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ladiesgaelic.ie // 51 GAELIC4TEENS Volume 14 | Issue No 3 | PEIL Autumn he LGFA Gaelic4Teens programme is a national initiative that aims to assist clubs in the retention of the teenage player. The initiative provides theoretical and practical training for club coaches in order to support them create the most appropriate environment for a teenage player of any ability to flourish. Earlier in 2018, funded by the dormant accounts fund and Sport Ireland, the LGFA teamed up with Wicklow Sports Partnership to run a very targeted Gaelic4Teens programme in Wicklow. As part of the project Dr. Wesley O'Brien of UCC undertook the job of carrying out an evaluation of the programme in Wicklow in order to begin gathering some evidence of the impact the Gaelic4Teens programme has on the coaching behaviours of volunteer club coaches and subsequent retention of the teenage player. Evaluation of the Impact of Gaelic4Teens Programme KEY FINDINGS FROM PLAYER QUESTIONNAIRE As part of the Gaelic4Teens programme players were educated about various aspects of leading a healthy lifestyle, both from the perspective of simple general well being and also from the perspective of enhancing sports performance. 1. DAILY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Before the programme began 0% of participants were meeting the recommended daily minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity or sport on all 7 days of the week. On average the participants were meeting the 60 minute minimum on 4 out of 7 days a week. After the programme 8% of participants reported that they were meeting the daily minimum of 60 minutes on all 7 days of the week, also on average participants reported an increase to reaching the minimum of 60 minutes per day on 5 out of 7 days. 2. SCREEN TIME At the beginning of the programme 17% of participants were accumulating more than 120 minutes each day of screen time. (120 minutes is the upper limit of the guidelines set for daily screen time for teenagers) by the end of the programme this had fallen to 12%. 3. BODY IMAGE When given the statement " I feel positive about myself physically" 80% of participants strongly agreed with this statement at the beginning of the programme. At the end of the programme 95% of participants strongly agreed with this statement. 4. EXERCISE INTENTIONS When given the statement " Doing physical activity helps me cope with stress" 85% of participants strongly agreed with this statement at the beginning of the programme. At the end of the programme 100% of participants strongly agreed with this statement. T 1 Hour of Pysical activity every day 0% Group Avg Before 8% Group Avg After 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 120 Minutes Screen Time Before 17% 12% 120 Minutes Screen Time After 85% 95% 85% Before After 100% As part of his research Dr. O'Brien gathered questionnaire data from players in the participating clubs before and after the Gaelic4Teens programme. The questionnaire focused on areas such as their participation in physical activity, the motivators for them to play sport, the barriers to playing sport, their sense of phsyical self worth, and their understanding of the club coach behaviours. Dr. O'Brien also gathered focus group data from participating club coaches. These focus groups focused on areas such as understanding the coaches engagement with the Gaelic4Teens programme, the level of coach development that occurred during the programme and their understanding of the 'teenager' within the sporting context. THE QUESTIONNAIRE FOCUSED ON AREAS SUCH AS THEIR PARTICIPATION IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, THE MOTIVATORS FOR THEM TO PLAY SPORT...