Summer/Winter Soccer v GAA season

CornerForward10286

Where you are, is it Winter or Summer soccer underage and does it clash with GAA Season?

threeball

It's gone to the dogs this year. Only finished yesterday in our area and talks of it starting again in August. The two associations need to get together and sort it out. Not fair on kids.

Gaa partially to blame trying to get underage comps out of the way. Young lads being flogged with hurling, football and soccer all running at once and no games in a months time.

Killed

We've had underage summer soccer for years and good participation from the children in both football and soccer as each code accommodated the other with training and match days.

This year the local GAA club decided to add extra days training in what seemed an attempt to stop the children playing soccer, they deliberately set it up to clash. It backfired as the children refused to give up the soccer and parents complained.

There should be no restrictions placed on children with sports, the more they play and are exposed to, is really good for their development. It's great to play in the summer months with dry pitches and late evenings.

rpurfield

My 9 year old plays both and its a bit of a pain with the clash. Soccer is finished now for a few weeks but when GAA started back in March training is the same night but back to back. Games are the same time on a Saturday. The only benefit is the soccer club use the astro in the GAA club for training so he can go from one to the other, the county board have alternated the Go Games between hurling and football and he doesn't hurl so plays soccer them weeks. I'm involved with out U14 team and the coach of the same age soccer team is the father of one of our players. So we make the effort to talk to them not to clash as its a cross over of half a dozen lads I think.

CornerForward10286

It’s great for kids to play all sport they want. When GAA championships start and there is clashes with soccer on a Sat morning it’s a nuisance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119195354#Comment_119195354

Is one of the issues not that there are different catchment areas for GAA and soccer clubs. Kids in our club will play for 2 different soccer clubs, and where I grew up the local soccer club would have had players from 3 GAA clubs playing with them. You would almost need a county wide calendar across Football, Hurling and soccer to eliminate issues. And even then age groups may not overlap either

rpurfield

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119195853#Comment_119195853

It can happen too. What seems to be happening with our 14s is some of the lads are moving on to other soccer clubs i.e. the underage set up of a League of Ireland team or say St. Kevins etc which does complicate it. I don't think you will ever totally eliminate it though, don't forget sometimes you have other sports to throw in too. My older lad plays rugby, and there are lads on that team that play cricket as well to a decent level!!