The Athlone Community College Gaelic Football initiative is now progressing well for its first year and under 14 footballers.
Eddie Boubaise, development coaching officer with Westmeath County Board, recently visited the school and met with some of the up and coming juvenile footballers and outlined a new development programme as part of the School of Excellence initiative. The footballers will undergo a strength and conditioning programme over the next six weeks under the direction of Mr Boubaise and coaches Leo Smyth and Chris Forde.
Guest coaches have also agreed to help out, including Roscommon captain Peter Domican and Westmeath footballer John Connellan, as well as former Mayo and Roscommon manager John Maughan. Peter met incoming students to the school at open night on Wednesday January 12, and by all accounts they were most enamoured with his down-to-earth style and commitment to the school.
Head of sport in Athlone Community College, James McGrath, described the initiative as bold, exciting, and innovative. He said the strength and conditioning programme laid out by Mr Boubaise would be a vital cog in ensuring success for the future, as would the other elements of the initiative including a planned trip to St Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon later on this year.
Mr McGrath also wished the senior team under the guidance of Niall Finneran and Tomás Gilleran the best of luck against St Peter’s College, Wexford in the second round of the Leinster Senior A championship next Thursday.
