Ladies Gaelic Football

SCHOOL FOCUS LORETO CLONMEL Vocational Programme at Loreto, and was hopeful that the time had finally come to win that elusive A title. "The level of talent that we've had in front us has been phenomenal," Sinead says. "U14s, U16s, minors all involved with Tipperary and Waterford set-ups. The rise of football in Loreto is down to Niamh. "She brought a new dimension to the whole thing. That year in 2011, every game we won was a bonus, we went out with no inhibitions but it was her drive and new voice that drove us on. She's one of the biggest motivators for these young girls as well. "They were all playing against each other at club and county level but when they came to Loreto, they were one unit. "Over the last couple of years, some of the girls progressed to winning All- Ireland Intermediates with Tipperary and representing Waterford as well." Current Waterford star Kellyann Hogan, and Tipperary's senior panellists Ava Fennessy and Orla Winston are just three of the players who have come through the Loreto ranks to make an impact on the inter-county stage. There's surely more to come, too, as Sinead noted that 14 Leaving Certificate students were available to the Senior A school team this year, significantly up on previous years, and with a wealth of experience that would surely have stood them in good stead on All-Ireland Final day. Sinead estimates that maybe a dozen players have also been involved in county set-ups at some point, adding: "We've been so fortunate. When I started school in Loreto, it wasn't the football school, more so basketball and hockey. "2011 changed that – and it started developing from there. If I'm a parent now and I want my daughter to play football, I know exactly where I want her to go. "We started the year with a fresh mindset and while you're not guaranteed anything in schools' football, we were very fortunate with the cohort that was there. "This year could have been the year – we felt when we played the semi-final against Claregalway (Coláiste Bhaile Chláir), that we had the right fit and the positions right. But the bigger picture with Covid is about more than football – and we're just delighted to see the girls back with their clubs now." It's a smooth operation at Loreto. Mark Kehir, Niamh and Brian White, the former inter-county referee who's heavily involved with Clonmel Commercials, coach the Junior A team. There's a second Junior team, with David Kett and Conor Wallace guiding their fortunes, while Niamh, Sinead and Brian take care of the Senior A set-up. There are a number of local clubs feeding into the school, strong names too like Ardfinnan, Sliabh na mBan, Moyle Rovers, Commercials, Fethard, Comeragh Rangers, Ballymacarbry and Clerihan. "Then really for us," Niamh notes, "the job is to blend all of their styles of play together. "They're coming from different strategies and styles from their clubs. When you get them in school, it's all about getting the right balance, between club, county and school. "It comes down to good communication and I'm so lucky that I have great communication with county managers and local clubs. "If we're at the business end of the year, the county management have no problem in letting our girls ease off from county training, and letting them focus on school. "I'd like to think I can do the same with them when they need to concentrate on club and county. "It's about getting the balance right so they don't burn out and get the most out of Ladies Football. There are strong basketball and hockey teams in the school too, and athletics, and it's about getting the balance right and communicating with everyone. "We're not a massive school and you often find that girls are playing multiple sports and you obviously need to balance their academics as well. We had a massive amount of Leaving Certs this year and you could never fault their commitment. We had to pull back and give them time to study and after their mocks, they gave us full commitment." When Covid-19 struck, Niamh was conscious to keep in touch with the group, aware of the impact that the shutdown would have on the players. And she's very much about the holistic approach to life. Sure, sport is important, but it's part of the wider picture. "I'm competitive by nature and success is great but I always say that I'd much rather they leave being the best version of themselves and the best sportspeople that they can possibly be. "Winning is great but you learn as much from losing as winning. There's so much to be learned from sport, other than starting or finishing, winning or losing. If you learn to deal with that and be the best version of you, you'll thrive in life." "This year could have been the year – we felt when we played the semi-final against Claregalway (Coláiste Bhaile Chláir), that we had the right fit and the positions right. But the bigger picture with Covid is about more than football – and we're just delighted to see the girls back with their clubs now." www.ladiesgaelic.ie | SUMMER 2020 | 47

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