Covid-19: A sport-by-sport look at the cost to grassroots games – Irish Examiner

Athletics: Its not a for-profit organisation, and were just doing stuff to keep it afloat

By Cathal Dennehy

THE numbers tell a story, in and of themselves. In a typical year, Carrick-on-Shannon AC has 250-300 members, but a month on from registrations opening for 2021, their grand total is currently 43.

People are just not thinking about it, says secretary John Connolly, a Dublin native devoted to the club for the past 30 years. Youd worry that a generation or two in a few years will be out of the habit of doing (athletics).

Heres the thing: Connolly considers his club among the luckier ones. He sees smaller athletics clubs in the region which have no registrations at all or at the local basketball or rowing clubs, where the situation is even more alarming.

Theyre just absolutely wiped out. Its a tough ask at the moment, but at least some of our members can do something themselves.

Despite its size, Carrick-on-Shannon AC is without a permanent facility, and for years its young members trained at an indoor sports complex in the town. But when that was converted for extra classrooms they had to look elsewhere, training outdoors for the last several months on the grounds of the local gaelscoil.

We made do with what we can. But I know a lot of clubs havent bothered coming back, given how hard it is with the restrictions.

Club training resumed last summer but due to limits on numbers it wasnt until the autumn that they could bring back the younger age groups.

Even amid the relative normality of last summer, it was still a life less ordinary for the older members. With a delayed national championships taking place for U20s, seniors, and masters in August and September, such athletes started making trips to the track in Sligo, where sprinters werent allowed to use starting blocks.

One of their upcoming stars, Alannah McGuinness, only did two track sessions before winning 100m silver at the National U20 Championships in September, but Connollys fears were not so much for committed athletes like her, but for those far more likely to drift away from athletics.

The ones that want to train are there. Its not all about competition but kids like competition, and I noticed with a few when there were no races on the horizon, they found it hard to get motivated. Its not the be all and end all, a lot do sport because its part of their social fabric, but its so unfortunate that way. You try to keep them going, to keep the interest, but its hard to explain to kids about long-term development.

Club coaches continue to send training plans to anyone who wants one, but from conversations with athletes, parents, and other coaches, Connolly can sense a shift in the mood this year.

The people who want to do it will do it, but you can definitely feel a different attitude, people are more tired of it.

In a typical year, athletes are going back and forth to Abbotstown or Athlone for indoor competitions around this time, but the chances of such events in the coming months now seems non-existent. While that might spare the club some coffers in expenses and entry fees, the lack of memberships and community collections means their balance sheet is far from rosy.

The registration fee for Carrick-on-Shannon AC is 35 for adults and 28 for juveniles, of which about two-thirds goes to Athletics Ireland, and Connolly is quick to credit the work of the governing body, which dropped its club licence fee from 150 to 50 in recent years. All the same, the absence of the few euro they gather each week from training sessions and the clubs usual church gate collection will be felt down the line not that such things will affect their commitment.

Our mantra has always been community, says Connolly. Its not-a-for-profit organisation, and were just doing stuff to keep it going, to keep it afloat.

Earlier this month Connollys many years of volunteering were credited with an award from the Federation of Irish Sport, and his hope once training and competitions resume is that more people appreciate the value of clubs like theirs in their communities.

I see lots of talk about mental health and how people are struggling, and no doubt they are, and its things like the local sports clubs that mean so much to everyone, he says.

Basketball: Clubs went outdoors and just got on with it, in hail, rain or snow

By Kieran Shannon

COVID has been particularly devastating for indoor sport but Ciarn OSullivan has seen one upside for his how the pandemic has reminded everyone that basketball can also be played outdoors.

After the country moved to level five in early October, his sport duly moved to the playgrounds and schoolyards. There still werent any matches. For a while because of a peculiar guideline from Sport Ireland, there couldnt even be any passing. But still, as the head of development for Basketball Ireland and the Cork Sports Partnership as well as a coach in his own club Ballincollig in the western suburbs of Cork city, OSullivan was heartened by the number of clubs who found a way to keep kids and the sport active in some form.

For a lot of people, basketball is a necessity, not a luxury, says the former senior international who won multiple Superleagues and Cups with UCC Demons before moving back to help his home club Ballincollig win promotion to the Superleague.

When we couldnt train indoors with the pandemic, clubs went outdoors and just got on with it, in hail, rain or snow. And it was great to see local parks and schools open up their courts.

I know in the past even in big clubs like [UCC] Demons and Neptune, theyd cancel training when the Mardyke or Stadium would be used for exams. But now with Covid theres a willingness to go outside. The excuse of there being no training because the hall is being used wont fly anymore. And thats a huge positive going forward.

