Playing under 8

fitzcoff

My little fella, 7 this year has now started his third year of GAA training and so far he has had no match.

There was a blitz arranged in the area but the club was not able to field a team - 7 players .

I'm just wondering should I look at the possibility of transferring him to another club as he loves playing but I can't see how the club will have teams at underage levels as he is growing.

Does anyone know can I transfer him to another club, ie in a different parish.

Also I would be interested to know if it is the norm not to have matches at this level.

Thanks

Hammer Archer

Does he play hurling or football? Is it in Waterford you're based? If it's football in Waterford, then maybe a lack of players wouldn't be uncommon. I wouldn't think it would be the case for hurling. There's plenty of regulars on here from Waterford that could probably assist you.
Three years seems a very long time to not play a game. I could be wrong, but non competitive Go-Games would often be played around those ages. You could contact the coaches to see if there are any games coming up. If there doesn't seem to be any in sight, then you could look into transferring to another club. I don't feel there's much point in a young lad committing to training, even a 7 year old, if he's not going to get the experience/fun of playing games.

quintain

My tuppence worth if its any good to you ....
- Ridiculous of a club to train kids (even this young) and not organise matches
- Surely they could pick up a phone to a couple of other clubs and organise a blitz for the little fellas
- If the blitz you couldn't field in was run by the GAA a phone call to say you only had 7 and you would have been allowed enter at this age?
- he's not committed to any club until he has played under 12
- if you do leave they will only have 6 on the team
- it's your child you need to do what's best for him
- a crowd follows a crowd, if everybody goes to the big club there will be no competition
- I guarantee you, if you do move club, you will replace one set of problems with a different set
- as above its our child, you need to do what's best for him

Orizio

fitzcoff wrote: »

My little fella, 7 this year has now started his third year of GAA training and so far he has had no match.

There was a blitz arranged in the area but the club was not able to field a team - 7 players .

I'm just wondering should I look at the possibility of transferring him to another club as he loves playing but I can't see how the club will have teams at underage levels as he is growing.

Does anyone know can I transfer him to another club, ie in a different parish.

Also I would be interested to know if it is the norm not to have matches at this level.

Thanks

Depends entirely on the club, what the situation there is, what the numbers are like etc. But it isn't normal for a well run club, no. U-8s play games all the time, certainly my nieces and nephews did at that age, one every fortnight.

I'd move him, preferably to somewhere where he has a few friends.

Hesh's Umpire

quintain wrote: »

- he's not committed to any club until he has played under 12

Are you sure of that? My understanding is that as soon as a child registers with a club at whatever age he's starting out, that it's that club's duty to register him with Croke Park as a youth member of their club and that to join another club a transfer would be required, no matter how young.

fitzcoff

Thanks for the replies,

In relation to the blitz, we only needed to send 7 players to play but there was only 4 players (parents) willing/able to travel. The club would have around 20 players at training every week.

The training is hurling one weeek and football the next.

The coaches seem to me to be trying their best but there is only so much they can do, I feel that they don't have any support from the club.

I did speak to one of the coaches last week and said that I was concerned that there was no matches and I was told that they will try to arrange a match or two over the summer.

My guy is 8 in November and I feel that if the club is unable to get 7 players now will there be a team for him in under9/10 etc.

paulski999

Hi fitzcoff,

The GAA rules on Go Games have changed this year -> http://www.gaa.ie/gogames/ so U7 should be playing small sided games, depends on what county board organise for this age group (was U8, U10 & U12) now U7, U9 & U11...

What was done here in Meath before was each Sat over summer there would be a Football Blitz, following Sat a Hurling Blitz and 3rd week back "training". Now new rules have messed that up in that they now have to run blitzes for U7, U9 & U11's as well, so there will be blitzes every week, alternating between age groups, i.e. U7, U9 & U11 one week, U8 & U10's the next etc etc.

What I would say to you, is join up with the coaches (it's a bit of craic) you will get as much out of it as your lad. You'll get a lot outa of it.

As far as transferring goes, as Nigel Owens says 'This is not Soccer'

County Boards have their own rules on transferring, I would say the window is closed for this season.

I assume he is still in Club Nursery (4-7 year olds)?

So I would talk to coaches, join up, and organise small 7-a-side games at the blitzes the "older" kids are going to??

fitzcoff

Just to update on this, after a lot of talk and phone calls and questioning we have decided to leave him in the club for another year and see what happens.

My husband has done the GAA coaching course and does help out with the training but due to work this year, he's not able to make all the training sessions.

I spoke to people in the club and in the club I was thinking of transferring him to, the general opinion was that I needed to do what I felt was right for my child.

I met with the coaches and told them of my concerns over the lack of matches and I've been told that they have been talking to 2 other clubs and once the evenings get longer/weather improves then there will be matches home and away with these clubs in both hurling and football.

I've been ensured that there is enough kids for a team at under 7/8/9 level. Supposedly some kids have not returned to training yet this year.

My plan is now to stick with things, wait and see if the matches go ahead. Our AGM is normally in Novemeber so if nothing is happening by then I'll go to that, say my piece and move the kids to another club.

Thanks to all that replied