Schools, schools, schools, particularly in the city. When I was in school there was a significant campaign by St Pats, which caught on, and there was about 25 lads who regularly would go, from Kilnamanagh, Walkinstown, Tallaght and Drimnagh to Pats games at home and some away. This started in 2nd year and continued all the way through secondary school.
My eldest boy is in 4th class and his class are soccer-mad, including the girls. The principal is progressive and will openly encourage any form of activity in the school. They have 3 different Gaa coaches in, they have a chess coach in, they have athletics endevours every week, gymnastics, and then things like skipping rope projects, food-dude days, breakfast buses etc. I know my Pitch and Putt club has organised social initiatives with the school too throughout the past two years. Basically anything that the school can use to encourage healthy-living, that doesn't cost them they will support. They've not had one approach from anyone in the FAI, either from a local schoolboy club, or the FAI themselves.
I'm sure that the part-time nature of the league (not disparaging the players here) makes it hard for the more-recognisable players to maybe get involved at this, nor the part-time nature of the promotion the FAI does either. Surely given the high-profile launch of the Primary schools 5-a-side a month ago, the FAI could build on that with coaching or something in conjunction with the LOI?
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