gaa membership

facebeard

Similar to OP, when under-8 membership was about €40 for a playing juvenile, Child is now U-11 and the Juvenile membership is €140, this outside of Dublin too. A non-playing adult would be about the same. Young lad didn't even get a bag of crisps at the end of the year.

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120606607#Comment_120606607

There's a few clubs down the country in or around big population centres that would have those kind of numbers.

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120606905#Comment_120606905

How does the fee compare with other sports and activities in the area?

BrianBoru00

Re insurance-

Essentially you cannot sue you're own club. As coaching is going to be more physically active than a parent then it makes sense.

I've no issue paying my own membership but I think you're point is a fair one.

As suggested above, as a member you are entitled to attend the AGM and bring forward a motion. e.g. A minimum fee for membership set at the equivalent of one full adult and one juvenile member.

or Introduce a "Underage coach" membership role where if someone has completed Foundation Training and helped with 20 sessions throughout the previous year they can avail of that.

Stationmaster

Very simple in our club - if you have any involvement in the club you must be a member and everyone pays membership fees from the top down. I coach a bit with the hurlers and camogie players and as they're separate clubs then their is separate membership. The kids do plenty of other activities and the membership fees work out as great value when you compare a lot of the other activities are 'pay as you go' and are usually €8 to €10 per session. I don't mind the membership fees as the club is well run ad the kids love it.

Someone mentioned funding from Croke Park - clubs get hardly any actual funding from Croke Park.

luasaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058296650/gaa-membership

A few things:

1. The club is a group of people, including you. Just attend the next AGM, propose a change, have a seconder arranged, and have it put to a vote.
2. The situation in our club is the same - though we're a small rural club and our membership charges are much lower. All our volunteers, whether they are players, mentors, committee members, helping with the lotto, or cutting grass, or whatever - pay for the privilege! I'm the registrar and I do feel bad nagging them - but them's the rules that they decided on at AGMs and if they want to change them then they can propose a motion at the next AGM. Most of the people at the AGM would be those very people anyway 'cos 'tis hard to attend an AGM without coming home with a job for the year!
3. Most clubs would have arrangements for cases where there's financial difficulty, and would take somebody at their word without question. In our club, another club member would sponsor the cost of membership, with anonymity in both directions and no record kept (OK I know who's who, but I forget). Other clubs would have other arrangements. I'm not saying this is your case, but it's important that this is known since this is being discussed publicly.

I know volunteering is a load of work, and its frustrating to seem like its not appreciated. But I think the way to look at it is that you're doing a good thing for your community, and that in itself is a reward that is great for your self-esteem and mental health and all that stuff. That said, there are times to step away too - sometimes it's just too much and you might have too much on - family is first. From my own experience, I'd say pretty soon your son might do better to have you on the sideline like another parent supporting him, rather than being a coach on his team. (you could be a coach on another team or volunteer to do something else in the club - no shortage of work to be done).

Main thing: thanks for what you do.

Kevhog1988

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121924432#Comment_121924432

he cant vote at the agm... hes not a member...

luasaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121924935#Comment_121924935

Oh of course yes, and can't propose a motion either. Then can hardly expect to engage in the democratic process to change things. But I suppose the options are to register one year, and propose the motion at the following AGM that people like him can register in future years for a nominal cost (of say €5). I don't think such a motion would pass in our club, but I'm sure there are some clubs that take that approach.

obi604

not related to gaa membership :)

heard a coach from another team say the following at the weekend to one of his players "never hit the ball back where it came from!!"

got me thinking, what is the reasoning behind this? (as in the person who hit it, beat your player so don't put it back there again)

piplip87

Absolutely shocking some of the numbers thrown around for GAA club memberships. It's starting to go like rugby to keep the lads from the council estates out.

I wonder how many of these clubs charging ridiculous amounts of money are also paying a lad ridiculous "travel expenses" to train the senior teams.

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122274994#Comment_122274994

Because if you hit it back where it came from, it's likely there is opposition cover there so you'd want to avoid them

crusd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120603364#Comment_120603364

My reward as a coach is seeing a player who 3 weeks ago couldn't rise the ball, now smile proudly when they show me how they can now do it. That alone is worth the 60 euro non playing member fee I pay.

crusd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122275050#Comment_122275050

Its almost like runing clubs costs money eh?

piplip87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122278091#Comment_122278091

Absolutely but I remember a similar discussion on Reddit about GAA club member fees and it's was absolutely crazy the money some clubs are expecting for kids to play our national games.

The major worry I would have about this is that there should be no cost barrier for any child wishing to play our national sports.

I know back when my young fella started it was 30 quid to play and a few quid of each one went into a fund to cover the cost for those who couldn't pay it.

We do not want to end up like the Rugby Crowd as the GAA is not and should never be an elitest organisation

Stationmaster

Most clubs these days are providing facilities and coaching for kids from the age of 4/5 years old and up - if you break it down per session (which is what you pay for most other kids activities) it's still working out great value. Imo of course…..

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122281955#Comment_122281955

My local GAA kids membership is €20 for the season.

Rugby Club €80

Soccer Club €40 + 2 lotto envelopes per week so €4 per week on top.

obi604

another random question. I have a girl doing under 9 camogie. They play go games against other clubs and I taught her to take 4 steps, tap sliotar off hurl and then 4 steps and then strike - just to get away from others etc

It’s not a solo, just a tap off the hurl for a split second.

Is this tap on the hurl allowed at this age?

Deskjockey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122289027#Comment_122289027

Yes

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122290809#Comment_122290809

fair enough, I heard some coaches telling her not to do it………but its specifically not solo-ing.

They should be encouraging this type of play……….way too many times I see the girls get the ball in their hand and just freeze, no steps out of trouble, not tap on hurl etc

crusd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122297538#Comment_122297538

It's the biggest challenge. Nearly every drill we do with them in Football and Camogie is take four steps, regardless of what we want them to actually learn in the drill.

Rise the ball - take 4 steps, take the handpass, take 4 steps etc.

The hardest are those who will actually take a step backwards after catching the ball

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122297865#Comment_122297865

yeah, which is why I was a bit perplexed when I heard the coaches telling her not to do it. ………….she is doing something good, let her bloody do it

Stationmaster

Is it not fouling the ball though I thought if the ball isn't released fully from the hand?

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122306895#Comment_122306895

she is completely releasing the ball. she taps it off the hurl and then back to hand again and its a complete release