Pathway coaches do go into schools but approach seems to be more they take just a few sessions with main aim to identify any potential talented players not in the pathway. They then will invite them to a relevant session – whether the regional development sessions or provincial sessions they run weekly.HammerTime wrote: ↑Wed Sep 06, 2023 9:41 amYes I'm talking about schools as well why aren't UR heavily involved in programs/coaching/guidance and of course dishing out a few bob/grants? Schools seem to be left to their own devices.kingofthehill wrote: ↑Wed Sep 06, 2023 6:24 amThe significance of the Academy in Leinster is the same as Ulsters. It’s about what happens before.HammerTime wrote:We should have one of the best youth systems about by now considering we have had a decade now with a free stadium which is a big money generator compared to before. And unlike others who only rent/are in big debt. Instead, we've blown the loot on expensive journeymen and still have gotten nowhere.
Consider the substantial investments pouring into the Dublin schools, albeit not from Leinster itself.
The Dublin schools boast well-compensated coaches who attract top-tier coaching talent. A striking contrast arises when comparing the earnings of Belfast’s 1st XV coaches to Dublin’s U13 coaches. While one earns significantly below the minimum wage, the other enjoys a generous income.
This dichotomy extends to the realm of extracurricular teachers in Ulster, where their numbers are dwindling. This is only going to get worse.
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Hence to KOTH’s point why so many kids seem to be involved in an Ulster training session. Means they hit multiple players and schools/clubs through a few centralised sessions from a small number of coaches.
While will be of benefit particularly to kids from clubs or smaller schools maybe not getting top quality coaching it no way addresses the gap to a kid in a bigger Belfast school never mind the mini academies in the Dublin private schools. Will always get a few gems coming through but will never be in big numbers. Would take significant investment in quality coaches at a greater number of clubs/schools to start to address the gap. I often wonder why some of the bigger clubs in Ulster don’t have their senior coaches coaching at the youth level or going into the local school. Should be a number of decent coaches but they seem to concentrate on the senior level and parents are taking the youths – seems too late to me and if they invested more of their coaching time in the youth it could start to reap benefits down the line but likely down to short term nature of the coaches & extra money they’d want.
