Featured Event: Irish Squash – Irish Junior Open 2013

Nov 28, 2013

Featured Event: Irish Squash – Irish Junior Open 2013

Location:

Sutton LTC & Aer Lingus (ALSAA) Sports Club

DATE:

November 22^nd – 24^th  2013

PARTICIPATING TEAMS/ATHLETES:

117 players from 6 countries – Girls & Boys from U13 – U19

Host:

Irish Squash

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About Irish Squash

Irish Squash, founded in 1935 is the National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport of squash in Ireland. The Irish Squash Federation is an All Ireland Body encompassing the 32 counties with the four Provincial branches, each responsible for organising participation, play and Competitions in their own province. As a National Governing Body we proactively develop and promote squash. We offer a comprehensive range of support and services at national, regional and local levels including:

• Programmes to increase participation in squash and especially for children with school programmes and women
• Events and competitions for all ages and abilities
• Coaching Education Programmes
• Advice on Technical and Maintenance services
• Structured Development Programmes
• Promotion of Squash and drive awareness of the game and its health benefits to participants

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EVENT HISTORY

First played in 1974 it was one of the first Junior Open in Europe and has a long history with many title winners who have gone on to great success in professional squash over the years including our current national womens champion Aisling Blake from Sligo.

EVENT PREPARATION

A Tournament Director was appointed in April who then set up a sub-committee who met and started preparation in earnest in August.  The 2 venues were selected and agreed with the host clubs. All the detail for the entry form was decided upon including the hotel and food package for the visiting teams. The hotels, caterers and transport were booked and contracts signed. Transport had to be arranged to bring players to/from the airport and also to/from the hotel and squash venues. The preparation to live stream the event on the Irish Squash page on Aertv were also made regarding ensuring the broadband was strong enough to stream. The invitation to enter was sent to the European Squash federation who the send it to all affiliated countries. The sub committee met twice a week in the 4 weeks leading up to the event finalising the volunteers who were going to work in both venues, checking players in, organising the playing schedule, organising referees and inputting all results on-line into tournament software which is the software product being used to run the

event. There was also a welcome pack put together which had to organised with it-shirts printed and other promotional items purchased. Once all the entries were in by the closing date the final hotel bookings were made and catering finalised in Sutton and ALSAA. The seeding were then made and the draw was completed, published on the Irish Squash web site and on Tournament Software. Players were also made aware by e mail of their first round match.

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THE EVENT

Venue
Sutton LTC & Aer Lingus (ALSAA) Sports Club
Spectators/Attendees
The Open had 117 players played with supporters and family also attending. Supporters of Junior Squash generally were also at he event over the 3 days – Friday 2pm – 8pm/Saturday 9am – 8pm/Sunday 9am – 4pm
Volunteers
Volunteers were recruited from the 2 host clubs mainly, with over 30 people in total to manage both venues over the weekend. This included manning reception/registration referees, player liaison, office staff to input results and publish fixtures, draws etc

How was the event structured?

There was a Girls and Boys event in 4 age groups – Under 13, 15, 17 & 19. Events were organised into the ‘Swiss’ System i.e. In a 16 person draw the 1^st seed plays the 16^th seed, 2^nd plays 15^th and so on. All the winners play to the final but all the losers

continue to play all the other losers. When play concludes everyone is ranked from 1 to 16.

Where next for the Irish Team?

The Irish Junior Squad @ U11, 13, 15, 17 & 19 (top 6 ranked players ) have squad sessions for the next 4 weekends . There will be more sessions in January. The Junior national Championships take place in early February and the national teams at U13, 15, 17 & 19 will be selected for European Championships taking place in March/April in Finland & the Czech Republic.

How the event went, Paul Nugent, COO, Irish Squash:

“With nearly 400 matches over the 3 days everything went so smoothly and our visitors and home players had a great weekend of fun and competition. We had a very successful event which was virtually 100% organised by voluntary effort, with a superb Tournament Director who worked superbly with the 2 venues and their members.  We also had over 4,000 unique views from 8 countries over the weekend watching the live streaming, which was the first time the Irish Junior Open was streamed live. All in all a very successful tournament.”

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For more information see

Website:            

http://www.irishsquash.com/1st-round-irish-junior-open-2013/

Featured Member: Mountaineering Ireland

Nov 28, 2013

Mountaineering Ireland

Mountaineering Ireland is the representative body for walkers and climbers in Ireland. It is recognised as the National Governing Body for mountaineering, hillwalking, rambling and climbing by both the Irish Sports Council and Sport Northern Ireland. Founded in 1971, Mountaineering Ireland exists to represent and support the walkers and climbers of Ireland and to be a voice for the sustainable use of Ireland’s mountains and all the places (coastline, crags, forests) we use.

