Thurles Sarsfields will represent Tipperary in ZuCar Gaelic4Teens programme

The Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) has confirmed the list of 21 clubs selected to take part in the 2023 ZuCar Gaelic4Teens programme.  

The list includes Tipperary representatives Thurles Sarsfields. 

Following a hugely-successful pilot in 2017, Gaelic4Teens has grown considerably to over double in size. This programme will help clubs to retain their current playing bases while also recruiting players in the 13-17 age bracket, which has been identified as a group with a high dropout rate. 

For the second year, the LGFA will partner with Gaelic4Teens sponsors ZuCar, the association’s official performance partner, to roll out the programme.   

The 2023 ZuCar Gaelic4Teens programme will involve multiple educational webinars for coaches, players and parents, club coach observation visits and a festival day. 

The delivery of the programme will be supported by the LGFA’s ZuCar Gaelic4Teens ambassadors.   

The current list of 13 ZuCar Gaelic4Teens ambassadors is made up of past and present inter-county stars.  

The full list of ambassadors reads as follows: Fiona McHale (Mayo), Jackie Kinch (Wicklow), Laura Fleming (Roscommon), Cliodhna O’Connor (Dublin), Bronagh McGrane (Louth), Cassandra Buckley (Kerry), Orlagh Farmer (Cork), Emily Martin (Down), Máire O Shaughnessy (Meath), Sharon Courtney (Monaghan), Sinead Delahunty (Tipperary), Samantha Lambert (Tipperary) and Cathy Carey (Antrim).  

The programme will work closely with coaches, influencing the content of their coaching sessions as well as establishing the best ways for coaches to communicate and engage with their players. In addition, the programme will examine the coaching environment required to ensure long-term development of players is being facilitated in the club. 

The programme will be monitored and evaluated to ensure that it achieves the aim of having a direct impact on the retention of players. 

As well as tailoring training sessions, there will be a focus on education that will see ZuCar Gaelic4Teens ambassadors providing expertise and advice to participants for the duration of the programme. 

The research that prompted the development of the Gaelic4Teens programme revealed that players play for enjoyment, to improve and get better, to keep fit and healthy, to relieve stress and because their friends also play. 

The reasons highlighted for giving up the sport are that they don’t get enough playing time, there is no fun at training, that it is too competitive and that they are treated differently.