CODE OF CONDUCT

1. It is mandatory for all management, coaches and players to pay a Membership / Registration fee to the club. This includes your insurance and affiliation costs for the season.  Failure to do so will result in you not being a club member. Therefore, not being eligible to play or train for your club, manage, coach or select for your club, attend or represent your club at GAA functions or meetings. Parents and supporters are encouraged to become club members.
2. There is a mandatory €2 fee per session for all players and coaches for the hire of indoor or outdoor Astroturf. Funds collected must be immediately placed in an envelope with team name on it and placed in the juvenile club post box next to juvenile club notice board.
3. It is mandatory for all Selection Committees to have a representative at every ( fortnightly) committee meeting
4. It is mandatory that all selectors / coaches attend a minimum of 3 committee meetings during the year.
5. Players and coaches must have the appropriate equipment for playing and this includes the mandatory wearing of helmets for both hurling training and matches.
6. Buses should be kept to a minimum and ordered by Club Secretary. A min of €5 collected (depending on destination) from all travelling on buses. Funds should immediately be placed in an envelope with team name on it and placed in the Juvenile club post box next to juvenile club notice board..
7. All trainers, coaches and selectors should immediately remove all juvenile players’ individual mobile phone numbers from your own mobile. Contact should only be made through the player’s parents/guardians as part of group texts.
8. Players, play fair, this earns you respect, cheating does not. Play to win, never give up against stronger opponents but never relent to weaker ones. Be competitive, be strong, be aggressive but always be in control.
9. Be a sportsman/sportswoman, win with dignity and lose with grace.
10. Players, coaches, parents and supporters accept the decisions of all match officials without protest.  They will not always be right but neither will you.
11. Players, coaches and supporters maintain emotional and physical control, do not use foul or abusive language or insulting remarks and do not physically or verbally abuse any official, player, spectator or coach from your own or oppositions’ club. Control your temper and do not retaliate.
12. Players, Coaches and supporters if you have a grievance please inform the Secretary of your Club verbally or in writing and your grievance will be dealt with at a Club meeting.
13. Players and Coaches please attend all training sessions and matches punctually at the times advised by your coaches.  If unable to attend for any reason advise your coach or one of your team selection committee.
14. Coaches, Parents, supporters. PLEASE NOTE, An Garda Siochana have advised the club to remind all drivers that occupants in your car must wear a seat belt at all times and that sitting on windows or leaning out of windows is strictly prohibited and may lead to prosecution.
15. Players respect and follow the guidance and directions of your coaching staff, match and club officials.
16. Respect the facilities and equipment of your own and opposing clubs.
17. Set a positive example for others, particularly young players and supporters.
18. Players do not wear jewellery during training sessions or matches
19. Report any injury’s immediately to coaching staff.

G.A.A. COMPLEX RULES

• No ball playing is allowed in the car parks, corridors, dressing rooms.
• No footballs, sliotars or Hurleys are allowed upstairs in the complex.
• Leave your Hurleys and balls under the stairs or hand them into reception.
• You are not allowed into any dressing room unless you are there with your team
• Gymnasium rooms and adult dressing rooms are strictly off limits for U16s.
• The stadium is strictly off limits unless there is a match taking place
• Parties are private functions; do not interfere in any way with these events
• Leave the bar stools to adults, do not make a nuisance of yourselves
• Jumping on bar furniture is not permitted

The above rules are a common sense approach to the type of behaviour required from one and all .

Malicious damage to complex property, equipment or theft of any kind will result in your instant dismissal from the club and complex.

Development Plan updated

This Plan has been compiled for the greater good of Mallow Juvenile GAA Club and while you may not totally agree with some aspects of the plan we hope you will understand that the clarity it brings will benefit us all in the long run and the plan is reviewed on an annual basis.

