Last night saw the 3rd instalment of the Underage Academy's pilot scheme of Parent & Players Nights and again it proved a huge success with 56 players in attendance and over 45 Parents acting as coaches, be it helping with the drills, organising lines or simply encouraging the young Bridge Bucks.

Peter Casey, sporting a hipster bearded look, took charge again and this week focused on "Batting the ball" and "ground strokes". The main emphasis was on footwork and kids leaping off the air to bat or dancing like Michael Flately when swinging left and right. 

Peter remarked that parents were definitely putting in the time with the kids at home because there was a marked improvement since the last session 3 weeks ago. He spoke about the importance of encouragement and the 7:1 (Positive:Negative) ratio thats needed for people to flourish in life. 

Just like school or any walk of life, kids soak up information in a happy and fun environment and this is the aim of Coaching Co-Ordinator & 3 times All Ireland medallist Michael O Halloran with these sessions who said "Normally numbers drop off as the weeks go on but our numbers grew from the first to third session over a 6 week time frame - what is most encouraging was to hear the parents say the kids were laying out their hurling gear before school this morning in anticipation of tonights session and other parents being called at work to remind them to be home on time so they werent late for training".

Just before the session ended the stars of the future headed into the dressing room for a party of Popcorn, Sweets & Pasta to celebrate their achievements over the last few weeks while the Parents who should now be addressed as Coaches had an open chat to review the Players & Parents Nights and provide feedback. 

Some of the main points were:

- Many hands make light work: As seen by the sessions, the more help the smaller the groups, the smaller the groups the more activity for the kids, the more activity the more fun they have, the more fun the HAPPIER the kids.

- Everyone has something to offer: Moms, Dads, Brothers, Sisters, Grandads, Grandmothers all took part in these sessions which encouraged a 1:1 ratio of Player to Adults. A "Can do" attitude was embraced by all adults which showed everyone has a skill whether it be as a coach, gatherer, organiser or simply encouraging kids.

- The simple things need to be perfected first: A lot of parents still talk about the education they got on the hurley size in Week 1 as something they have implemented which is a huge bonus. Basic grip with the correct hand on top was another essential tip. If this message can be delivered it saves a few weeks when we get to the field for training and allows us to get stuck in to new drills straight away.

Where to now?

The U6 and U8 teams will be starting back very soon in the field so keep an eye on the Club Media outlets (sixmilebridgegaa.com, Club Facebook, Club Twitter (@smbgaa) and the Club App (Clubifyapp.com)) for news.

Martin Conlon will be the U6 Co-Ordinator while Adrian Chaplin will fill the same roll for the U8s. Both lads bring a wealth of knowledge to the setup and will ensure our kids thrive in a positive environment on the hallowed turf of O'Garney Park.

Coaching Course

A very encouraging aspect was the show of hands from parents who would be interested in attending a Coaching course. Peter mentioned from his point of view everyone who attended the sessions would be more than able for the course and would benefit hugely from it. This course is fully certified by the GAA.

Wrapup

As mentioned on the night we all want the best for our kids be it in hurling or any walk of life so getting involved and helping out when they are young will help ensure they will have fun and flourish in the future.