Athletics promotion (Can more be done?)

rom

The big 3 male sports could be targeted as athletics has something that they don't have and it's the gender mix. If GAA/Rugby/Football clubs and athletics clubs could generate partnerships it would benefit both. I often see the big 3 sports players going out for a run outside of their set training. Athletics clubs could draw more people and players would get educated on how to train for running which would benefit their sport. Similar to how tri, bike,swim,athletics clubs work together.

Also it would provide a clear sports transition to athletics once their playing days come to an end which it often does with a full stop for a lot of players. And who knows that the guy that is always on the bench may be a super runner.

I do think that these games owe it to their players to offer an outlet when the game ends at 30-35 or whenever.

woodchopper

rom wrote: »

The big 3 male sports could be targeted as athletics has something that they don't have and it's the gender mix. If GAA/Rugby/Football clubs and athletics clubs could generate partnerships it would benefit both. I often see the big 3 sports players going out for a run outside of their set training. Athletics clubs could draw more people and players would get educated on how to train for running which would benefit their sport. Similar to how tri, bike,swim,athletics clubs work together.

Also it would provide a clear sports transition to athletics once their playing days come to an end which it often does with a full stop for a lot of players. And who knows that the guy that is always on the bench may be a super runner.

I do think that these games owe it to their players to offer an outlet when the game ends at 30-35 or whenever.

How does getting a couple of retired GAA players jogging a local 5k road race help promote the sport of athletics?

Also you wont find any guy on the bench good enough to make it as a elite athlete anyway. All good runners are good all round athletes so they would excel in most sports relative to size etc. Galen Rupp was a very good soccer player for example, the best on his high school team, so was Andrew Wheating, Bolt is good at cricket. Katie Taylor is a international calibre soccer player.

If one cannot make itonto a local team then Im afraid partental genes has let you down! No way are they going to excel as an athlete in any meaningful way to promote the sport.

average_runner

woodchopper wrote: »

How does getting a couple of retired GAA players jogging a local 5k road race help promote the sport of athletics?

Also you wont find any guy on the bench good enough to make it as a elite athlete anyway. All good runners are good all round athletes so they would excel in most sports relative to size etc. Galen Rupp was a very good soccer player for example, the best on his high school team, so was Andrew Wheating, Bolt is good at cricket. Katie Taylor is a international calibre soccer player.

If one cannot make itonto a local team then Im afraid partental genes has let you down! No way are they going to excel as an athlete in any meaningful way to promote the sport.

Not really true. That person could be on the bench in a sport thats not their strongest and just haven't found their sport.

robinph

woodchopper wrote: »

How does getting a couple of retired GAA players jogging a local 5k road race help promote the sport of athletics?

Because by then they will have a couple of kids who they would rather not see hitting each other round the head with hurleys so they could take them running instead. Who knows what they may become?

More people in athletics at whatever level gets more people into athletics.

RayCun

We've a load of ex-footballers, ex-GAA players,and ex-hockey players in our club. (And there are two who've sort of gone the other way - one excellent runner, one very good runner and high jumper who are still involved in athletics, one coaching me the other coaching kids, but also coaching football.) There are plenty more on here.

We've never needed to do 'outreach' work, they find their own way.

woodchopper

average_runner wrote: »

Not really true. That person could be on the bench in a sport thats not their strongest and just haven't found their sport.

Application will get you on any team even at International level. Therefore are you really suggesting that these subs whose application is lower than those playing can somehow make it in the most competitive sport on the planet?

To promote the sport of athletics this is what they have to do and excel at it.

woodchopper

robinph wrote: »

Because by then they will have a couple of kids who they would rather not see hitting each other round the head with hurleys so they could take them running instead. Who knows what they may become?

More people in athletics at whatever level gets more people into athletics.

This is where genes comes into it Im afraid. Ex Hurlers hardly have sufficient fast twitch fibres which would produce a high school athletic superstar. Nuture and all that.

robinph

woodchopper wrote: »

This is where genes comes into it Im afraid. Ex Hurlers hardly have sufficient fast twitch fibres which would produce a high school athletic superstar. Nuture and all that.

Promoting the sport, any sport, is about more than just producing international standard athletes. You need to get more people involved at any and every level.

1) Get more adults involved
2) Get more kids involved
3) Their school mates will then get involved
4) ......
5) ......
6) Profits Standards improve and you find the next international superstar.

RayCun

woodchopper wrote: »

This is where genes comes into it Im afraid. Ex Hurlers hardly have sufficient fast twitch fibres which would produce a high school athletic superstar. Nuture and all that.

Hurlers can't have kids who are good athletes?
Trolling grade: C-, must try harder

average_runner

woodchopper wrote: »

Application will get you on any team even at International level. Therefore are you really suggesting that these subs whose application is lower than those playing can somehow make it in the most competitive sport on the planet?

