A Memorable CYC Tournament for the Ottawa Gaels
The Ottawa Gaels are the only Canadian Gaelic Athletic Association club that has participated in all ten Continental Youth Championship (CYC) tournaments. At times it has been difficult to maintain momentum but this year was our banner year. We had 33 athletes from 19 families who traveled to New York City to help commemorate the 100th anniversary of Gaelic football in New York. Additionally, we traveled with Jerome Quinn of Jerome Quinn Media, to help capture the Ottawa Gaels experience at the CYC in this landmark year. We also were accompanied by Thomas Murphy our Ulster Council and Canadian County Board sponsored coach, who has been here in Ottawa for the last 3 months.
We entered co-ed teams in the Under 8 and Under 10 C divisions. In addition we had 7 Under 12 players who played on two different teams (Buffalo and San Diego) and 7 players between U14 and U18 who also were accepted on to other teams, to help them fill out their line ups. Three of our long time players will be ‘retiring’ from the CYC as they have aged out, and #CYCNYC2014 was the perfect farewell tournament for them.
Our U8 and U10 teams and seven U12 players joined us through the 2014 initiative to concentrate our efforts on specific areas of development, starting with the youngest age groups and in focused locations of Ottawa and the Valley. Sarah and Noel McGinnity established a group consisting of 45 athletes in their Kanata neighborhood, and Kerri Beeching coached two age groups in Almonte, where she is a teacher. Additionally, we rounded out our numbers with children of current and former women’s team players. Many of these athletes met in matches in Almonte at the beginning of July and again at the Ottawa Gaels’ summer camp in Kanata the week before we left for New York. Our older aged youth (U16-U18) were long-time recruits who have stayed with the club and traveled to up to 7 different CYCs over the past number of years.
Both of our standalone teams impressed us with their quick improvement over the course of the 4 day tournament. From learning each others’ names on Day 1 to scoring points and even winning games we were very proud of their efforts. This year, neither team was strong enough to move on to the semi-final but we have no doubt that they will improve for next year.
Our Under 8 team performed beyond expectations. Considering that most of the players are 5, 6 and 7 year olds along with the fact that they only started playing the game 10 short weeks ago; the future of Gaelic Football in the Capital looks promising. The team played seven games in four days, and the progress from game 1 to game 7 was immense. The daisy picking and cartwheels of the first game were replaced by collective defending, determined running and improved ball skills by game 7. We may have fallen a wee bit short on the scoreboard, but the experience of the tournament in terms of skill development on the field and comradery off the field is immeasurable. San Francisco 2015 can’t come quick enough!
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As coaches we learned some great areas to focus on for next year. Our players have fallen in love with the game, as we knew they would. They are already saving for San Francisco next year, and one player said his favourite part of the whole weekend, which included such highlights as sightseeing in NYC and a Yankees baseball game, was “the football”.
With 14 players on seven different teams, in the U12 through U18 age groups, it was difficult to catch every game. We had four U12 players rostered by San Diego, who went on to win their division. They had to earn their time on the pitch but we are proud to say that each of the players marked scores by the end of the tournament, and left no doubt about their ability. Three other U12 players played with Buffalo and had an amazing experience, gaining a lot of playing time and meeting new friends. Again, they were noted for their playing ability. Our plan is that we WILL have an Ottawa Gaels team in the U12 division next year.
Our oldest players also made us very proud, going on to teams alone, or in pairs can be daunting. Some of the older teams take winning very seriously, and our athletes were all able to contribute to their teams. All made it to the semi-finals of their respective divisions. All had their love of Gaelic renewed and will be looking to make the trip, be it as players or coaches, to San Francisco 2015!
Looking ahead to 2015 we know we will encounter some challenges. San Francisco is far away. We will need lots of support from our community, which is only growing in size! With the addition of our Kanata and Almonte mini-Gaels this year, we look to extend those groups as well as adding teams from Gatineau, Riverside South/Barrhaven and maybe even Central Ottawa to our roster next year. We know these groups will be just as successful. It’s notable and makes us very proud that we have children from vast cultural background, most being Canadian for at least 3 generations. This year, of 19 sets of parents, only one was born in Ireland (with another two who were close). This means these kids are playing our wonderful sport of Gaelic Football because they too have fallen in love with it!
If you participated in CYC be sure to tell your friends so we can get more kids playing Gaelic football. If you are interested in getting your kids involved with the Ottawa Gaels, be sure to get in touch at youthfootball@ottawagaels.ca.