1. The Head Coach of each juvenile team must have a minimum of a Foundation Level Qualification. (Note 1)
2. One member of each management team should have a First Aid Qualification (Note 2)
3. One member of each management team will be responsible for maintaining and updating a database of players (Note 3)
4. Coaches must be properly dressed to give a training session, i.e. wear a tracksuit, wearing jeans is not acceptable attire for coaching at any level.
5. Coaches must ensure they have all the necessary equipment to give a training session (Note 4).
6. Coaches to be encouraged to coach a particular team for a maximum of three years, coach may remain on as a selector after the three year period.
7. From U7 to U12 inclusive, priority must be given to players who are up to the age, the aim of these age groups is not winning but to get as many players participating as possible.  All players on the age attending any game must get some game-time as a priority (Note 5).
8. Your Club wishes to make every effort to field both league and championship teams in all age groups from U13 to U18.
9. From U13 to U18 a player who has another year left on a particular team can be considered for selection i.e. An U15 player can play with the U16 team Etc
10. At U13 – U18.  Our top players should be facilitated and promoted to Avondu and County squads and teams. While our Club always takes precedence over divisional or county participation.
11. At U13 – U18.  Championship before League before Challenges before training is the order of priority with 1^st allegiance to a players own age group if a fixture clash occurs.
12. At all U13 – U18 Leagues, Coaches please try to give priority to players up to the age.
13. At all U13 – U18 North Cork/County Championship and Féile competitions the aim will be to pick the best team available.
14. No U12 player can play U14, No U13 player can play U15, No under 14 player can play U16, No U15 player at Minor.
15. (Exception to rule 14) On application to the management committee, Parents and/or selectors/coaches of a team may request an exception. A rare exception may be granted (by the Management Committee Only). Players own team coaches must be informed of the request in advance and no individual player should be approached.
16. At U13 – U18 a player’s first allegiance is to competitions and training at his own age group and for his own Club.

1. Minor.  As a club policy, preference will be given to 17 and 18 year olds, and then access to U16 players would be through the U16 coaches.  Individual players must not be approached.  A minimum No of U16 players would be made available for both league and championship but not for challenge games.  U16s would not train with minors other than the week of the championship or if the U16 team have finished their match programme for the year. Close co-operation is needed between both Management Teams and this would be agreed at the start of the year.
2. 18. Minor. As a club policy first allegiance of all Minor players is to the Minor grade and then access to Minor players would be through the Minor coaches.  Individual players must not be approached. A minimum no of Minor players would be made available to senior teams for matches * by agreement * from the minor selection committees. Minor players will not train with Senior teams except * by agreement * and notification by minor coaches or if the Minor teams have finished their match programmes for the year. A Minor player may choose not to make himself available to adult teams without compulsion to do so. Close co-operation is needed between all Management Teams and this will be agreed at the start of each year.  *In the absence of Agreement Senior Club Management will rule on the matter.*

19. All Players: A 48 hour club embargo exists prior to championship matches on all players playing other codes.

1. At the end of each playing season a report on the team’s performance must be forwarded to the Management Committee (Note 6)
2. Existing links with the National schools that Mallow G.A.A. draws their players from will continue to be developed.  This is a key part of our plan if we are going to get the maximum number of player’s playing hurling and football. (Note 7)
3. Your Club intends to explore the setting up of a ” Nursery Programme “ for 4 to 7 year olds in 2011
4. Your Club Intends to Explore setting up a “ Young Whistlers Programme “& Cara support System in 2011
5. Your Club Intends applying for the Lee Flag Initiative “ Excellence in Coaching Standards “ in 2011

Notes

1. Facilitated by running a Foundation Course within the club each year or by doing one of the many courses run by Cork Coaching and Games Development Committee.
2. Facilitated by running a First Aid course in the club each year; this would be done in partnership with the local Red Cross.
3. This would involve having: contact number of both players and parents/guardians, addresses and any medical conditions the player may have. Also involves ensuring all players and coaches are registered, paid up club members.
4. Equipment: tracksuit, whistle, hurleys, sliotars, cones, bibs, water bottles, first aid.
5. As stated earlier on of the main aims of this plan is to get as many players playing hurling and football as possible and retaining them as players up to the adult grades.  This will not be feasible if younger players are played ahead of the players up to the age, from U12 downwards.  The younger players will be getting matches at their own grade and cannot be played at the higher age at the expense of the older player.  All players at every age want to play matches and that is what they train for and more importantly what keeps them playing.  Quite simply if we leave players on the bench who are up to age they will not come back, regardless of their ability.  The focus within Mallow G.A.A. from U12 down is not on winning but taking part.  Also, remember that players mature at different speeds so a weak player a U12 may turn out to be the best player at minor level!  Your club acknowledges that in some years teams may not have 15 players up to the age and as a result they will have to play younger players
6. An end of each year report is vital for both the Team Selectors and your club moving forward.  For the Selector it is a chance to sit down at the end of the year, pick out the positives and negatives of the year just past.  The aim would be to maintain the positives going forward and turn the negatives into positives.  Also at this meeting it would be an ideal platform to identify any players who have slipped away during the year and approaches can be made in the off season to get these players back for the following year.  From the Management and Development Committee point of view these reports will give us an insight into all juvenile teams and identify where we can help to move these juvenile teams forward be it through more coaching courses or getting extra coaches involved with certain teams.