The Ladies Gaelic Football Association has confirmed a list of 13 ambassadors who will assist in the delivery of the 2022 ZuCar Gaelic4Teens programme.
The group is made up of past and present inter-county stars, with new ambassadors Cathy Carey (Antrim) and Samantha Lambert (Tipperary) revealed today.
Carey was recently appointed as Antrim Senior team captain for the 2022 season, while Lambert, who has retired from inter-county football, captained Tipperary to TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate titles in 2017 and 2019.
They will join eleven returning ambassadors for the programme which gets underway today, Monday, January 24, with an induction evening.
This will be followed by the first coaches session on Monday, February 14, and the programme continues through to the National ZuCar Gaelic4Teens Festival Day, which is scheduled for Saturday, April 30.
The returning ambassadors are Fiona McHale (Mayo), Jackie Kinch (Wicklow), Laura Fleming (Roscommon), Cliodhna O’Connor (Dublin), Bronagh McGrane (Louth), Cassandra Buckley (Kerry), Orlagh Farmer (Cork), Emily Martin (Down), Máire O Shaughnessy (Meath), Sharon Courtney (Monaghan) and Sinead Delahunty (Tipperary).
Representatives from the 30 participating clubs will attend six sessions delivered by the ZuCar Gaelic4Teens ambassadors, and engage with self-led modules between the various dates.
The clubs will also receive a visit from a ZuCar Gaelic4Teens ambassador or a county player to conduct a coaching session and witness theory in action.
Following a hugely successful pilot in 2017, Gaelic4Teens has grown considerably to over double in size, and this programme will help clubs to retain their current playing bases while also recruiting players in the 13-17 age bracket, which has been identified as a group with a high drop-out rate.
The programme will work closely with coaches, influencing the content of their coaching sessions as well as establishing the best ways for coaches to communicate and engage with their players. In addition, the programme will examine the coaching environment required to ensure the long term development of players is being facilitated in the club.
The programme will be monitored and evaluated to ensure that it achieves the aim of having a direct impact on the retention of players.
The research that prompted the development of the Gaelic4Teens programme revealed that players play for enjoyment, to improve and get better, to keep fit and healthy, to relieve stress and because their friends also play.
The reasons highlighted for giving up the sport are that they don’t get enough playing time, there is no fun at training, that it is too competitive and that they are treated differently.
“These players are fountains of knowledge for the participating clubs and can impart so much invaluable knowledge and expertise,” said LGFA President Micheál Naughton.
“The presence of ZuCar, the LGFA’s Official Performance Partner, as sponsors of Gaelic4Teens will also help to ensure that the programme elevates to a new level, and we thank them for their support.”
“The list of ambassadors is a wonderful mix of both past and present Ladies Football stars,” added Gavin Hydes, Group CEO of ZuCar.
“Each of the ambassadors has a unique story to tell and these experiences will help to develop the skill-sets of coaches and, in turn, increase the retention rate of teenage girls in the sport.”
“The participating clubs can look forward to wonderful engagement with the ambassadors, who can impart vast levels of expertise. At ZuCar, we look forward to following the journeys of the clubs and ambassadors involved in the programme.”