To promote the sport of athletics this is what they have to do and excel at it.

Yes I am suggesting that. Application is not everything. If you have a soccer squad of 20 and all give same level of application, they all can't make the team?


Also what I said they could be sub in a sport thats not their strongest or just a late developer. Kevin Phillips is a perfect example of that in soccer.

mithril

Are there not other factors that come into play to make it at elite level in team sports other than raw athletic ability e.g. co-ordination, temperament, ability to read the game and anticipate what the other players are going to do, upper body strength?

An individual might have outstanding raw speed and endurance, but not able to progress in a team sport without these additional attributes.

ecoli

I think partnerships within the sports and improving relations between sports is certainly a good way for overall development of sport in this country but also for talent identification.

I remember touching on this around the time of the Olympics

Recently I have seen sprint coaches (and sprinters themselves) being recruited for speed development training in some GAA clubs. This is a great way of sharing resources and promoting links between both sports

In the past there has already been notable success in transition between field events and Rugby. Given the high attrition rate in the latter promoting links here creates an avenue to funnel many of this fall off in Rugby

Pole Vaulting and Gymnastics has also seen the same links in other countries and could be used to an extent in this country (Anyone know what the gymnastics calendar is like it only goes as far as April on their website?)

Not only does this become a good source of talent for the sport but simply by exposure to the sport through interaction you will see an increased awareness of the sport and a raised profile to another extent. People will be able to identify with our sport if we are able to break it down so they are able to see common elements with what T&F athletes are doing and what they are doing in there own sport.

This country lags behind in terms of funding for sport without a doubt, to the point where pooling resources makes sense for the overall development. Nutrition, recovery, flexibility, co-ordination and other aspects of training are common elements in most sports so why not combine these in terms of education of athletes/coaches collectively.

ThePiedPiper

A runner/coach at our club set up a group, external, but linked to the club in 2010 to encourage non-runners to train for and do the Dublin Marathon. In the first year of the group, there were about 5 of us, out of about 60, who had previously run marathons or any distance for that matter. The group size was over 100 in 2011 and 2012. Over the three years, probably about 10 runners have joined the club proper, and are progressing and competing well.

This group was not set up to get people joining the running club, lots of non-runners are intimidated by Athletics Clubs, feel they're not good enough to be there. I was three years ago, but the set-up made it much more open to non-runners.

Many adults, even if they're 25-30 and very capable runners feel they've missed the boat with regards joining an athletic club. The type of group our coach organises takes away that fear, and if somebody wants to push on from the more easygoing, social part of it, the club encourages and welcomes all. Other clubs could adapt a similar model with the same success.

MrCreosote

Getting over-the-hill GAA players in when they retire sends out totally the wrong message- that athletics is only a secondary sport to do once you can't compete in your primary sport.

The main focus should be on making running/athletics as normal a part of society as possible, and removing the stigma of a fringe sport. Get lots of people in and the standards will rise regardless, and people will get their families involved etc etc

So I reckon:

- things like RunForestRun's running groups
- track meets where people can turn up and try some of the shorter distances without having to be registered with a club
- Avoiding wearing club vests if at all possible, and getting more suitable attire out there like club t-shirts etc. The image of the skinny guy in a vest does more to reduce club membership than anything else IMO
-Remove high performance funding and reinvest it at a grassroots level

rom

MrCreosote wrote: »

Getting over-the-hill GAA players in when they retire sends out totally the wrong message- that athletics is only a secondary sport to do once you can't compete in your primary sport.

The main focus should be on making running/athletics as normal a part of society as possible, and removing the stigma of a fringe sport. Get lots of people in and the standards will rise regardless, and people will get their families involved etc etc

So I reckon:

- things like RunForestRun's running groups
- track meets where people can turn up and try some of the shorter distances without having to be registered with a club
- Avoiding wearing club vests if at all possible, and getting more suitable attire out there like club t-shirts etc. The image of the skinny guy in a vest does more to reduce club membership than anything else IMO
-Remove high performance funding and reinvest it at a grassroots level

It comes down to why average inter-county GAA players are put on a pedestal by society when olympians are looked on with the same regard. Like someone who has a few all-stars in GAA is probably thought of more than someone with an olympic medal. The reason for this is that there are big numbers envolved in it at all levels. Unlike in the UK there is not the same competition with an amateur versus a professional sport.

I agree that things like RunForestRun's experience should be expanded on.
the track meets is a good idea also.

- Avoiding wearing club vests if at all possible, and getting more suitable attire out there like club t-shirts etc. The image of the skinny guy in a vest does more to reduce club membership than anything else IMO
I think there needs to be people that we aspire to. There is a place for both but it is the case that things like BHAA is dominated by elite/sub elite runners and this was not it's ethos.

