The #GAAyouth Forum took place

on Saturday 29th October in

Croke Park. 200 young players

(aged 12 - 21 years old) from 29

Counties were present on the day.

As part of the Forum young players

received an opportunity to participate in a

range of activities including:

Exhibition Zone: Interactive demos about

everything from preparing healthy lunches

to hurley care and repair!

Respect & Sportsmanship: David Gough

(Senior Inter-County Referee) did an

interactive session about the importance of

respectful communication both on and off

the pitch. Delegates got an opportunity to

see a game through the eyes of a Referee

with the help of recorded video clips

between Referees and Players!

GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT: Alan

O’Mara (Founder of RealTalks) and Rory

O’Connor (Rory’s Stories) teamed up to

deliver a highly engaging and entertaining

workshop about the challenges facing

young players as they try to juggle study,

sport and multiple team managers! Some

great tips and advice were delivered by the

experts.

FREE-TAKING MASTER CLASS: A real

highlight of the day was the free-taking

master class which took place on the
pitch. Damian Lawlor acted as MC as he
interviewed Cora Staunton, Diarmuid
Murtagh, Kate Kelly and Conor Cooney
about their free-taking techniques. The
Inter-County players also chatted about
their experiences and gave an insight into
the worst and best frees of their playing
careers.
UNDERSTANDING ADDICTION: Justin
Campbell (Addiction Counsellor and former
Galway hurler) joined forces with Oisín
McConville (Addiction Counsellor and All-
Ireland Club and Inter-County winner) to
help the young players to understand the
signs, symptoms and impact of addiction
with a particular focus on Gambling.
INJURY PREVENTION & RECOVERY: Julie
Davis (Chartered Physiotherapist and High
Performance Manager with Armagh GAA)
led a practical session showcasing exercises
to help injury prevention and recovery in
the Hogan Dressing Rooms.
Q&A: At the end of the day all of the
speakers gathered to answer the young
players’ questions on a number of topics.
Players left the Forum having learned
invaluable tips and tools that will help them
to develop as a player and as a person.
The Youth Committee is now looking for 4
attendees at the Forum to become Youth Reps for 2017. 

The role of the Youth Reps is
to act and speak on behalf of young players
in the Association. In this role they are
expected to meet around 6 times annually.
Their responsibilities include delivering
a report on the #GAAyouth Forum at
GAA Congress, setting the agenda for
the annual #GAAyouth Forum in 2017
and selecting two projects to work on
throughout the year.
How to Apply to become a GAA Youth
Rep
If you are 16 to 21 years old and want to
become a GAA Youth Rep please prepare
and submit a short 3 minute presentation
or video explaining: a) what the GAA means to you;
b) why you should be chose to
represent the delegates of the 2016
#GAAyouth Forum.
Please email your submission along
with details of your name, age, club
and county to Caoimhe by Friday 18th
November [caoimhe.nineill@gaa.ie]
IF YOUR CLUB WOULD LIKE FURTHER
INFORMATION ON ORGANISING
YOUTH ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
AT CLUB LEVEL PLEASE CONTACT
CAOIMHE -
caoimhe.nineill@gaa.ie
(01 865 8622)