Below is the Secretarys report delivered by Declan McBennett at the Juvenile AGM
I don’t propose to cover the same ground as the team reports other than to obviously concur with the view that the year was severely disrupted by Covid but nonetheless we can take pride in the positives that did take place in terms of the opportunities that were provided for kids of every age, the manner in which the juvenile section and volunteers adhered to the public health advice religiously, the initiatives undertaken such as the summer camp and the planned winter activity and primarily the achievement of the girls under 14 team, as well as the boys under 13 and 15 teams in reaching finals.
I would rather dwell on a couple of issues which I believe are now fundamentally intertwined for each and all of us here.
When we step back from the year of 2020 in isolation and observe the landscape we can undoubtedly say that we are both in good shape and also at a staging post rather than a crossroads on our journey.
We have five key elements in Dromintee GAC- kids, parents, coaches, club officers and sponsors. Many overlap but each brings something.
We have five distinct advantages
- the numbers participating are at extraordinary levels
- the knowledge base and expertise of coaching is the envy of others
- the programmes in play or in train at school and club level have proven success
- the facilities are now at a level that can accommodate and facilitate success
- the core groups of boys & girls have all the traits we would wish for to move forward
Which brings us to the third 5 - we believe we have five key years here and now starting with 2021 to grow something lasting and special.
In the next five years if we go forward progressively and ambitiously
Those aged 7-12 will benefit from the foundation we have laid and nurtured through school and club
Those aged 13-18 will embark on the key period for them as individuals and teams in the competitive environment
Those aged 18-23 will make the transition through to adult grades to drive senior men and women’s teams to another level
These next five years will lay the basis for the following ten years in terms of what our kids can achieve at club, county and national level.
Reading each of the team reports the most striking aspect are the playing numbers. Where once we were not competing, now we are winning and needing a second team to ensure maximum game time and fun for all. High participation numbers increases demands, more teams, more game time and more resourcing but the rewards are greater too.
This year we were understandably but regrettably saddled with regional leagues and uncompetitive games. We can, we should and we must ensure all kids get game time at their levels of ability rather than sit and watch. We have huge numbers of volunteer coaches and we must harness them, as well as new blood to spread the workload. I would commend and encourage the Gold Mark volunteers. We should take pride in the summer camp that we ran in the absence of our blitzes and we should take enormous encouragement from the ongoing development of the lower field with goalposts there and ball stops to follow.
The development pathway is becoming clearer and will expand and accelerate in the coming weeks. The opportunities afforded to girls in our club is a rich field to be mined further. As we saw with the under 14’s dedication and endeavour brings its own rewards and fuels the desire for further effort.
The juvenile section has made enormous strides in recent years powered by parents and coaches, the next 5 years are the bedrock for the following ten. The coaching values we espouse should and must allow every child who walks through our gates to gain maximum pleasure from a child centred environment. They will learn as kids and grow as teenagers wedded to values that will see us help and encourage them to play for fun and with a smile on their face yet compete and challenge themselves and others internally and externally.
We as a group must now renew and re-engage to ensure that we maximise their potential and that of the club as a whole. We must ensure that Dromintee 2021-25 is a clear focused mission to be the best we can be in terms of a pathway for all and an environment that befits that. I would again echo as always my gratitude to the club officers, the club executive and the raft of volunteers who give willingly of their time for the greater collective good.
2020 was the year of snoods, hand sanitisation, stop start training, cancelled blitzes and postponed finals yet it afforded us the opportunity to see and appreciate what we have collectively- a safe clean environment for our children to play freely, learn quickly and develop as individuals.
The onus is now on all of us to plan the next phase from 2021 to 2025.
