1. COURCEY ROVERS UNDERAGE PLAYER POLICY Jan 1st 2017

2. REVIEW COMMITTE DAVID HAYES DECLAN WALSH GER SWEETNAM LIAM TWOMEY
LISA MURPHY*
GARY MOLONEY
* - Due to family reasons Lisa withdrew from committee in Sept

3. POLICY OBJECTIVES To be fair to every player, both weak and strong
Give guidance to Coaches
Give guidance/protection to the Club
Be in line with the ambition of the Club
Be in line with Best Practices in youth sport (Our Games Our Code)
Be able to deal with increasing numbers of underage players

4. AREAS POLICY WILL NOT DEAL WITH
Coaching – Standards, methods, etc.
Grades at which teams should play
Competitions

5. POINTS TO REMEMBER This can be a very emotive issue
There is no “Silver bullet” policy
Common sense must be applied to all policies

6. BACKGROUND Looked at other clubs policies
Looked at various documents from the GAA
Met with the Cork coaching officer Kevin O’Donovan

7. AMBITION OF THE CLUB Keep up with best practice
Increase Juvenile playing numbers
Give all players the opportunity to reach full potential
Reduce drop out
Pass to adult club a steady flow of high performing players
Develop (up skill) and become a team of coaches
To see a healthy successful Courceys in the long term
* Source: Courcey Rovers Coaching Plan

8. OBJECTIVES FOR PLAYERS
Players aged 6–11 Play to learn
Players aged 12–17 Learn to Compete
Players aged Compete to win
* Coach 10 – GAA Coaching model

9. STRUCTURE OF THE POLICY
THE POLICY CONSISTS OF THREE MAIN POINTS
THE NEXT SLIDES FOLLOW THE FOLLOWING FORMAT
FORMULATING EACH POINT
INTRODUCE THE POINT
CONSIDERATIONS

10. FORMULATING OUR POLICY
-POINT 1
What are the reasons for an underage player to join a GAA club?
What do players/parents of players expect when they join a GAA Club?
What are we as a club offering/promising them?

11. UNDERAGE PLAYERS POLICY
- POINT 1
All players who are registered with Courcey Rovers and who regularly attend training sessions are entitled to regular meaningful games (RMG)

12. CONSIDERATIONS This point is extremely hard to argue against
We recommend that coaches keep a log of attendance for all training sessions and matches

13. FORMULATING OUR POLICY
-POINT 2
What team/age group takes priority for a player playing for more than one team or age group?
How is this decided?
Who decides this?

14. UNDERAGE PLAYERS POLICY
-POINT 2
2. All players must train and play with their own age group first.

15. CONSIDERATIONS - POINT 2
Children want to play with their friends/peers/classmates
In the GAA players are grouped by the year of their birth
The majority of children will start school in the September of the year that they are going to be 5 – All of these children will be born in the same year
Some children will start school in the September of the year that they are 4 – These children will be born in a different year than the majority of their classmates

16. UNDERAGE PLAYERS POLICY
- POINT 2
2. All players must train and play with their own age group first.
- However, if the club coaching officer considers it more appropriate in developmental or player retention terms for a boy (6-12) to play with his primary school classmates in an older group, they may do so.
- Players in the above scenario can not revert to a younger age group for blitzes/matches unless the Coaching Development Group deems it beneficial for the player and teams/age groups involved.

17. FORMULATING THE POLICY
- POINT 3
What happens when players are required by an older group(s)?
Who decides what/when/who?

18. UNDERAGE PLAYERS POLICY
- POINT 3
If players are required by an older age group, the Club Coaching Development Group is first consulted and then the coach of the younger team is informed before any players are notified

19. CONSIDERATIONS
POINT 3
How do you satisfy the clubs ambition of being successful and developing all players?
How do you manage team selection/game time to achieve these goals

20. UNDERAGE PLAYERS POLICY
-POINT 3
3. If players are required by an older age group, the Club Coaching Development Group is first consulted and then the coach of the younger team is informed before any players are notified
3a. All players form Under 10 downwards, who regularly attend training, will be provided with Equal Game Time
3b. At U11 and U12 players who attend training regularly will be provided with meaningful game time,
3c. At U14, U16 and U18, a principle of playing players on the age where possible will be established, with due consideration given to the varying importance between league and championship games.

21. DEALING WITH ISSUES
As issues may arise during the course of a playing season, the first point of contact for the resolution of such issues is the Coaching Development Group.

22. UNDERAGE PLAYERS POLICY
All players who are registered with Courcey Rovers and regularly attend training sessions are entitled to regular, meaningful games.
All players must train and play with their own age group first.
- However, if the club Coaching Development Group considers it more appropriate in developmental or player retention terms for a boy (6-12) to play with his primary school classmates in an older group, they may do so.
- Players in the above scenario can not revert to a younger age group for blitzes/matches unless the coaching officer deems it beneficial for the player and teams/age groups involved.
3. If players are required by an older age group, the coaching Development Group is first consulted and then the coach of the younger team is informed before any players are notified.
3a. All players form Under 10 downwards, who regularly attend training, will be provided with Equal Game Time
3b. At U11 and U12 players who attend training regularly will be provided with meaningful game time,
3c. At U14, U16 and U18, a principle of playing players on the age where possible will be established, with due consideration given to the varying importance between league and championship games.