All clubs must share the cost of coaching says GAA chairman
Westmeath GAA chairman Frank Mescall touched on the cost of schools coaching in the county during his address to club delegates at the County Convention in the Mullingar Park Hotel earlier this month.
The chairman warned that the honeymoon is over for clubs and schools as regards the cost of coaching programmes. He said that clubs and schools have been “blessed and spoiled” since the pre-Covid world of 2019 with no contributions expected for coaching. “That will change in 2025,” he said, underlining a restructuring of coaching programmes that has put Westmeath “in the strongest position, coaching-wise” it has ever been in.
“Schools and clubs will be asked to contribute. We have some clubs paying €10,000 for coaching. We won’t be asking everyone for €10,000 but we will be asking for a contribution towards coaching. I think that is only fair.
“There was never an objection from the schools. One or two clubs did object to it, years and years ago, but in a matter of years there has been no objection to that contribution.”
Mr Mescall also paid tribute to all of the work that has been done with regard to recruitment of referees, particularly at underage level, where Peter Collins and his minor board colleagues “made national headlines” in this and other features of the administration of underage competitions.
Later, under the AOB heading, it was noted that Peter will be stepping down as minor board secretary after “two massive years” in the job. “Hopefully, when the kids have grown a bit, Peter will come back to us,” Frank added.
After years of stasis, Westmeath GAA has made up huge ground in recruiting new referees, to the point that only seven out of the 47 clubs in the county have not provided at least one match official. While that number is small, Frank says it is still not fair on clubs who have provided referees.
“Last year, I promised you that clubs who do not have a referee will be sanctioned in 2025, and I intend to live by that one,” he added. “What the sanctions are haven’t been decided yet but clubs have until January 31, and when they are sending in their club officers, there is a section for club referees. Please have one, two or three names on that.”
That is also “D-Day” for transfers, Frank reminded clubs. “You have about six or seven weeks, and if someone is coming to you, you have to get their paperwork in order.”
With regard to club championship structures and planning, the chairman acknowledged the decline in gate receipts but that planners have to think, first and foremost, about the need for “meaningful games” when structuring competitions.
Frank paid tribute to his fellow officials, particularly Westmeath GAA head of operations Patrick Doherty, administrator Emma McCabe Byrne, PRO Marie Lynagh, the CCC and assistant secretary Keith Quinn. He said that Marie’s role as PRO was now morphing into that of a communications officer, in charge of a team of four or five people that has revolutionised the way Westmeath GAA communicates with supporters and the media across multiple platforms.