Every Saturday morning from October up to mid-December, OSullivans own club used the outdoor court of their feeder school, Coliste Choilm, as well as rolling two portable baskets onto the adjacent all-weather surface.

The first thing youd spot was who played GAA and who didnt, he smiles.

The other kids would be all wrapped up in their hats and gloves and full tracksuits while the GAA players would just come in their shorts, ready to go! But the thing was they were all there. Some mornings youd be looking out at the rain and thinking only three or four kids might show. But theyd all come. Because they wanted to see each other and chat.

The social side of our sport is huge. Sometimes we get so caught up in the technical and tactical and the competition, we can forget that. So thats been another positive for me from all this.

Right now though there cant be any social interactions of that sort. Realistically its impossible to see the sport returning indoors before Easter, ruling out any prospect of a competitive domestic season. Irish national teams are still holding out hope that theyll be able to compete in Europe this summer but even if they get the green light, their preparations will be seriously constrained.

I was talking to one of our underage national team coaches this week and they were saying that they might have to make their cut without even having had an on-court session. So at the moment they might have 25 players on the programme, but theyll have to quickly reduce that to 16 or even the final 12 without anyone having played in over 12 months. And as the coach was saying, its the late developers that are going to get hurt. They might have really improved since last March but they havent been seen and coaches might have to opt with those who are more proven and ready to go.

The hope is that if by around Easter outdoor sports can resume training in pods, so can basketball outdoors, and then come May and June therell be 3x3 tournaments at all levels across the community and country. By having fewer numbers on the court, more players can be retained in the sport.

OSullivan, either by nature or by Covid, is a patient optimist. His own wedding to fellow international Claire Rockall was due to take place last July but has now been rescheduled for the end of May. Either way, some day, they will be married. And the same holds true for his other great love. Some day he and people like him will hoop again, just maybe not when theyd expected.

He has no doubt that some players and even clubs will be lost on account of them not being able to get back up and running last autumn. But providing some programme of outdoor basketball throughout the summer should help close the gap between when kids last played and when the sport can, hopefully, resume indoors next August or September. In other words, before the biggest indoor sport in the country returns to its natural habitat, it has to see itself as an outdoor sport. And recent months has shown OSullivan that if you roll those baskets out, they will come.

Boxing: Im afraid as a sport that were going to lose a lot of kids because of this

By Kieran Shannon

NO sport has been as good to this country at the Olympics as boxing but theres no sport Covid has been as cruel to as well.

While the high-performance team gearing for Tokyo might be allowed to continue to train away in Abbotstown on account of their elite athlete status, future potential Olympians have had their prospects seriously hindered, or at least their progress seriously disrupted.

There has been no competitive amateur boxing in Ireland since March. There hasnt even been any sparring, outside the National Sports Campus. And in recent months, and for the next couple, clubs cant open their doors and allow their members even hit the punch bags.

But the biggest worry isnt the number of possible medals that could be lost. Its the number of kids that could be lost to the sport. Which means possibly to society itself. A sport renowned for helping keep kids on the straight and narrow is itself uncertain when it can reopen its path or where its leading.

Tommy Kelleher has been a head coach to multiple Irish underage international teams and for almost 30 years coach in one of the sports great hubs, the Glen Boxing Club on the northside of Cork city.

Its very hard for anyone involved in boxing, he says. Everyone kids, parents, coaches are wondering, When are we going to start again? but theres nothing we can do until we get the go-ahead to restart.

Its some change from 12 months ago. Last February the club had seven boxers at the Cork championships win through to the Munster championships, but a week into that competition everything was shut down.

In September the brief easing in restrictions allowed the club to reopen its doors to its 30 or so members.

We have a big hall so we were able to get 14 boxers in at a time training, all three metres apart. There was still no sparring or padwork, otherwise social distancing would have been gone out the window. But they were still able to do their warm-up, skipping, shadow boxing, do some groundwork and then their warm-down and thatd be it.

It went down great. They were all happy, all their parents were happy. But then it went back up to level 5 and that was the end of it. You couldnt even do one-to-one training. You have to be an elite boxer to do that.

In all reality, with theirs being an indoor contact sport, itll be a good while yet before the Glen reopens its doors to its boxers. Itd be inaccurate to say though that the hall itself has been dormant. Its had to be maintained, repaired. Which causes its own challenges in these times.

I still come up every day to the hall to see if everything is all right. We have to keep heating going, otherwise the place gets very damp. And with no script [registration fees] coming in, its hard to pay for those kind of overheads.

