PUTTING young players first is the ethos of the new post primary Gaelic Football competitions which has been launched by the newly-formed Armagh Schools’ Committee.
The competitions - aimed at first, second and third year (year 8-10) pupils - will be rolled out at secondary schools throughout Armagh this year and have been designed to fit in alongside the existing Ulster Schools GAA fixtures.
Jimmy Smyth, chairman of Ulster Schools’ GAA and President of Armagh GAA, is very well placed to see the potential benefits the new competitions will have on the fortunes of the Orchard County.
“These competitions have been launched to build on the success of the Armagh senior team this year,” said the Lurgan native.
“We have so many young players in the county who have been lifted by what the senior team has done in winning the Sam Maguire and so, with the backing of (sponsors) Surefreight, the recently-formed Armagh Schools’ Committee are putting on new competitions for Year 8, 9 and 10 pupils to increase the opportunities for young people to take part in our games and emulate their heroes.
“The ethos of the new competitions is ‘Putting Players’ First’ and they will be built in alongside the existing Ulster Schools’ competitions to make sure as many players as possible get as many opportunities to play as possible.”
Smyth captained Armagh to the 1977 All-Ireland final but in his early days at St Colman’s College he was often disappointed by not being selected for school teams. His perseverance paid off and he believes the new addition to the GAA curriculum will expand the pool of talent coming through at club, and then county, level.
“If anyone looks back on their days at school, there were always the boys who were first-pick,” he said.
“Then there were boys who were hoping to get there and then there were the ones who thought they’d never get there. This is an opportunity for the boys who think they’ll never get there to be there. It’s increasing opportunities for diamonds to appear from the rough and there are plenty of them.
“The Armagh boys who picked up All-Ireland medals this year with Armagh weren’t always the boys who played for their schools in first year, second year, or third year.
“Throughout the school year, there are youngsters sitting with no competition to play because the opportunities to play only come up at certain times of the school year. We are filling in the gaps to give as many young people as possible the opportunity to play and improve, not just on the football field, but in their minds.
“We want them all to realise that they have a contribution to make. The more opportunity young people have to play games, the better they become.”
Newry haulage firm Surefreight will sponsor the new competitions and managing directors Vincent Waddell and Brian McManus and Martin McGoldrick (commercial director) were at the launch alongside representatives from Armagh county board and post-primary school in the county.
“We are doing this because we feel we are investing in the community,” said Surefreight’s Vincent Waddell.
“We have sponsored Redmond O’Hanlon’s GAC in Poyntzpass for over 20 years as well as many other sports and we like to do our bit for the community. We feel this is an opportunity to give young players a chance to try Gaelic Games, progress with their GAA career and hopefully end up lifting the Sam Maguire themselves some day.”
