It's still the taking part that should count more than winning
IT must be quite a while since we drew a blank in the U-8 Athletic events at the national finals. It's only a few years ago that we won three of the four events and got silver in the fourth. However, nothing in life is a certainty and winning medals at national finals is not a science.
Overall our medal tally in Track and Field was a little down on former years, but I suppose we couldn't really keep up the huge success we've had for a number of years now. The team events have gone down also with a big drop off to more realistic levels in those qualifying at Munster level.
However, all these have been augmented by the huge success of our Judo competitors. There are many that would like to get rid of Judo as few enough counties compete in it. Leinster have opted out of it completely and it's hard to believe that one or two of those twelve counties, at least, could not muster a bevy of players to take to the mat. The discipline of the Judo players would not go amiss in some other events.
Too much emphasis is placed on winning medals and that has been refined further into the quest for gold medals to the detriment of sporting behaviour and enjoyment of the game. Participation for fun seems to be a dead duck.
So we say goodbye to a very talented group of Duagh / Lyre girls who have shown great prowess and sportsmanship since they started.
We're also saying goodbye to the girls who competed on our Marathon team this year. It was nice that they went out as medallists.
October 8 is our Awards Night at the River Island Hotel in Castleisland.
The County AGM will be held in The Grand Hotel, Tralee on October 31.
Areas are reminded that they should hold their AGMs during September
A County Executive meeting will be held at 8.30pm on Thursday, September 9 in the Grand Hotel, Tralee.
- Jimmy Turner
