North East Inner City Sport & Wellbeing initiative proves hugely successful

North East Inner City Sport & Wellbeing initiative proves hugely successful

Background:                                                                                                                            

Under the North East Inner City Sport & Wellbeing Project, the LGFA/Dublin Ladies County Board, in conjunction with Dublin City Council, committed to developing a quality school club link programme that would: 

1. Promote teenage girls being active via Ladies Football in North East Inner City Dublin
2. Create a culture of Ladies Football in the proposed school(s)…a sense of pride!
3. Provide a fun four-week programme of Ladies Gaelic Football activities to attract new girls aged 13-15 from local post primary schools into the local club
4. Provide a fun blitz day whereby the girls can demonstrate skills learned in an safe and enjoyment environment
5. Provide Teachers and Coaches, with LGFA Coaching skills that will be transferable to many aspects of academic (PE Curriculum) and social situations both inside and outside the school i.e. local LGFA clubs

The programme engaged with the following key stakeholders:

• Dublin Ladies County Board
• Scoil Uí Chonaill Ladies Club
• Larkin College
• Mount Carmel Post Primary School

 

School coaching sessions:

Scoil Uí Chonaill GPO Thomas Gleeson attended Larkin College and Mount Carmel for four weeks, coaching the skills of the game through fun, varied games to 1^st and some 2^nd year students. As part of the programme, each school received an equipment pack with balls, bibs and cones and sample sessions to allow the teachers continue coaching in the school post programme.

Blitz:

A blitz was arranged 23^rd March with over 60 girls travelling to Scoil Uí Chonaill grounds. This was a huge opportunity for the club to showcase its grounds, coaches and activity. The girls were not disappointed and played a variety of fun games for 2 hours. Coaches involved with some of the Ladies teams got to meet and coach the girls. Healthy were provided for the girls and each girl received a goody pack to take home.

 

Benefits of the Programme/What they said:

Participants: Opportunity to be active, make new friends and learn Ladies Gaelic football. ‘I never played ladies football before but I enjoy playing with my friends, it was challenging but fun. My favourite skill is the solo’.

School: Promoting girls’ activity in schools and creating a school-club link enabling girls to continue sport outside of school. ‘It is a fantastic programme which allows girls have access to great coaching and learn new skills. As a teacher I learned a lot from the coaching and would be more confident in trying to continue Ladies football as part of my PE. The programme is great as it creates a link to the club where girls prior to the programme did not know where or who was involved in the club. Girls now know where the club is, times of training and familiar with the coaches eliminating barriers to activity’.

Club: Creating an awareness of their club and activity to new people within the community. ‘It was great to see the interest and skills grow in the weekly coaching sessions. The blitz was fantastic with over 60 girls experiencing Ladies football, majority for the first time’.

Dublin City Council: ‘Any opportunity we can provide Girls active and through sport is great. Both schools and Scoil Uí Chonaill were fantastic to work with and showcased what can be done to create and sustain a school-club link. Special note has to be given to Thomas GPO who was organised, enthusiastic and provided great coaching, and the teachers who encouraged the girls to have a go and create positive awareness within the school’

ends