Off the Booze and On the Ball

Off the Booze & On the Ball provincial club winners announced

Representatives of the four provincial winning clubs of the GAA’s inaugural Off the Booze & On the Ball were in Croke Park on March 21 for a special photo-shoot and to receive details of their prizes – a training session with a high performance coach or a sports nutritionist.

Ard Stúirthóir, Páraic Duffy, and Minster Roisin Shorthall were both on-hand to offer their congratulations to the winning clubs and both commended the enthusiasm with which the clubs engaged with the initiative.

The provincial winners were:

• Currin, Monaghan
• Erin’s Isle, Dublin
• Midleton, Cork
• Kinvara, Galway

The challenge was designed to help GAA members’ kick-start their New Year on a healthy footing while raising sponsorship for their clubs at the same time. Over 250 clubs registered at www.gaa.ie/asap receiving an extensive information pack with advice on sensible drinking, recommended weekly activity levels and a healthy diet, plus a sponsorship card for all participants who opted to abstain from alcohol for the month.

The Currin club’s 15 participants raised a total of €2,057.50 and used it to buy training gear including new footballs, training bids, water bottles, tackle bags and more. In the Kinvara Club, the U16 hurlers took the lead from their seniors who took up the ‘Pint Sized Challenge’ and decided to go ‘Off the Fizz and On the Ball’ by giving up fizzy drinks for the month. Their panel of 19 members alone raised €802.

Colin Regan, National Coordinator of the ASAP programme, said: “Our aim with ‘Off the Booze and On the Ball’ was to enhance the health promotion our clubs already engage in week in week out while putting out a subtle message about the importance of looking at our alcohol intake as part of a holistic approach to health and well-being. The success of this inaugural campaign was largely due to the work of our 32 County ASAP Officers, the willingness of County Boards to promote it, and the enthusiasm with which clubs embraced it. We hope it will become a part of the annual GAA calendar.”
If you would like more information on Off the Booze & On the Ball or your club would like to take up the challenge please fill out the registration form below.

Photo caption: Representatives of the four provincial club winners attend the prize-giving in Croke Park with Páraic Duffy, Ard Stúirthóir Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, and Minster Roisin Shorthall. From left are: Pearse McCarthy (Midleton), Niall Crossan (Erin’s Isle), Dara Smith (Kinvara), and Ben Clerkin, (Currin), with special guest, Mayo footballer Conor Mortimer (seated).