I’ve been told that the Club Children’s Officer is a willing participant in all this, an absolute win at all costs merchant who is a coach of the U14 team. It sounds like a complete sh*t show.
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If the u12 kids are playing this year, then likely they’ll play next year too thus impacting 2 years. Now the thing is, is the nephew still going to get game time, albeit at a lower level as I imagine that’s what the coaches will say?
I took a Feile B team about 10 years ago when they were struggling for a coach. Had to bring up u13s to make up numbers who were evidently better than the u14B lads but had to make sure I started every game with all the u14 lads. However there were still grumbles if I subbed one off for an u13 with one mother asking why I didn’t bring her u14 son back on when we were winning well after the u13 subs turned the game around. Feile turns coaches and parents into headcases. Far too much focus on it.
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Thats it in a nutshell.
Bringing up youngsters a grade is a fucking headache, with or without the numbers. Even if you’re down numbers in the higher grade, its who you bring up causes awful problems too.
I remember playing up when I was a youngers, I was thoroughly unaware of whether there was any shite about it. Must ask the aul lad.
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Nephew is 2011 so he’s underage again next year. Sister and husband are sanguine enough about it. He’s on the 14B team which they are okay about. He’s a tidy enough hurler and footballer, he’d be borderline for the A team, subs bench really, but he’s one of the main men on the B team. He’s getting far more game time where he is than on a 14A team. He’s not the biggest but he’s stretching a bit these last few months and if that continues he’ll be in the frame for A team next year. Other parents of kids who are born in 2010, fully up to age and who would have a case for 14A team are on the warpath.
I’m told that the U12 players brought up are nothing special and are physically not up to 14A. It’s a strong team, they get thrown on at corner forward for a few soft scores when games are won.
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The Official Guide which is on the GAA website is the definitive rule book. My sense is they are not breaking any rules here but are going completely against the spirit of the rulebook.
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It’s really up to the Club to enact good practice. I also think if none of the kids are bothered I think I’d leave well enough alone too as it can cause issues further down the line too.
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It seems like poor practice, but it also brings to mind the pitch side sign of ‘Before complaining, have you thought about volunteering?’. If these u12s are only being brought on for a few minutes at the end of games and the boys up to age are playing away on the B team and getting way more game time, rather than being subs, maybe it is the best solution. Who is upset about it all, the kids or the parents?
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12 to 14 is a big jump. A small 12 year old could be hurt - 14 is a far more physical game.
But despite all the chat lads want to win and will do what they want in that respect.
If the younger lad wins the game for the team you can be sure none of the other kids will give a bollox
Some people also forget the kids like to win too.
Not at all.
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They absolutely do and that’s the balance. You’d be winning handy and make a few subs and all of a sudden you are losing and lads will go mad. You learn soon enough
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Kids dont forget that either sadly. I had a mother come to me once about a young lad I had with me who had moved up at the end of the year. In one game he’d been told by one of his teammates “dont fucking give it away now like you did the last time”.
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Technically right but morally wrong as an old acquaintance of mine used say
They’d be far better off investing their time with a smaller chap that’s able to hurler than bigger chaps with less hurling in them. Very shortsighted.
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It might be worth asking about the commitment levels of the u14 A players that are being substituted too. I’ve experienced parents who think their son should be entitled to play every game despite an a la carte attitude to training and matches. I wouldn’t have any issue with limiting game time for these type of lads even if it is u12 players that are replacing them.
The local school got to their final at croker this year. 12 year olds. They were about 7 points up in the final and the teacher emptied the bench and brought on every single kid in the squad. 30 ofthem in total. They went behind before coming back to win by 1 point. Some parents were livid, including a good mate of mine. He was furious the coach jeopardised his kid’s chances of winning by throwing on lads who ‘can’t even pick up the fucking ball.’
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Its a tricky one. He did the right thing trying to give gametime to all, but at the same time, the lads playing probably live and breathe the game, whereas the other lads come along because mammy and daddy get them to and will knock it on the head as soon as they possibly can. It means little to them really and they’ll lep around, but in the grand scheme, they’ll forget the win or loss in quicktime.
Meanwhile, the other fella is in the back of the car going home seething and burning the ear off the parents for days on end. That is not a fun car to be in.
That’s its in a nutshell, its a thorny issue but my take is that just because a player is up to the age shouldn’t mean that he/she starts automatically.
Are they regulars at training? Even if they are, do they put in an effort or just come for a chat with their pals? Plenty of youngsters “never miss a night” according to their parents but may as well be at home for all the effort they put in when at the pitch.
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The approach to take there is to leave a few strong lads on the bench so you can replace like for like as you are rolling on the subs. It’s the only way to do it unless you are sure you will totally hammer the opposition as you absolutely have to give them all a game.