Gaelic Football for Kids

A Minor Board was first formed in 1985 in an effort to promote Gaelic Games with youth in Toronto. 1986 was a banner year with four minor teams competing. All of the participants were Canadian born and showed great enthusiasm for Gaelic football until the board stopped in 1994. Paul Loughnane, whose father Kevin played on the 1975 NACB Hurling Championship team, learned to play football in underage clinics run by the Toronto GAA and moved on to play minor and senior football for St. Mikes. So far, he has won a minor championship and eight senior championships in Toronto. Paul also played in Ireland for 3 years with Castlehaven in West Cork and was the right half back in the county final for the club which they won in 2003. He returned to Canada in 2004 and won Footballer of the Year in Toronto.

Paul has been very active in the coaching and development of the underage and schools programme in Toronto and became President of the Toronto GAA in 2005. Active in a variety of sports throughout his life, Paul also plays Aussie Rules football and played for Team Canada at the International Cup in Melbourne. He was honoured at his selection to the All-World team at that tournament.

Youth programmes for the GAA in 2006 occurred every Sunday morning at Centennial Park starting at 11:00 with boys and girls participating in age from 4 to 16. Through May and June, students in high schools and elementary schools are given instruction during phys ed. classes and given the opportunity to represent their school at tournaments run by the Toronto GAA. In late May, the high school tournament was held at Centennial Park. Bishop Allan Academy was once again crowned champions in the boys division and Philip Pocock was crowned champions in the girls division. Former St. Pat’s player Pat Grant, now teaching at Bishop Allen, ran training seasons after school and coached the team. The girls coach at Philip Pocock, Adriana Fennelli has been involved with the program for the past few years and is now playing in the league with Durham.

The elementary school tournament was held at L’Amoreaux Park in Scarborough for the East End Schools and in Centennial Park for the West End schools. In the East End, St. Joachim emerged victorious in the junior and senior boys division while St. Malachy was crowned champions in the girls division. Coaching the St. Joachim teams was Katya Gauci and no doubt she got some pointers from watching St. Mikes and her husband Pat Leahy. The team from St. Malachy was coached by former Clan na nGael player John Cawley. St. John Vianney continued their dominance in the West End by winning both the boys and girls division. They beat a young squad from Regina Mundi in both finals. Many of the participating students express interest in wanting to play in the Toronto GAA.

There have also been very successful youth programs developing in the Durham and Brampton regions, so parents looking for an affordable activity that will keep their child active, can find it due to the commitment of GAA supporters in these communities.

Since 2004 in Ottawa, Dublin’s Jarlath Connaughton has served on the Steering Committee of the Continental Youth Championships (CYC) where the Ottawa Gaels have had representative teams compete in the championships in New York ’04 (U-16), San Francisco ‘05 and Boston ‘06.

Robbie Chaisson, who served as a Development Officer on the 2001 Toronto GAA Board and was an enthusiastic Gaelic Footballer and teacher, introduced the games into his school and eventually to his Director of Physical Education - Bob Thomas. Thanks to Bob Thomas and the supporting efforts of Jarlath Connaughton, Joe Diffey, Noel McGinnity, Mark Lannin and Dermot Guinnane, Gaelic Football is now part of the Physical Education curriculum in the Ottawa-Carleton Catholic School Board.

Five ready to go kits are available for schools to borrow when a teacher wishes to teach the game to students. In these kit bags are a number of footballs, video, pinnies, cones and an easy to use manual for the coach/teacher. More than two thousand children each year enjoy the sport in their schools!

In October 2006, around 400 Ottawa area students aged 11-14 once again took part in the annual Gaelic Football Tournament where there were 14 participating schools. The Catholic School Board of Eastern Ontario has recently sent teams to play in this tournament that is hosted by the Ottawa- Carleton Catholic School Board. The winners in 2006 were Frank Ryan (Boys) and St. Peter’s (Girls).

At recent Ottawa Sports Award dinners, Gaelic Football has been officially recognized in the local community. Dave McMurchy and Kate Dean (U-16), both came through their schools and club minor programme of the Ottawa Gaels, and were recognized for their accomplishments in the sport.

For a full detailed history of GAA in Canada a new book has been launched.

THE HISTORY of THE GAELIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION in CANADA
by
JOHN O'FLYNN