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www.ladiesgaelic.ie | SPRING 2019 | 51 GAMES DEVELOPMENT on to work with Limerick Sports Partnership. I ran one of the nine nationally funded sports hubs in Croom, Co. Limerick and have also worked on the 'Move for Life' research study with the University of Limerick. What made the job attractive to you? My aim since college has always been to work as a Sports Development Officer. With the experience I have gained through my GAA background, my degree, continuous professional development and previous roles I have undertaken, I felt I would be able to contribute towards this role and make an effective impact on ladies Gaelic football in Munster. Since starting the job - has there been anything new that has struck you that you didn't know about LGFA before? The level of organisation is second to none in my opinion. From club level all the way to National level there are support structures in place and opportunities for all to develop whether you are a player or a volunteer. What do you think is the most important part of your job? As a development officer, your main roles are to educate, support and aid in creating a fully inclusive environment. We are looking to upskill coaches/referees/players and get them on the right pathways for them to continue to enjoy participating in Ladies football irrelevant of level or ability. What is the hardest part of your job? Opening up communications. People sometimes do not bring issues from their clubs or counties in the fear that it will lead to a negative association. The truth is that not everything works perfectly and the only way we can help is if we are told there is a concern or areas that need to be improved upon. Therefore, sometimes the hardest part of this job is convincing people that by opening up about concerns they are helping to make the LGFA stronger. What is the most important piece of advice you would give a county in relation to supporting their clubs? Listen. When counties listen to their clubs they gain valuable information on what is required within that county. That information and feedback is also what we want at a provincial level. This will then in turn enable us to make more informed decisions on their behalf. What do you think is the best thing about the LGFA? The best thing I have experienced so far about the LGFA is the positive environment it creates. It is fully interdependent where everyone's opinion is valued and we are learning from each other all of the time. That, from my experience, is when the best decisions are made. Twenty-nine referees from all four provinces attended the Pre- Championship National Referee Seminar on Sunday the 10 th June in the GAA National Games Development centre. The seminar was delivered by National Development Officer Clare Dowdall with the National Fixtures Administrator Karen Togher and Lyn Savage, National Development Manager. Liam Moggan was the special guest for the afternoon and delivered an educational workshop focusing on teamwork and peer to peer feedback. The morning started with a review of 2019 National Football League, a discussion and group work on referee preparation - pre, during and post game. There were some great topics covered on referee preparation and National Referees Prepare for the Championship recovery plus the group shared some tips and advice on what they do on match day. Karen then provided the group with an update on CODA rules stressing the importance of report writing and the time frame that exists in the new regulations. Before lunch the referees conducted their fitness assessment through the yo-yo test organised by DCU. The pass rate for male referees was 16.2 and for female referees it is 14.8. After the test was complete all headed for a well deserved lunch. The afternoon was very interactive, we were joined by members of the the national linesperson panel and the score assistants. The session was led by Liam Moggan with a strong focus on teamwork, building trust and working together. Liam finished his session with providing the referees with the tools to deliver peer to peer feedback to each other and enhancing their communication skills. The officials really enjoyed the afternoon session with Liam and everyone benefited a lot it from it and it was great to see everyone contributing. All successful referees are fit, ready and looking forward to a great championship in 2019.