Imagine you’re an 11-year-old.
The parents are offloading you on a Saturday morning, getting you out of their sight for a few hours. You’re dragged out of bed early, you’re told it might rain, but you’re sent in your shorts and t-shirt anyway. Instead of playing Fortnite with your day, you’re set to be put through your paces.
So you go along thinking you’ll just get it over and done with. You’ve already been to three summer camps this year, one more day of football can’t do any harm.
Then, you get to Owenbeg, bang smack in the middle of the road that runs from the city all the way down to the heartland of south Derry, and you’re greeted with more footballs than you could shake a hurl at and you’re met with role models, experts, legends.
165 footballs ready for today's U12 coaching sessions at Owenbeg. #CandC #GAA 🏐 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/5IC9hxh7iR
— Derry GAA (@Doiregaa) August 25, 2018
They’re doing coaching right in the Oak Leaf county.
When Brian McIver stepped down as senior manager in 2015, he was appointed as director of football as Derry continued to put serious investment into their future.
It coincided with the work that was already going on and the work that was about to reap rewards as they won the Ulster minor title, they lost another final and then won again in 2017 and made it the whole way to the All-Ireland decider.
This year, Derry won the under-20 provincial championship too and those few years of not even winning a game at minor level are long gone now.
And the grind continues.
The coaching team assembled for today's @RiverRidge_ U12 football sessions at Owenbeg. #CandC #GAA 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/wFwDYT3vKO
— Derry GAA (@Doiregaa) August 25, 2018
That list of coaches is downright incredible.
All-Ireland winners, players, managers, leaders of the game putting back into their county.
Back row L to R:Adrian McGuckin, John McGee, Mickey Moran, Paul McIver, Benny Heron, Paul Devlin, Seamus Scullion, Philip Kerr, Shane McCartney, Paul Simpson and Enda Muldoon.
Front row L to R:
James McToal, Chris Collins, Conleith Gilligan, Charlie O Kane, Paddy Flynn, Brian McIver, Barry Dillon and Jason Hazlett.
Adrian McGuckin: A legendary Ulster Gael. Started the St. Pat’s dominance on colleges football, led them to Hogan titles, involved with the 1993 Derry team, renowned Jordanstown coach at Sigerson level.
Mickey Moran: Won Slaughtneil’s second ever championship. Won their third. Their fourth. Their fifth. Won three Ulster titles and took them to two All-Ireland finals. Eamonn Coleman’s coach during the 1993 All-Ireland success. Jordanstown, Mayo, Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim. Brought Derry to their last All-Ireland semi-final.
Benny Heron: Current Derry senior footballer.
Paul McIver: Former Derry minor manager and sought-after club coach.
Enda Muldoon: Jesus Christ. The most beautiful footballer there ever was.
Conleith Gilligan: Muldoon’s club and county team mate. 2002 All-Ireland winner at centre forward. Still, today, Ballinderry’s lethal scorer.
Charlie O’Kane: Former Derry minor manager.
Brian McIver: Won a national league with Donegal, took Derry to the Division One final, part of the backroom team in Down when they reached the 2010 decider. Legendary St. Pius’ coach.
Barry Dillon: Another former member of the Derry backroom team alongside John Brennan.
The under-12s are in good hands.
