions would include....
- Setting up Coaching clinics
- Attending county and club meetings
- Being involved in local competitions/opeN sports/ schools leagues
- Reporting back to AAI
- Helping to establish Fit For lIfe clubs
- Overseeing a budget for development initatives in their area
- Aattending and assisting at National events

Its fair to say just from this list that they probably are overstretched.On top of that, some of the RDOS I know are involved with the Senior Race Walk athletes, coaching club and school teams, coaching high end underage athletes, and on and on!

I think the biggest impact theyve had is the overseeing of coach education projects out there on the ground. Theres less madness and hardship in our clubs than there was say 8 years ago..