U12 ‘ Farewell to Coiste’ Football Blitz UCD
Saturday, 27th November saw 120 of our finest Crokes u12 boys converge on UCD for their final football outing of the year and their very last engagement under the Coiste na nÓg banner.
What started as a 7s blitz grew rapidly due to popular demand, and ultimately 12 teams of 10 were fielded across 6 pitches. To mirror our beginnings in the Paddock, every team contained a player from each of the full spectrum of our current U12 teams, with the emphasis being on Team play and inclusion.
Despite the unexpected sunshine, temperatures barely rose above Arctic, however 4 x 25min matches per team kept the lads moving. The added excitement of ‘double-score’ armbands, kept everyone on their toes, not least the referees!
Our 7 year journey along the Coiste pathway was suitably rounded off by an inspiring speech from our very first Nursery Lead, Ian O’Sullivan, and a visit from 5 members of the Senior Championship-winning panel who equally inspired with their obvious camaraderie and enthusiastic engagement with our boys.
In his oration, Ian managed to get everyone to agree to meet up 20 years from now and recreate the very same blitz – a challenging aspiration but one that’s not beyond the realm of possibility with this fantastic group of young friends.
Thank you, of course, to everyone who was involved with the lads along the way, too numerous to mention – you know who you are - you have contributed to the development of our sons in ways that surpass the mere hook kick and hand pass, and helped foster friendships that will last a lifetime.
Thank you to all involved in Coiste during this period too – the superb foundation you set will continue to form the bedrock for many Gaelic careers in the years to come.
And well done boys, this is merely the first stage of your GAA journey and you have all graduated with honours! We couldn’t be more proud.
Here’s to juvenile and beyond!
