Hi Everyone!
Another summer of Irish sport is upon us. We will be kicking off training for Gaelic Football and Hurling this Monday at 6:30pm at the Raleigh Vipers Rugby Grounds at 7417 Poole Road in Raleigh (out by Knightdale). Training will run every Monday and Wednesday from this Monday forward. We will be training on the upper field of the facility again this year, but our games will be on the lower pitch. This year promises to be another exciting year. We have added hurling to the mix, we plan on getting women’s teams off the ground, and we have a new division structure that puts us up against the likes of Charlotte, Atlanta, Greenville, Charleston, and Columbia for the Southeast Division championship and a shot at Nationals over Labor Day weekend in Cleveland.
But before all that, we need to kick off the winter rust…
What do I need to bring to training?
Dress like you would for a soccer game (minus the shinguards) – shorts, tee shirt, cleats. Bring lots of water…. They do not have facilities at the field, and we will be doing a bit of running. Hurlers don’t need to worry about helmets for training this week… training at the start of the season is going to be mainly skills and drills…
What time is training?
Training starts at 6:30 sharp. Especially this early in the year, we need to get going on time since we don’t have an abundance of daylight yet. If you want to show up early for a kick/puck around, people should be there around 6:15 or so…
What does training involve?
At the beginning of the season, training will focus primarily on getting our legs back (so there will be some running), ball handling, and fundamentals. We usually try to finish the session with a short game as well. Training is designed to be fun and light hearted, but it is also designed to be a pretty intense workout. You will get fit and you will have fun. I promise.
I’ve never played before, will I be able to keep up?
DEFINITELY. Early season training is built on getting new players up to speed as well as reinforcing the fundamentals for players who have been at it for a few years. If you are serious about trying out either Gaelic Football or Hurling, this is the PERFECT OPPORTUNITY to learn the sport. We have lots of new players out this year and will have breakout sessions designed to get you up to speed quickly.
I haven’t registered with the club yet, can I still train?
Yes. If you have not had the chance to register, or you are just interested in trying a couple sessions out before you commit, you are still welcome to train with us. We are very excited to have so many folks interested in getting involved this year. We are excited to start the season and get good numbers out on the field.
How do I get to the field?
The field is out on Poole Road, just past the “Knightdale” water tower. Heading away from Raleigh, it is on your left hand side. The fields are not easy to spot from the road… look for the little goalposts by the entrance. There will be a carpool heading out from NC State as well… I usually leave campus around 6pm from Burlington Labs. If anyone would like to carpool, let me know.
I have more questions… where can I get answers?
Check out the club website at www.raleighgaa.com or drop me an email at scshannon@ncsu.edu
I hope to see many of you on Monday. Have a great weekend!
Steve Shannon
Chair, Raleigh GAA
