Fermanagh GAA pilot seven-a-side U16 competition

By Cian O’Connell

Providing game opportunities to develop club footballers was one of the chief reasons Fermanagh GAA piloted an U16 seven-a-side competition in March.

Fifteen clubs participated in the tournament which had modified playing rules staged at the Bawnacre Centre.

Teresa McNabb, Fermanagh GAA’s Head of Games, was delighted with the collaboration between coaches, clubs, and the County Board. “We've been looking at different ways of doing things,” she explains.

“Some clubs in Fermanagh struggle for numbers, fielding at 15-a-side and the demographics coming down the line. This is a conversation we had last year and at the start of this year, with our CCC about how we can provide more games and opportunities for clubs to participate in.

“So, on the hurling front we do small-sided games, and it isn't a massive stretch to go on the football side is there other ways to provide opportunities for players? As clubs would struggle with numbers, starting leagues and championships, clubs wouldn't be able to field without county players.

“We looked at an early pre-season competition when our county minors were out, to try to get clubs game time. The CCC, with our secretary Phil Flanagan, in fairness, organised it and put it to clubs so it was seen as official coming from the county CCC. That also helped the buy-in from clubs.”

The idea was to afford club players matches over an eight week stint on Thursday evenings. “It went out as a seven-a-side competition for non-county or academy players,” McNabb adds. “Anybody who wasn't getting football at that time. It was kept to a two-year cohort, a 16-year-old and a 15-year-old.

“Anybody who was over the age of U14 was fit to play, it meant our games could continue and it wasn't going to impact on any county minor, Celtic Challenge or schools players, who were involved in MacRory or schools activity.

“There was good interest and buy-in, we'd 15 clubs out of 20 participating.”

McNabb acknowledges the challenges that rural clubs face. “The picture of the Brookeborough team is a club that would struggle for numbers,” McNabb responds.

“That is the first time that group of players ever put on their jersey, playing together as a team. Underage, those players, they'd always have been amalgamated with a St Mary's or a Young Maguires, two neighbouring clubs. For those players to put on a club jersey, representing their club was massive for them.

“Again, in each year group, they might only have three players. They're a rural club and struggling for numbers. So, that identity piece is massive. It is something we talk about all the time, how do clubs keep their identity, but still be able to get meaningful game opportunities?

"It is a challenge all the time to provide more competitive and meaningful games for clubs, who're struggling with numbers. The majority of clubs bought into it and were positive about it."

Fermanagh GAA hope to assist clubs in any way possible. “For long term participation, we do think it is massive going forward, that we need to find adapted games or other games opportunities for clubs, who're potentially struggling for numbers,” she says.

“Even, for participation, for players getting games, and increasing their confidence, developing their skills. The seven-a-side stuff is fantastic as a game around more touches, more decision making, being involved in the game, potentially a greater effort from the players because they're more involved in it.

“The discussions we've been having, that are ongoing, about how you'd create different opportunities for players, it is something we will try to develop more. It is something we'd like to see on the menu of games, going forward.

“Our 15-a-side traditional game will still be there and be important, but there also needs to be a space for adapted or small sided games, for clubs and players.”

Will Fermanagh GAA look to use this type of a model at other age grades in the future? “We've had discussions looking at providing a similar offering to U18s and U14s,” McNabb says.

“The U18 piece, we feel that players at the age, they tend to get less games. You're going here is somewhere where we can put games. At U14, when they're coming out of Go Games, the research would show there is a lot of numbers there and when you go into competitive games, there is drop out and numbers deteriorate, you lose players because they're not getting game time.

“It is important to have that bridge between Go Games and U14s too. Our challenges are facilities and being able to provide all we'd like to provide and the calendar of fixtures, we'd need to find windows to put these opportunities on.”

Practically how did the competition work? “We block booked a 4G facility for two hours in the Bawnacre Centre, they have three pitches width ways with roll out Gaelic goals, the goals roll out from the wall,” McNabb remarks.

“Three games went on for the first hour and three games in the second hour. So, you'd 12 teams playing over a night. They'd eight weeks of that with different teams out different nights.

“The games were refereed by official referees. All those things, the CCC putting it out in an organised format, the structure, having official referees, and the facilities, it all added to the experience.”

Overall, the reaction was positive from the participants. “Different clubs took different approaches,” McNabb says. “Some clubs used it to get more players game time, developing players. Some of the larger clubs used the opportunity to rotate players, they'd have different teams. It has been positive.

“We've tweaks to do as we go forward. We're getting feedback from clubs. The CCC has put out a survey about youth games, what they are happy with, and what will need change. So, changes and tweaks are needed.

“Generally, the players were positive about it, parents, too, and the clubs. With the adapted games, going forward, it will take a bit of time to get a shift in mindset, going we don't always have to play a 15-a-side game.

“Smaller games can have even bigger benefits for players looking at demographics down the line, and the challenges we're going to be faced with.”