Laois, Offaly And Westmeath To Increase Number Of Permanent GAA Coaches

It will be part funded by Leinster Council.

Laois, Offaly and Westmeath are set to benefit from an investment in permanent coaches by Leinster Council. 

It's chair, Offaly's Pat Teehan has announced that 30 new Games Development Officers will be hired across the province, an outlay of €1m per-year. 

The cost of the coaches salaries is split 60-40 between the council and clubs involved, with more than one club able to 'share' an officer's time and split the costs. 

This arrangement with the provincial council is expected to run until October, when a central funding model will take over. 

In Laois for example it's expected that Portarlington, Gracefield, Borris-In-Ossorry and and Rathdowney could split their expenses 50-50 in a joint arrangement. 

90 clubs in total will benefit however, the full breakdown of clubs who will be assigned a coach is yet undecided. 

It will mirror an existing scheme rolled out in Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wexford. 

Offaly's Pat Teehan, current chairperson of the Leinster Council said:

“We’ve all seen clubs throwing good money after bad in terms of team managers that are on the merry-go-round or whatever.

The clubs are now seeing the importance of putting money into coaching to develop themselves. Like, if you’re starting out coaching a youngster of four or five who is going to be with the club for the next 25, 30 years, that’s value for money.”

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