Over the past couple of days Monaghan Coaching and Games have been very busy running a series of blitzes for our Primary Schools in Cloghan. It was planned to run 4 football blitzes over Tuesday and Wednesday and a hurling blitz on the Thursday. The football blitz catered for boys and girls in 5th and 6th Class while the hurling blitz was for 3rd and 4th class.

Unfortunately the blitz we had planned for the Tuesday had to be canceled due to the inclement weather we had but the 2 football blitzes took place on the Wednesday. There was a great turnout on the day with eager pupils keen to come and express their footballing skills. Each team got to play in 3 matches. The blitzes ran in a very similar fashion to our club GoGames programme with 3 periods in each match where the middle period of each game the focus was on the non dominant side with each child encouraged to use it. Over the course of the blitz you could definately see each child’s confidence and skill level improve in their non-dominant side and hopefully they can take this back to their schools and start using it on a more regular basis. In total we had 225 players spread across 12 schools. In the hurling blitz 5 schools took part with over 100 children taking part. Each team got to play in 4 games with each game split into 3 equal periods.

Monaghan Coaching and Games would just like to thank all the schools for coming along to the blitz and taking part. The emphasis on this blitz was fun and participation so we hope all children came away from Cloghan with smiles on their faces and further developed their skills of the games. We would also like all the teachers and helpers for each school during the week, without you all the blitz would not be able to go ahead. Finally we would just like to thank the 4 referees from St Macartan’s College who came along on the Wednesday to help officiate on the day.

The second term of schools coaching kicks off after the halloween break, along with the start of our After Schools Programme which Martin Corey will coordinate for 6th Class boys. The Northern Region takes place on a Tuesday evening with the Southern Region taking place on a Wednesday. All schools in both of these regions will have already received information on the programme. The third regional After Schools Programme for the West will kick off after Christmas. This year we will also be running an After Schools Programme for 5th class boys. This will take place after Christmas for all regions. The hurling After Schools Programme for 5th and 6th Class boys in the northern region will start after the Halloween break as well with information about the programme sent out in the near future.

On top of that Pauric Dowdall who is now an Ulster Regional Hurling Development Officer will be running an Indoor Hurling League for the Primary Schools after the Halloween break, again information about the league will be sent out in the coming weeks. Finally Colin Malone will be coordinating the running of a Skills Competition for the boys and girls in 5th and 6th class after the Halloween break so keep an eye out for that as well.

Please see below for a selection of photos from the GoGames blitzes.