Age grades leaning towards status quo but work needed on Under 19 & 21

GAA clubs in Tipperary seem to be content with keeping underage grades at uneven ages if one is to judge from a special club forum which took place in the Dome, Semple Stadium last Tuesday week.

After GAA Special Congress allowed counties the power to set their own age grades which opens the return to even ages at 14, 16 and 18 (minor), the overwhelming sense from this meeting was that clubs want the under 11, 13, 15, and 17 hurling and football championships to continue as eighty or so delegates representing underage and adult clubs came together after recent mutterings about a change back to even ages was being considered.

While no decision was taken at this meeting, the feedback from it will be important when a final decision is made at annual County Convention in December. However, it emerged that clubs were generally happy with the structures brought in three years ago so it appears that the under 13, 15, 17 & 19 competitions in hurling and football are going to stay with for another while at least.

It was made very clear that juvenile delegates present were happy with the un-even age grades, backed up by Tipperary Coiste na nOg Chairperson Tommy Landers who admitted at first, he was personally against the changes three years ago, but once the decision was made Tipperary Coiste na nOg got down to business and in his view “produced a very strong games programme for boys of all ages with lots of games in both codes”.

He added that the minor grade, if switched to under eighteen would see less games as a number of players would be playing adult hurling. He was supported by PJ Bowen (Secretary, Mid Tipp Coiste na nOg) as well as former Tipperary Coiste na nOg chairperson Tom Dawson.

The problem of switching the age groups to even ages is that competitive hurling and football can only start at under 14 as under 12 championships are not permitted by Croke Park under the Go Games model, although this is a rule County Board Vice-Chairperson Jimmy Minogue disagrees with.

“I fell under 13 level is a little too old for introducing competitive competition,” he said.

“Our competitors have competition at way younger than that and I feel that the county should look at organising our under 11 & 12 by way of calling it a tournament which might be a way of getting over the barrier to under 12 competition rules at stipulated.”

Kevin Hally, Tipperary Games Manager, outlined the programme of events for young players stating that the competitions on offer as well as highlighting the number of competitions organised by secondary schools during the winter months before moving into the spring season. He said there was a lot on offer.

Under 19 & 21

The discussion moved onto the higher age brackets where concerns were expressed about the lack of gametime for players playing under 19 & 21 claiming it is unfair to the respective competitions squeezed into the back end of the year and there should be methods to solve the problem.

Catherine Dunne of Moyne-Templetuohy and secretary of Mid Tipp Coiste na nOg was one of the first to ask as to why there is so little game time for players at under 21 level with Michelle McKelvey (Moycarkey/Borris) adding support.

While not opposing the suggestions that there is too little game time for players in the nineteen to twenty-one age bracket Tom Maher, Secretary of Tipperary CCC asked what the solution to the problem was.

County Chairperson Joe Kennedy added that in Kerry, under 21 players have a league but clubs play without their county players before adding that he could not see clubs agreeing to that suggestion.

There was general agreement with organising leagues for under 19 & 21, but North Board chairperson Michael Tierney questioned the timing of those leagues as there are junior leagues played in each division and there is also the county senior league.

Towards the end of the meeting a number of delegates summed up what they heard with Kevin Hally suggesting. “There are too many anomalies. We have to look at what is best at what is best for the development of the players. We have heard all the angles, but we have to work out what is best for Tipperary,” he said.

Jimmy Minogue, Vice Chairperson of Tipperary County Board added that in his view it is impossible to organise both under 19 & 21 to everybody’s satisfaction.

“If I had a choice, I would reduce the two and bring it down to one grade. I have no preference either way but there is a lot we could do with one competition during the early months not withstanding there would be a problem with players attending third level college.”

Conclusion

Wrapping up the debate, County Chairperson Joe Kennedy concluded. “In age groups up to under 17 there seems to be a very good games programme organised. The big problem is at under 19 and under 21 levels. There are two issues, one the good player is playing with club and county while the remainder of the players are left idle for much of the year. Having listened to the discussion there might be grounds for a summer league at 19, 20 or 21 but there is the crossover with adult league games, not forgetting the difficulties with state examinations,” he said.

ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT AGE GRADES, BY KEVIN HALLEY, TIPPERARY GAMES MANAGER

Under 7–9: is working well and meeting the development needs of our plyers.

Under 11: Games program is loose and needs an all-county formalisation of the games program, but in general, it serves the requirement of development, particularly players not playing under 13.

Under 13: is exceptionally well run, ensuring the structural balance between development and winning.

Under 15-17: needs a tightening of the games calendar to conclude sooner.

Under 19: is serving a development need for clubs.

Under 21: is a concern trying to get games played in Q4 of the year.