No support for Ballyea’s amalgamation proposal

A PROPOSAL from Ballyea asking that where “two or more separately affiliated clubs amalgamate in any age group, they must play in the A grade of that age group” failed to win the support of the delegates at last week’s Bord na nÓg Iomaint convention.
Proposing the motion, PJ Deasy told the meeting that this was the position “but it has slipped over the years”.
Opposing the proposal, Ruan’s Flan Lyons said “There are plenty of examples of clubs who are weak and even if they join, they are not able to compete at A level. We have a system where the status of each team is decided.”
Feakle’s Mike Daly also opposed the proposal and said, “It’s ironic that Ballyea have this motion given that 36 players were transferred into them last year. In parts of East Clare, three and four clubs have to amalgamate to field a team,” he said.
Outgoing secretary, Rosaleen Monahan also opposed the motion and pointed out, “The grading committee goes through all the clubs and this system has worked well. There are a lot of struggling clubs in the county.”
The motion failed to find a seconder.
A call from O’Callaghan’s Mills for clubs to submit a listing of members of each underage panel in advance to the competitions grading committee to be considered as part of the gradings process, was also lost.
Speaking against the proposal, Feakle’s Mike Daly pointed out, “There is a good chance the gradings will be done before we know the numbers for some competitions”.

Help needed

The running of the competitions proposed by the board is a huge task for the officers and should be shared by the delegates, Ruan’s Flan Lyons told last week’s re-convened annual convention of the county underage board, when he proposed that the board establish a games administration committee to run all hurling competitions organised by Bord na nÓg Iomaint.
Supporting the idea, outgoing chairman Sean O’Halloran stressed, “This committee will have to work very closely with the secretary”.
The proposer said, “At the first meeting names of those prepared to assist, the officers should be sought”.
A call from Ruan to set up a hurling development committee that will oversee the development of underage hurling in the county was withdrawn after county secretary, Pat Fitzgerald pointed out the development squad structure presently in place is operating under the umbrella of the coaching and games committee.
Outgoing chairman, Sean O’Halloran pointed out, “It’s been 14 or 15 months since we set up the development squad committee and they have given a commitment for another 12 months. There is always room for additional people who have the same type of vision. The squads are under the auspices of the coaching and games committee and the county board have supported the scheme 100%. We are obliged to continue under the same guidelines.”
Outgoing treasurer, Gerry Lynch was of the view that “if we go at this now, the committee that is in place might walk away”.

Players’ welfare

A motion from Sixmilebridge asking that the welfare of players participating in county panels be monitored was carried.
Putting the proposal, Adrian Hogan said, “Everybody is trying to draw on some players, colleges, clubs and county managements and there is even greater demand on dual players”.
According to the motion, “We should, as an organisation, aim to work with our talented young players to achieve the fine balance between keeping them keen through harnessing their enthusiasm and talents but not to the point of risking burnout or over familiarity.
“It is possible that with such high levels of fitness required these days that young players can be over worked between county, club and school commitments. This can be compounded when a player is dual or also involved in other sporting disciplines.”
Calling for an individual/body to be put in place with the responsibility of monitoring the welfare of players, the Sixmilebridge motion said, “It is a very important function that should be considered if we as a county are to foster our talented young players for battles on the senior stage in the future”.