We have loans to pay back on money borrowed to help with the maintenance of the hall but I know the IABA [through Sport Irelands club resilience fund] are looking for some resolution to give a few bob for all the clubs that are feeling the pinch.

His greatest concern though is the potential loss of members, not money.

Im afraid as a sport that were going to lose a lot of kids because of this. Especially those who were just starting it up; theyre the ones most likely not to come back. Its going to be a big challenge when we are let back in the gym to get them back into it, because they havent trained in so long, it hasnt become a habit, a routine, for them.

Some parents wont allow their kids into the club even if we were able to train. And its hard to blame them. Anyone could have it [Covid]. Not even the Government knows whats happening. But theres a real need for us to get back, whenever that is.

Any young fella who came down to us has never got into trouble. Once theyre in boxing, they have to be disciplined; in this game, if you dont have discipline, you have nothing. Parents want to see the kids back, get them off the street. Theyre asking us, When will they be back? But we dont know. Theres nothing we can really do. Its very hard on everyone.

Cycling: As with many situations in life there is the rough with the smooth

By Brian Canty

With bike shops reporting record sales in 2020 and others struggling to meet demand, the challenge is to harness that surge in interest. Despite the pandemic,the situation at grassroots level is not so bad according to Martin OLoughlin, one of the countrys most well-known cycling figures.

Cycling Ireland has really done well compared to other sporting organisations, OLoughlin said.

A lot of championships were run within Covid restrictions last year with no reported Covid outbreaks. And the Zwift league and group rides have been good. Ah Zwift. Thank God for Zwift, laughs cycling coach, Matteo Cigala, who has led the aforementioned weekly online group rides of several hundred participants for the sports governing body.

Because of the restrictions, most people (I coach) are now on the indoor trainer and are approaching the E-sports discipline more. They can race every week as part of their programme, so at least they can stay fit.

OLoughlin reports similar interest with upwards of 70 aspiring Cycling Ireland members (U14-U18) logging onto Zoom every Monday for a coaching session. They are now approaching their 20th week.

Another online initiative called the Athlete Development Programme overseen by former international rider Paul Doyle with assistance from OLoughlin was rolled out in recent months and very well received. Its future, like most things, will depend on funding.

Indeed, if Zoom and Zwift keep riders fit, they dont necessarily balance the books.

One club who addressed this issue before it became one was Killarney CC, who boast a membership of over 200.

We have reduced the club membership charge by approximately 50% across the board for 2021 as an acknowledgement of the reduced activity and the financial constraints on some members, said club secretary Tom Daly, author of the famous book, The Rs.

We are down about 25% this year but this may pick up as some dont see the need for membership during lockdown. Cycling Irelands decision to increase their membership fees was disappointing and that hasnt helped.

Echoing his sentiments was club chairman Mark Murphy who also stressed the pandemic must be neither a barrier nor an excuse to stall any progress.

The club will plan for whatever new normal we will have to live with, he said. As with many situations in life there is the rough with the smooth and we will embrace the challenge and be determined to make our club function to its maximum and make the most positive impact possible.

Killarney CC can count themselves lucky with regard to sponsorship, mind, with the aforementioned Murphy recently announcing an ambitious three-year sponsorship agreement titled Together for 2021-2023.

The agreement of 12 businesses to continue sponsoring the club for three years is an endorsement of our standing and we, in turn, must reciprocate by redoubling our efforts to continue developing the club on the one hand, and by supporting local businesses on the other. We know that multinational corporations would not have sponsored us. We also know that, directly or indirectly, we are all part of the bigger club which is the wider Killarney region and it must be our priority to make this sustainable in every respect, from sporting to business and jobs.

In Carrick-on-Suir, there was the feeling of an opportunity missed when Irelands Tour de France green jersey-winning hero Sam Bennett wasnt able to leverage his new-found stardom with what should have been a bumper homecoming.

Not having a homecoming for Sam was gutting for the club, the town and the sport here, acknowledges OLoughlin.

Sam only truly realised how much the town rowed in behind him when he eventually came home in December. Hes mentioned it a few times that hes sorry he didnt insist on coming home. Its tough enough as it is on sponsors and any exposure is always welcome but our club is luckier than most to have the support of Panduit.

Our membership is static, but I know others are struggling.

GAA: The year as a whole reinforced how important the GAA is in the community

By John Fogarty

E kept the revenue stream flowing rather than kicking the can down the road, says Pauric Keane of his first year as chairman of Allen Gaels, a period which could only be considered as a baptism of fire.

