Dermot Earley Leadership Programme Graduation

Galway University was the destination for the Cuala participants of the Dermot Earley Leadership programme last Saturday. Not everyone got there due to a red weather alert and the impending match in Parnell Park. Cuala’s group of young people Graduated with a level 6 (Leaving Cert is level 5) Foundation Certificate in Youth Leadership and Community Action. While not in a position to attend five young Zambians graduated for the first time this year. These graduates were introduced to the Dermot Earley programme by visiting facilitators from Cuala in 2022. With the help of Foroige, funding (€300 per graduate) was secured to ensure five selected Nsobe school students would have the opportunity to complete the three modules and  graduate. The graduates from Nsobe are true community leaders who are invariably the first generation of their families to complete second level education. That they now have an internationally recognised 3rd level qualification is a wonderful achievement. One of the young Zambian women volunteered at a local primary school for her module three project. Foster is now working in that school as a teaching assistant. Cuala has twenty teenagers on the programme this year and teachers from Nsobe school continue to facilitate the programme having been trained up by Foróige who visited Zambia last year at the request of Cuala. If future funding can be secured it is hoped that more young Zambian leaders will continue to graduate alongside their Cuala peers.

Dermot Earley Youth Leadership Course Registration

Applications are now open for the hugely popular Dermot Earley programme. The initiative, aimed at Transition Year students, focuses on the development of leadership skills and is accredited by the National University of Ireland, Galway (FETAC Level 6).  Find out more about the programme here.

If your daughter/son is interested in participating in the programme, please forward a notification of interest via this form https://forms.gle/Tch3QYi1HxjqFCBb9.

Registration will be open until 5p.m. on Friday 13th September.

Cuala Transition Year Programme Registration

The Cuala TY Programme begins on the 6th of September and will include a number of initiatives over the next few months including coaching qualifications, safeguarding, first aid and defibrillator training. Please see the following registration form for the 2024/2025 students starting transition year who wish to register on the programme  https://forms.office.com/e/hdNcCrQkzi . More details will follow through email and whatsapp towards the end of this week.

Cuala Minor Player Resource Pack

Members may recall research survey shared in April 2024 on the experience of Minor GAA Player’s move to Adult. The survey purpose was to gauge perceived value for a player yearbook and online form at the end of their season as they prepare for a move to adult team(s). The number of responses received from a mix of players, parents, coaches and club members, far exceeded expectations and the insights gathered proved valuable feedback for creation of a Minor GAAP Resource Pack, which has been approved by Coiste, Coaching Forum and shared with Coaching Director, Minor and Adult section chairs and mentors.
Summary of approximate % of positive responses to questions presented are detailed below (weighted from Likert scale 1 to 5):
Question
Approx % of Positive Responses
“I believe that a minor to adult GAA Player Handbook/Form would be beneficial for player and coach communication.”
90.48%
“I believe the minor to adult GAA Player Handbook/Form would help players with their move and integration to adult team(s).”
88.89%
“I believe the minor to adult GAA Player Handbook/Form would help coaches (minor and adult) with the player’s move and integration to adult team(s).”
94.44%
“How important do you think it is for coaches to receive information on the player when they move to adult?”
88.89%
In addition, considerable comments and suggestions were provided that contributed to the overall design of the resource pack, with more ideas coming through that have been added to the Coaching Forum backlog and will be progressed with the club’s Coaching Director.
We would like to thank everyone for their interest in this area, including those who took the time to respond to the survey, the players and coaches who participated in workshops and the members who provided feedback on the versions presented. More detail on the project can be accessed at Minor Player Resources and the Cuala Minor Player Resources are available at Policies, Documents & Forms – Cuala GAC – Official Website (cualagaa.ie).
Míle buíochas,
Niamh O’Connor, Fintan Quill, Joyce Groarke