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Getting foreigners to play GAA

  • 15-09-2020 12:25pm
    #1
    thesultan
    Registered Users Posts: 2,667 ✭✭✭


    Has anyone got any experience of getting non Irish nationals to play GAA?
    In my town there are Polish and Brazilians. These don't even play soccer so would anyone have ideas on how to inticise them to play?


Comments

  • #2
    Beechwoodspark
    Registered Users Posts: 15,279 ✭✭✭✭Beechwoodspark


    thesultan wrote: »
    Has anyone got any experience of getting non Irish nationals to play GAA?
    In my town there are Polish and Brazilians. These don't even play soccer so would anyone have ideas on how to inticise them to play?

    My post seems to have been deleted by the mod I can only presume ????

    Even though I kept things general with no specifics.

    DM me thesultan and I can give you some details on our clubs experience.

    Best wishes


  • #3
    Fr Tod Umptious
    Registered Users Posts: 14,989 ✭✭✭✭Fr Tod Umptious


    Very few of the Eastern European kids in this village play GAA, but there are some exceptions.

    I can imagine that getting involved in a indigenous sport is difficult, especially when there are other sports that they might be otherwise familiar with like soccer and basketball to participate in.

    In our club we circulate flyers to the schools at the beginning of each year informing the kids that training is restarting.
    The flyer is in English, Polish and Lithuanian.


  • #4
    Uncle Pierre
    Registered Users Posts: 1,448 ✭✭✭Uncle Pierre


    I've experience of non-nationals playing GAA all right, but not actually of getting them to play.

    Can't help thinking though that if these lads in your area aren't sporty enough to sign up to play a sport they're familiar with, like soccer, then it's going to be tough if not impossible to get them to start a sport they've no experience of at all.

    But good luck with it anyway.


  • #5
    thesultan
    Registered Users Posts: 2,667 ✭✭✭thesultan


    Obviously there families haven't a connection to it but it's trying to find a connection.


  • #6
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭[Deleted User]


    It's very difficult.
    I train an underage team in Dublin, and out of the 30 kids, we have only 1 who comes from a non Irish family.
    Having said that, we also have a couple of COI schools in the area, and don't have 1 kid from them either.


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  • #7
    ExMachina1000
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,748 ✭✭✭ExMachina1000


    Saw a minor football match where the centre back and wing forward were Nigerian heritage but born in Ireland . Both of them were big strong lads and very good players. The centre back in particular was a unit and really stood out. Great player


  • #8
    PARlance
    Registered Users Posts: 21,092 ✭✭✭✭PARlance


    We had a few people move into the area from Galway. They seemed to acclimatise ok after about 3 generations.


  • #9
    Bonniedog
    Registered Users Posts: 6,665 ✭✭✭Bonniedog


    Maybe they need encouragement like quotas on teams and maybe getting a few points head start or something. Or not having to use your hands?

    We need to get rid of our Gaelic privileges :-)


  • #10
    thesultan
    Registered Users Posts: 2,667 ✭✭✭thesultan


    ExMachina1000 wrote: »
    Saw a minor football match where the centre back and wing forward were Nigerian heritage but born in Ireland . Both of them were big strong lads and very good players. The centre back in particular was a unit and really stood out. Great player
    The Africans seem to be the best to embrace the GAA.


  • #11
    thesultan
    Registered Users Posts: 2,667 ✭✭✭thesultan


    ExMachina1000 wrote: »
    Saw a minor football match where the centre back and wing forward were Nigerian heritage but born in Ireland . Both of them were big strong lads and very good players. The centre back in particular was a unit and really stood out. Great player
    Bonniedog wrote: »
    Maybe they need encouragement like quotas on teams and maybe getting a few points head start or something. Or not having to use your hands?

    We need to get rid of our Gaelic privileges :-)

    A free club top maybe


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  • #12
    Uncle Pierre
    Registered Users Posts: 1,448 ✭✭✭Uncle Pierre


    thesultan wrote: »
    A free club top maybe

    Or maybe a promise of meeting some ladies footballers or camogie players?? :D


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