ON TOUR

By Ed Roche, U14s Manager

Many sporting clubs undertake a Tour and challenge teams further afield. It builds up Team spirit and helps bond players both on and off field. Organising a holiday with your family can be a challenge but what about the practicalities for 39 people?

We caught up with our Local Club to find out about more.

Walterstown Under 14 Gaelic Football Club Tour

Gaelic football is not normally associated with trips overseas as other sports such as rugby & soccer are but in early September this year, Walterstown Under 14 Boys Gaelic football team packed their kit bags and headed on an aeroplane to Cambridge, England. There they would play two official challenge matches against Hertfordshire opposition, Cambridge Parnell’s & St Joseph’s GFC, two teams playing in the vibrant UK GAA scene.

The Walterstown Under 14’s have been together in some cases since they were 6 & 7 years old & over the years new players from the Johnstown & Walterstown parish have joined the team to build a talented panel of avid Gaelic football players.

Walterstown GFC, located in the countryside adjacent to Johnstown village, is a vibrant club with a rich history where hundreds of local children train & play week in week out and dream of wearing the all black kit of the football club.

Making Plans

The Cambridge trip was the brain child of the Walterstown coaches, Ed Roche, Aiden McCague & Niall Reynolds. Like all coaches in Walterstown, these guys are parents & volunteers who give their time to promote Gaelic games in the Johnstown & Walterstown parish.

After a late night meeting in early February a set of three clears goals for the team to aim for:

One was to qualify for Feile, a nationally held Under 14 Football competition, which was alas not to be.

The second was to win the Under 14 division two league & gain promotion to Division One. Through hard work, regular training & a never say die attitude, Walterstown boys picked up their third trophy in three years with a pulsating win over local Navan rivals Simonstown in June.

The third goal of the year was to create an event that would not only reward the boys for their commitment to the Walterstown club but also to cement the bonds to both the club and to the team, creating memories that they will look on positively in the years to come. The ages of 13 to 15 are often the years where boys and girls can find other distractions than team sports. As passionate GAA fans, the three coaches were determined to make this trip happen, to keep the boys involved in Gaelic Football & add to the positive story that is Walterstown Gaelic Football Club.

The Tour

From this, an invite from Cambridge came for our GAA team to travel to England. Once the idea was shared amongst the squad, the enthusiasm was huge and through a series of fund raising events, the team were able to manage costs downwards, so that 21 boys and 17 accompanying Mum & Dads could travel to England.

Matches

St Joseph’s Hertfordshire and Walterstown Under 14’s pose for a group photo

Once in Cambridge, Walterstown played Cambridge Parnell’s in the first game. During the second match the weather took a turn for the worst, and the heavens opened up.

Whilst parents scrambled for shelter under trees and umbrellas both sides played on in what was a very even contest.

Sportsmen on the pitch

After the second match, all the teams were mixed up and a third game was played, the rain ceased and the sun came back out.

During these matches, one the U14’s asked if the referee was Welsh (as to his mind, this was an International between Ireland & England and Wales sits in between County Meath & South Western England).

It was great to hear the lads interacting with the other players and plenty of cheering and laughter from both players and onlookers.

After the matches it was off to hostel for some much needed showers and again our hosts had organised food & drinks for us afterwards for players & adults alike.

It was not all football though.

The following morning after breakfast it was off for a spot of punting. The party set of in three boats along the river Cam for a historical tour of Cambridge University, and the 32 College’s that make up the university.

The touring party were amazed with the list of who’s who from Cambridge’s history & present, from Henry VIII, Steven Hawkins to Mel & Sue from the Great British Bake Off.

Hopefully a bit of inspiration was fired up in these boys for the future & some of them may well be walking the halls of Cambridge University in the years to come.

"A great trip was had with great memories for both young and old and new friendships formed.

Potential future trips are already being discussed."

If you are interested in playing Gaelic Football for Walterstown please contact our juvenile secretary @ Secretarybng.Walterstown.meath@gaa.ie or go to the Website, www.Walterstown.com

Walterstown runs teams for boys & girls from Under 5’s all the way the Under 17’s.

Contact Walterstown GFC

@GFCWalterstown

www.Walterstown.com

Email Juvenile Secretary

Walterstown

This photo captures one of the important points of going on a Team Tour - players actually talk face to face with each other, make friends and become a Team.