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Wednesday, July 28, 2010
A leader of ladies
By Anthony Hennigan
NEVER known to shirk a challenge on the field, Lisa Cafferky has accepted a fair tough one off it too to help attract as many as 6,000 new players of Ladies football in just two years.
The Mayo footballer was last week unveiled as one of four Urban Programme Officers newly appointed by the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, and the Kilmovee native is relishing the task ahead.
Joining forces with fellow officers Cliodhna O’Connor, Tara Ryan and Eliza Downey, Lisa’s remit also includes the establishment of 25 new Ladies football GAA clubs and to help increase the numbers involved in the Gaelic4Mothers programme to 3,000.
The Ladies Gaelic Football Association have established their Urban Programme Officer positions in co-operation with Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, on the back of the phenomenal success of two initiatives, the aforementioned Gaelic4-Mothers, and Gaelic4Girls. And despite Ladies football already recognised as the fastest growing sport in the country with 142,000 members, the Ladies GFA is not content to rest on its laurels. It’s determined to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of providing an opportunity for as many females as possible to play the game.
“Ladies football is expanding all the time but it needs to become sustainable and for that not only do you need to get more people involved, but you have to get the right people involved. That’s really important and is something we’re trying to improve on,” says Lisa who, from her base at Connacht GAA headquarters in Ballyhaunis, will be focusing her work in counties Mayo, Sligo, Longford and Roscommon.
“My role is to create opportunities to play Ladies football in areas where there is little or no activity at present. By implementing Gaelic4Girls and Gaelic4Mothers in specific urban areas across the country, a pool of players and volunteers will be created to either set up a new club or strengthen existing clubs in the area,” revealed the UCD graduate, delighted to have gained employment in the sport she loves so dearly.
“I’m super excited at the moment, and really enthusiastic because it’s a great opportunity to get things up and running. Because I’ve such a big area to cover, there’s the chance to make a big difference in so many different places. And playing (football) myself, I’d have a good knowledge of what will and won’t work.
“It’s important that the work we do is fun and enjoyable for the players who we get on board. It’s all about maintaining participation in ladies football and you’ll only do that if it is enjoyable for those involved.”
Speaking in Croke Park at last week’s announcement of Lisa’s new role, GAA President Christy Cooney was fulsome in his praise of Cumann Peile na mBan.
“The establishment of new clubs, especially in urban areas, is one of the biggest challenges that we face in the GAA and the realistic and clearly defined goals set out for these new Programme Officers can help them deliver results over the course of the next 24 months. I have no doubt that it will have a positive impact on the numbers playing Ladies Gaelic Football,” said Cooney.
“The support being lent to this programme by the GAA highlights the important role that female athletes have to play in our clubs and communities around the country,” added Pat Quill, Uactharán Peil Gael na mBan.
Gaelic4Girls is a programme aimed at increasing participation among girls aged 9 to 13 years in urban areas, disadvantaged areas or in an area of no Ladies football in the hope that they will continue to play with local clubs in the area or that a new club may be formed. The Gaelic4Mothers initiative is an innovative way to introduce women of all ages to playing football, mainly in a fun, non-competitive and social environment. Both initiatives have the potential to deliver a vast number of new players, believes Lisa Cafferky.
“There are some kids who play in national schools but who don’t filter into the club system so we’re trying to make it as easy as possible for them to stay playing the game.
“There’s more of a social aspect to Gaelic4Mothers, and it’s taken off all over the country. Maybe women are sometimes afraid to get involved in football, for reasons like they mightn’t know the rules if they haven’t played before, but this is a programme that enables them to get to know football and to help out in whatever way they can without any pressure. The women just love it and it’s been hugely successful, it has been a great way of recruiting volunteers into the clubs,” admits the ace Mayo attacker.
“Mothers often drop their kids to training and call back to collect them, but I will be trying to change that!” Mothers, you have been warned.
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