Ladies Gaelic Football

ladiesgaelic.ie // 23 WICKLOW'S JACKIE KINCH PEIL Summer | Issue No 2 | Volume 14 "It was more so let's move on to a new competition and start fresh again. "We said that if we dwelled on the loss too much, it could impact our game. "They say that winning is a habit but we don't want to make losing a habit either. "Compared to previous years, the progress that we have made has been absolutely incredible. you go out and they're not as good as others. "Everything depends on the day – you could have your best game today and tomorrow you could play deplorable. "I would be one of the older girls on the team now and it comes down to experience. "The likes of Lorna Fusciardi, Laurie Ahern and Laura Hogan have been there ground a bit quicker, or something that the manager said in a previous game, that I was a bit too slow to react or something. "You try to bring that into training. Some people might say that I'd be hard on myself but you set yourself a goal for each session, and that makes it a bit easier then to go and you have something to focus towards. That's me personally – I'm a bit more competitive and take the game a little bit more serious. "Some of the other girls mightn't have taken it as serious, and wanted to play more for fun. And the saying goes that if you're enjoying football, you'll play your best football. And if you're going training and enjoying it, you'll play your best. "There's more we can do but what's being done at the moment is exceptional. "I'm working with the clubs in Wicklow and I went to sessions at the start and observed what the coaches were doing. Comparing sessions after the programme is exceptional and really rewarding, to see the kids enjoying it a lot more. It's down to the attitude of the coaches and bringing a different vibe to training." "The fact that we went through the League unbeaten and getting Meath then as well – that was probably a shock win but we knew ourselves that if we put our heads to it, we could get over the line. We believed in ourselves." It was another high-point in Kinch's Wicklow career, which began at the highest level when she was called into the junior panel in 2010. Now 24, Kinch suffered the disappointment of losing an All-Ireland minor B final to Armagh in 2011 but solace wasn't long coming, as Wicklow beat New York to claim the TG4 All- Ireland junior crown after a replay. "After that, a lot of the older girls left," Kinch remembers. "We had to regroup and get things up and running again. "There have been dark days, going training on some of those winter evenings and wondering if it's all worthwhile. But then we had a League campaign like we did and it does make it all worthwhile. "I'm happy enough with my form and how I'm playing but there are some days years and the ball goes through them as much to be honest. "It's more noticeable in the forward line if the ball is hitting you but there's good experience all around." Kinch is also thoroughly enjoying her role in the LGFA's hugely-successful Gaelic4Teens initiative. In 2018, the LGFA launched Gaelic4Teens in the county, in conjunction with the Wicklow Sports Partnership. Jackie says: "I'm doing the coordinating part of the Wicklow programme, working with a number of clubs and I love it. "It's thoroughly enjoyable and going really well. I'm just off the phone to one of the clubs, to see how they're progressing. "They're moving well and it's great to see them make sessions more fun for the girls. "The aim of the programme is to hold onto girls, so they're not leaving. "It's excellent to achieve that because they can be lost to maybe other codes or loss of interest. "It was great to see all of the girls enjoying the blitz day in Abbotstown. It's a matter of bringing that to the clubs, that girls are thoroughly enjoying it and leaving the pitch with a smile on their faces." Kinch's own personal experience of the vulnerable age group was that it was the 'love of the game' that kept her involved and interested. "In every training session, I gave myself something to work on. "It could have been something as simple as getting the ball up off the Wicklow players, from left, Loretta Gilbert, Laura Hogan, Sarah Hogan, Lucy Mulhall and Jackie Kinch, all from Tinahely, celebrate with the West County Hotel Cup

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