Football

Donegal stars delivering virtual GAA lessons to schools

By Gerry McLaughlin

All schools in the Republic of Ireland may be off, but a forward-thinking young Donegal GAA officer has used social media to ensure that children who are off school will get some coaching in the basic skills of the game.

Youthful County Games Development Manager Aaron Kyles has used social media and some of the county’s top players to make a series of short videos showing some of the basic skills of Gaelic football on Facebook, and Twitter to deliver these virtual lessons.

The sports videos have so far featured Tir Conaill stars like Hugh McFadden, Ryan McHugh, Jamie Brennan, Caolan Ward and hurling legends Danny Cullen and Sean McVeigh who are giving the valuable tips to the schoolchildren who are staying at home.

And these lessons have taken on extra meaning with the announcement from Croke Park that all GAA grounds must be closed throughout the country.

The scripts for all the various drills which the children can use at home have been put together by existing county coaches Michael Langan, Sean Ward, Brian Roper, Declan Bushell, Leo Gill and John Gibbons.

Donegal county board vice-chairman Frankie Doherty said: “It's a great idea for the young people who are bored stiff twiddling their phones and playing with their play stations at home.

“They now can go out as individuals and get coaching from some of our top players and fair play to Aaron Kyles for coming up with this very creative idea. All these players are role models and young people look up to them”.

The St Eunan’s club man added: “I am here in Letterkenny now, our county town and it is a ghost town and the gates into St Eunan’s GAA club are locked.

“We have five big schools here, all shut, and a lot of the kids are lying up playing computer games.

“But this is great for all the youngsters and it gives them something to look forward, to, it is healthy exercise and it is short and snappy.''