-Remove high performance funding
The high performance funding in Ireland is a joke. It is not possible to be a full time athlete in Ireland. This should not be the case.

In comparison to the big 3 sports the longevity and health benefits of athletics needs to be promoted more.

Personally I think there is additional market between a club runner and fit4life. Similar to tag rugby kind of thing. I suppose this is the RunForestRun's group.

WhatNowForUs?

rom wrote: »

The big 3 male sports could be targeted as athletics has something that they don't have and it's the gender mix. If GAA/Rugby/Football clubs and athletics clubs could generate partnerships it would benefit both. I often see the big 3 sports players going out for a run outside of their set training. Athletics clubs could draw more people and players would get educated on how to train for running which would benefit their sport. Similar to how tri, bike,swim,athletics clubs work together.

Also it would provide a clear sports transition to athletics once their playing days come to an end which it often does with a full stop for a lot of players. And who knows that the guy that is always on the bench may be a super runner.

I do think that these games owe it to their players to offer an outlet when the game ends at 30-35 or whenever.

Hi, having trained an adult Gaelic team the amount of players that can't run properly is unreal. Having past kids doing training all I can hear is "faster faster" without the coaches advising the children how to do so.

Its a good idea you have.

myflipflops

If you want to grow athletics, you need 2 things:

More kids entering the sport
More and better coaching.

Go to primary schools and try to attract young kids. Focus on girls because there is much less competition.

Provide better coaching at grass roots level, mainly through actively going to clubs and training volunteers to coach.

We need a grass roots/youth initiative in Irish athletics more than we need a HP director.

WhatNowForUs?

As someone who loves sports, I would love to see a designated week of sports where all the different sports come together at one time of the year and have Nationals.

Canoeing, Cycling, Running, Archery, Swimming etc. One of the TV stations could come on board whether it be RTE, TV3, TG4 or Setanta. Each sport would be in charge of providing the TV station with a televised section of their stars in action and the TV station could have an 'expert panel' to discuss the different aspects of the sport.

This would be like a mini Irish Olympics where certain stars would get exposure where previously the sport itself may never have been heard of.

rom

WhatNowForUs? wrote: »

Hi, having trained an adult Gaelic team the amount of players that can't run properly is unreal. Having past kids doing training all I can hear is "faster faster" without the coaches advising the children how to do so.

Its a good idea you have.

Why don't you approach your local athletics club for a joined training session outside of the normal training schedule ? We trained recently with the Cork hurlers. No reason why not.

WhatNowForUs?

rom wrote: »

Why don't you approach your local athletics club for a joined training session outside of the normal training schedule ? We trained recently with the Cork hurlers. No reason why not.

I'm not involved at the moment but when my kid joins its something that I would propose for his team. I think its a good idea, there are many things that can be taken from different sports and used for the main one that they chose to play.

ChickenTikka

I think its a great aspiration to have to partner with other sports but I find that other sports and in particular GAA have a deep distrust of other sports. In many GAA clubs where both hurling and football are played, the GAA mentors/players find it hard to even partner with their sister sport let alone another sport.

I think the reason for this is (and its sad from the perspective of the individual and what the individuals best sport is) that fundamentally a team sport does not want their players doing any other organised sport. Casual sport is ok as a player can skip it on a whim - but another organised sport provides competition for the players time and loyalty and will inevitably throw up a few clashes during the year. If the players don't do any other organised sport, the manager/coach can organise challenge matches etc whenever he wishes and be assured of most of the players availability.

I don't think these sports particularly care about what their athletes are going to do when they hang up their boots ... other than possibly becoming drinking buddies for the club's management committee.

rom

ChickenTikka wrote: »

I think its a great aspiration to have to partner with other sports but I find that other sports and in particular GAA have a deep distrust of other sports. In many GAA clubs where both hurling and football are played, the GAA mentors/players find it hard to even partner with their sister sport let alone another sport.

I think the reason for this is (and its sad from the perspective of the individual and what the individuals best sport is) that fundamentally a team sport does not want their players doing any other organised sport. Casual sport is ok as a player can skip it on a whim - but another organised sport provides competition for the players time and loyalty and will inevitably throw up a few clashes during the year. If the players don't do any other organised sport, the manager/coach can organise challenge matches etc whenever he wishes and be assured of most of the players availability.

I don't think these sports particularly care about what their athletes are going to do when they hang up their boots ... other than possibly becoming drinking buddies for the club's management committee.

Our club had a training session with the Cork team so I disagree that it can't be shared. GAA clubs a well aware that their players need additional training and them being able to do it in a structure like the way triathletes do is a possibility also would be more beneficial. It is always personal choice. This choice rarely converts triathletes into runners only for example.