It hasnt been easy for the club drawing from Drumshanbo and Ballinaglera in mid Leitrim. Before the pandemic, the traditional club lotto had been dying a death, admits Keane. Moving it online in October was a necessity more than anything, but by tying it to club membership the hope is it will be a reinvigorated source of income. Clubforce, who facilitate Gaels lotto as they do other clubs across the country, have reported an 800% increase in club funds via lottos.

We just have to think differently. The club lotto is the only viable and safest revenue stream at the moment. Weve a mortgage of 1,800 a month that finishes in June and we would hope to get that cleared off and look to develop the grounds further.

Sponsorship has remained steady while the club has other initiatives such as an underage calendar to offset the cost of running teams. A race night last February was a major help as much as that cant be repeated next month.

What did generate some income was the Leitrim County Boards decision last summer to fix a couple of championship games in Shane McGettigan Park, named after the son of singer Charlie who was tragically killed in a scaffolding accident in Boston in 1998. Our club is centrally located and they are good grounds and a good field. Our gates showed a little increase.

But finance is going to be the burning issue for a long time to come. The bills have to be paid and when it comes time to open the gates again we have to keep them open. We did fundraiser walks and were trying to see what we could do within the restrictions to make up for the loss of things like rental of the clubhouse and the golf classic.

With approximately 450 members, Allen Gaels were able to retain that number, but it is likely to be a challenge this time around. Some understanding will have to be shown to members as Keane hopes the GAA will show to clubs like his.

We will definitely look at putting the membership back, probably March before we can look for it. I definitely think the GAA need to do something with the affiliation fees we only really ran half a year last year and that has to be taken into consideration.

Allen Gaels was one of only two clubs in Leitrim that ran a Cl Camp last year with 170 attending. The reaction from parents to its successful staging brought home to Keane the importance of the GAA.

It, and the year as a whole, reinforced how important the GAA is in the community and letting them know we are there for them. The coaching within the club is the key thing. They all rowed in with the officers. I remember meeting in late June with a group of people and discussing how we could open up with all the social distancing awareness and the hand sanitising that was needed. Getting great feedback from parents afterwards emphasised what we did was important.

However, he believes the GAA have to work more with clubs this year if Cl Camps are to be organised.

The onus was on the clubs to run the Cl Camps last year and that was fine and we managed to run a successful one. I was asked if we would do the same again this year and I said we would if it was a greater revenue-generating activity.

A lot of the money for the Cl camp went on gear. We asked about just buying the jerseys but were told we had to buy the whole kit including the training top and gear bag. That could be looked at this year, that it could be cut back and the clubs could retain more of the revenue. For the amount we brought in, we made about 300-400.

Gaels 18-person executive committee convened on Zoom last Thursday as they have been done remotely every month with plans for more social outreach planned for 2021.

Wed 18 members involved with the Leitrim County Council Covid Response Forum, and members helping with Leitrim Calling who make calls to the vulnerable and elderly. Our senior players were involved with the Tidy Towns in Drumshanbo, doing power washing blitzes, to let the community know we were there for them.

Golf: People just went mad for golf

By Paul Keane

IN a regular year, the Royal Tara Golf Club in Meath might lose 50 or so members through natural attrition and pick up 50 more, maintaining a membership of around 700.

Last year, the old parkland club in the heart of the Boyne Valley took in 150 new members, enjoying a net gain of around 100 overall, a welcome but entirely unexpected spike in interest. The clubs experience is not a unique one with huge numbers turning to the sport immediately after the first lockdown of 2020. Golf Ireland CEO Mark Kennelly has estimated that club membership in general has increased by a figure certainly north of 10%.

As Royal Taras honorary secretary Ray Keogh commented of the initial weeks after restrictions were eased last May, allowing casual golf to resume, People just went mad for golf.

The sports appeal was twofold; it was a safe, outdoor activity conducive to social distancing but just as importantly, it was open and available to play when other sports werent. With three separate nine-hole courses, a spectacular full-length driving range that is being constantly upgraded with new tees and target greens, the club next to the Hill of Tara was well positioned to meet the demand.

With ourselves, the majority of the people who joined were footballers, rugby players, hurlers, that sort of thing, from all the surrounding areas, said Keogh.

And when you looked deeply into it, a lot of these people had been casual golfers down the years without ever being members. So they kind of migrated into taking up golf membership because of the circumstances.

The influx of new members worked well on a number of levels for the club. For starters, the extra revenue coming in offset some of the lost income from bar and catering and from competition and green frees.

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Covid-19: A sport-by-sport look at the cost to grassroots games - Irish Examiner