Strabane Sigersons great season continued last Friday night when they travelled to the Hillgrove Hotel, Monaghan for the annual Ulster G.A.A. President’s Awards function and came away as the Tyrone winners of the Coaching and Games Development award picking up a €1,000 O’Neill’s Sportswear voucher and a beautiful memorial plaque that will certainly take pride of place in their clubrooms.
Club officials Bob Casey (Chairperson), Eddie McDaid (Secretary), Jason Foley (Youth Officer) and Brendan Cairns (Senior Ladies Manager) were all in attendance at the black tie event with the Sigersons contingent dining high alongside the good and the great of Ulster G.A.A. The award was in due recognition of the hard work and effort put into the youth coaching structures not just over the course of the past year but over a long period of time which has certainly paid dividends for Strabane with their recent promotion to Senior level here in Tyrone no doubt an indication of that great work and indeed that of the many coaches and managers who have invested a lot of time and effort into ensuring that the club was aiming high and has now achieved that goal.
It was recognised at the event that the winning of this seasons Ulster Intermediate League title, the winning of promotion to Senior level for 2014 and the Senior Ladies contesting an Intermediate League final in their first season promoted was as a result of long years of commitment, hard work and dedication in bringing the youth right through the club ranks to competing at adult level remembering the fact that it all starts at grass roots level and certainly pays dividends.
Jason Foley as a former club Youth and Senior player took on the role as Youth Officer at Sigersons Annual General Meeting last year and he has put in a tremendous effort this season alongside many other dedicated coaches and managers. The success of the clubs Easter Coaching Camp, Club Tyrone Summer Camp, Multi Sports Summer Camp and Gaelic4Girls initiatives saw huge numbers in attendance and not forgetting the many Tyrone Go Games Blitzes, Club Memorial Blitzes and Primary School Blitzes that all occurred at Páirc Mhic Sioghair throughout the year. Other events such as club members attending coaching courses and educational programmes, coaching in the local Primary Schools and the clubs involvement in promoting new games such as Handball and Rounders were all pivotal in helping them to win this coveted award.
As Jason Foley stated following the event every single coach associated with Strabane Sigersons should take great personal pride in the winning of this prize as this is in recognition of all of their hard work and commitment towards the youth of the club. He stated that “all coaches past and present should hold their heads high and remember that their continued contribution will no doubt ensure that future victory celebrations such as that witnessed recently by the club could become more frequent and could include some of the emerging youth players currently under your tuition”.
A fitting end to what has been a great season for the Sigersons club with much to look forward to in 2014 on all fronts.
Pictured left to right; Brendan Cairns (Sigersons Senior Ladies Manager), Jason Foley (Youth Officer), Ulster Council President Martin McAviney, Eddie McDaid (Secretary) and Bob Casey (Chairperson).
