On Monday last the Kilkenny Strategic GAA Board held their Strategic Vision and Action plan for 2010 - 2015 in Hotel Kilkenny.
Of particular interest on the night was the proposal of branding the Kilkenny hurling team. It was mentioned that names of the players be added to their jerseys - however for this to come into effect all clubs across Ireland would have to do the same for it to work. A furtehr proposal was for more than one sponsor to possibly go on the team jersey and market the team as a brand, thus putting more money into the local GAA clubs.
Provisions of pitches through Kilkenny County Council
The convention also addressed the issue of GAA pitches / facilities provided by the Kilkenny County Council, who have already provided facilities and grounds for other sporting clubs.
Recruit more referees
The convention also heard of the need for more GAA referees. The proposal was made to recruit second level students to train as referees by starting at Go Games level.
Nowlan Park - Hebron Road stand
The plan also involved the possibility of branding the Hebron road stand in Nowlan Park. The plan looked at possibly naming the stand after a business or businesses who wish to sponsor it.
The plan as a whole
To encompass the whole plan, there are six sections:
1 Games Development and Games Scheduling.
2 Funding Opportunities and Financial Excellence.
3 Planning and Officer Support.
4 Communications, Marketing and Public Relations.
5 Volunteers and Urbanisation.
6 Inclusion, Integration, Club Culture and Community
The key goals that the committee want to achieve are:
The appointment of a full-time/part-time County Board Secretary.
The development of an all-weather/"3G" pitch and training centre in the county and the provision of playing pitches with Kilkenny County Council.
The continued operation of the Go-Games (Games for everyone ) model up to under-12 grade.
Ensure a proper fixtures programme for all players at all levels.
Proper training for GAA club officers so they can perform their roles properly.
Increased education of information technology and development of the Kilkenny GAA website.
Better support for city clubs in catering for the increasing numbers in their catchment area.
The time frame for the plan is up to 2015 and there will be an annual review at the end of each year to see what progress is being made and if any changes need to be made.
