'Gaelic Time' initiative to help primary school teachers deliver coaching and games
In attendance at the launch of Gaelic Time are, backrow from left, Michael Martin, GAA Central Council, National Secretary and Iar-Uachtarán Camogie Hilda Breslin, GAA director of games development Shane Flanagan, GAA Handball Chief Executive Lizzy Lynch, LGFA Chief Executive Lyn Savage, Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Jarlath Burns, GAA Rounders President Paula Doherty, GAA Handball President Kevin Cooke, Camogie Association chief executive officer Karen Dessain-Gelinet and Dr Richard Bowles, Mary Immaculate College, alongside children from left, Lily Walsh, 10, Pat McGrath, 8, Ellen McGrath 10 and Jean McGrath, 8, at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile.
By John Harrington
Gaelic Time, a new initiative available to primary schools designed to support teachers by providing ready-to-use, fun and inclusive lesson plans, activity ideas and demonstration videos, will revolutionise how young children are introduced to Gaelic games.
Developed in collaboration with wellbeing curriculum experts, school principals and teachers, the programme is fully aligned with the Primary School Wellbeing Curriculum.
Gaelic Time features ten engaging programmes that introduce children to our national games and support their wider personal development through initiatives such as Playground Leaders and Réiteoir Óg, helping to build leadership, confidence, teamwork and communication skills.
“For us, Gaelic Time is really, really important,” says the GAA’s Director of Coaching and Games Development, Shane Flanagan.
“We recently did a study around coaching Gaelic games in primary schools where we engaged with primary school teachers
"The vast, vast majority are female and they highlighted the need for practical resources to help them coach Gaelic games which was a catalyst for Gaelic Time.
“A big part of Aontas, our current GAA strategy plan, is to promote self-sufficiency and sustainability and we feel that this programme allows us to achieve that in so far as it provides training and support to teachers so they can deliver coaching themselves.
“It really is a one-stop shop in terms of helping teachers know what they should be doing with their class. We're lucky with the happy coincidence that the new Wellbeing in Primary School curriculum is just coming out as well and we've done terrific work in terms of aligning Gaelic Time to it.
“We feel that from a teacher's perspective it will help with delivery of the curriculum and from our perspective we hope that it will help us further embed our footprint within the primary schools.
“We have games that we need to improve our penetration and traction a bit in terms of GAA Rounders, GAA Handball and even hurling and camogie and we feel this is an opportunity to really embed those games in a meaningful way in schools where they are maybe not taking place at the moment.
“I think this is something that will be unrivalled in terms of what can be offered. And I think for an organisation like ourselves it really, really aligns with our values around community, leadership and teamwork as well. Gaelic Time is a huge step forward.”
Gaelic Time is a new initiative available to primary schools designed to support teachers by providing ready-to-use, fun and inclusive lesson plans, activity ideas and demonstration videos.
Mary Immaculate College lecturer, Dr. Richard Bowles, heads up the GAA’s Coach Development Advisory group and has helped develop coach-education initiatives such as the Leading Gaelic Games in Primary Schools and Communities certificate.
He had no doubt that Gaelic Time will be a fantastic resource for teachers and primary school children alike.
“The Gaelic Time resource is really well linked to the new Wellbeing curriculum that's being introduced in September and which will comprise PE and Social, Personal, and Health Education," said Bowles.
“For schools that are trying to make sure that their PE aligns with the Gaelic games content and vice versa, this Gaelic time resource will certainly help teachers to plan PE lessons that are very much in line with the new curriculum developments.
“The Gaelic Time resources are really practical. They outline session plans in a really simple way, the video content is of a really high quality, and the activities that are included in the resource will be a big support.
“As an online resource it's something that will probably evolve over the years and will become a really important resource bank for teachers in schools.”
With participation numbers in Gaelic games, particularly LGFA and camogie, exploding in recent years more and more coaching is required to service the demand that’s out there.
Gaelic Time will help provide that in a school setting by giving teachers the practical knowledge and easy to use resources they need to give children the opportunity to experience the enjoyment of Gaelic games.
“We have primary teachers who have experience in playing or coaching Gaelic games but then we have a lot of primary teachers who don't and Gaelic Time gives them a ready to use tool that's a bit of fun which gives boys and girls opportunity to experience Gaelic games in a fun way,” says LGFA CEO Lyn Savage.
“What's really nice about this programme is that it's not just about playing Gaelic games, there’s also a referee element and leadership element.
“Not every young kid in that classroom might play the games but they may get another thing that they like out of Gaelic games and I think that's really positive.”
In attendance at the launch of Gaelic Time is Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Jarlath Burns, alongside children from left, Pat McGrath, 8, Lily Walsh, 10, Ellen McGrath 10 and Jean McGrath 8, at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile.
GAA Handball has experienced a significant surge in playing numbers in recent years, particularly the one-wall version of the sport.
GAA Rounders President, Kevin Cooke, is hopeful that Gaelic Time will further accelerate that growth by introducing the game to primary school children who might otherwise not have gotten the opportunity to play it.
“It’s very positive for us because handball is a very simple game to play,” said Cooke.
“A ball and a wall is all you need and every school has a gable-end or a gym wall to play against.
“It's a great way for children to get to know the sport and it's a great sport for them to learn at a young age because it develops hand to eye coordination which can help them in every other sport they play
“Having handball on the school PE curriculum will have great benefits for both the pupils and also for the promotion of the sport itself.”
GAA Rounders President, Paula Doherty, hopes that Gaelic Time will help primary school children develop a life-long love for Gaelic games.
“From a GAA Rounders perspective what stands out is how accessible and inclusive Gaelic Time is,” said Doherty.
“Most importantly it's giving teachers practical, ready to use resources that make it easier for every child to get involved regardless of their experience.
“It's giving them access to every code, not just Rounders, but to all Gaelic codes, and it's providing great resources to teachers and pupils alike.
“For us it's not just about introducing skills, it's about building confidence, encouraging team-work, and getting children to build a life-time connection with the Gaelic games codes and, in our case, with GAA Rounders.
“These initiatives are so important because we want children to participate in Gaelic games whether they're in the classroom or the playground and that they enjoy Gaelic games and get that experience as early as possible and they develop that connection as they progress through primary school.”
Teachers can now access the Gaelic Time platform free of charge by following the steps below:
- Visit Gaelic Time
- Click “Register”
- Enter your email address
- Create a password
- Select your school
Once registered, you will have immediate access to the available Gaelic Time programmes and resources.