Issue link: http://digitaleditions.uberflip.com/i/1037216
48 // Ladies Gaelic Football Association G4M&O IN GRANARD PEIL Autumn | Issue No 3 | Volume 14 little in secondary school but that was that with my Gaelic Football career. Now after all these years I was togging out again ready to play football. I was apprehensive about it but when I arrived at the pitch all my fears eased. The turn-out was great. There is a great mix in the group; some have never kicked a football before, others had a played a little while a few represented their county. We have two girls who won an All-Ireland Junior medal with Longford. Those ladies have the same buzz as us about the whole experience. That's what makes this so special. After our second training session one of the women asked me was I going to do a blog on the experience. It was something I had thought about but didn't know if the others would mind. They were all so supportive. My blog, on the website Sportstalk.ie, is as real as I can be. I hope other players can relate to it and women who would like to give G4M&O a go, can join a local club. You really won't regret it. A lot of us are on a personal journey and hope to get different things out of it. To be honest if someone had said to me a few years ago I'd be out playing football I'd have given them a smart answer. To be honest I never would've had great confidence to do something like this. I have to say I'm so glad I am doing it. A group of individuals turned up to our first training session and as the weeks progressed it was clear we were becoming a team. We are so comfortable in ourselves but I really feel sorry for our trainers Jimmy and Gabriel who have to deal with a bunch of giggling and talkative women. We know we aren't training for an All- IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING SETTING UP A GAELIC4MOTHERS&OTHERS TEAM IN YOUR CLUB, THE FOLLOWING TIPS WILL HELP YOU GET THE BALL ROLLING: • Identify the need for Lidl Gaelic4Mothers&Others in your club and obtain relevant information material from website or LGFA Office • Clubs should identify a minimum of two personnel to be involved in the Lidl G4M&O Club – one coordinator and one coach. Recommended that one of these be a female • Contact LGFA to register your site. Registration forms and posters can be downloaded from www.ladiesgaelic.ie . • Sign the registration form to agree that club will abide by the Lidl G4M&O ethos at all times and forward to the relevant personnel • Choose a suitable day and time (try not to clash with other activities in area) • Advertise and promote Lidl Gaelic4 Mothers&Others through local schools, shops etc. • Send article to local newspapers with details of programme and who they can contact • Source footballs, bibs and cones • Register women on first night and ensure all participants sign form. Also provide information on insurance cover. Ireland but for some of us playing our first match would be akin to an All-Ireland Final. Deniese O'Flaherty writes a blog about her weekly Gaelic4Mothers and Other adventure for Sportstalk.ie Gaelic4Mothers&Others National Blitz 2017 Adrienne Atkins, left and Brendagh Hanpson, both from Raheny, Dublin, at a LGFA Gaelic4Mothers&Others Launch