 Mountaineering Ireland has a number of sub-committees, including an Access and Conservation Committee that supports Mountaineering Ireland’s environmental initiatives and a Mountain Training Board that supports the delivery of personal skills and leadership awards such as

Mountain Skills, Lowland Leader Award, Mountain Leader Award, Climbing Wall Award, Multi Pitch Award and others. These schemes and awards are used by both club members and as vocational awards for those working in the adventure activities and outdoor education sector.

There are ten members of staff at present based at offices in Irish Sport HQ, Dublin 15 and Tollymore National Outdoor Centre, Co. Down.

Membership:  11,509  

Number of Clubs: 168

2013 Highlights:

Competition climbing is growing hugely across the globe and over the past 5 years it’s growth in Ireland has been significant. This has seen the development of new national climbing centres (Gravity and Awesome Walls) and more regional climbing centres (Cork, Belfast and Derry) opening shortly. Other local walls (Kilfinane, Upperchurch, Artane, etc.) have also developed recently. This greater access to better facilities has raised the profile of young Irish climbers and one of those, Dominic Burns, is the 2013 European Youth Cup Bouldering Champion and he is ranked number 1 in the World.Mountaineering Ireland  developed a new strategic plan through significant engagement with our members. The plan (SDP 2014-2017) will see Mountaineering Ireland work to deliver on 7 key objectives:- supporting participation in our sport, improving personal skills and standards and encouraging adventure opportunities for everyone.

 Get Ireland Walking is an Irish Sports Council initiative led by Mountaineering Ireland. Get Ireland Walking exists to support people to get walking in their communities for health, wellbeing and fitness. A focus of year one has been to bring all interested stakeholders together, build the base of walking groups throughout Ireland and support groups and stakeholders with appropriate services and resources. See www.getirelandwalking.ie

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Fact File

•  52% of members are female

•  Ireland boasts a world number 1 ranked climber

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Key Programmes that Mountaineering Ireland run:

Access and Environment

Most walking and climbing activities in Ireland take place in the natural environment, therefore access to the outdoors is absolutely fundamental to the sport of mountaineering. An appreciation and understanding of the environment can greatly enhance our enjoyment of our activities in the outdoors. Mountaineering Ireland’s work on access and conservation is focused on two core objectives:

• To secure continued access to mountain areas and crags
• To promote the conservation and responsible use of the mountain environment.

In 2013, this has involved developing, with other stakeholders, initiatives such as Helping the Hills, Club Environmental Officers’ Programme, the National Uplands Working Group, contributing to the Irish Uplands Forum, Comhairle na Tuaithe, and other regional upland forums.

Mountain Training

Mountain Training on the island of Ireland is supported by two mountain training boards; Bord Oiliúint Sléibhe, which is the training sub-committee of Mountaineering Ireland and Mountain Training Northern Ireland. Currently, a process is ongoing to integrate both training boards in Mountaineering Ireland. Mountain Training can be summed up as the provision of personal skills and leadership training schemes and awards. These schemes and awards support both participation in our sport and also those that work in the outdoor industry.

Youth and Talent Development

Mountaineering Ireland’s youth programme includes both support through Mountaineering Ireland’s affiliated clubs and also through other youth organisations, including Scouting Ireland. The Youth Climbing Series is a series of fun climbing competitions specifically for young people with the emphasis on enjoyment. It attracts hundreds of entrants across Ireland. The Aspirant Mountaineers programme focuses on students and young people between the ages of 18 – 23 and provides development opportunities in Ireland’s mountains before taking part in a winter skills programme in Scotland.

Mountaineering Ireland’s Talent Development programme provides a pathway for talented young climbers to progress into national development squads and the national climbing team.

Girls Outside and Women with Altitude

The Irish Sports Council’s Women in Sport programme has allowed Mountaineering Ireland develop the Girls Outside and Women in Sport programmes targeting long term female participation in our sport. Mountaineering Ireland’s membership is now 52% female with greater participation of women in all aspects:- leadership, competitions, etc..

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What are the key events to look forward to in 2014?

Calendar of Events

Club challenge and hillwalking events take place throughout the year and dates of those events are available closer to the event date.

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How can people get involved in ?

To find a club close to you or to join as an individual member of Mountaineering Ireland, go to www.mountaineering.ie

Our website has lots of infiormation on accessing hillwalking and climbing, equipment and skills and the options of training schemes and awards that are available.

Also, please visit some of other sites;

www.womenwithaltitude.ie

www.helpingthehills.ie

www.getirelandwalking.ie

www.girlsoutside.ie

 Social Media Channel Links:

Programmes in Sport- Swim Ireland, ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge 2014’

Nov 28, 2013

Swim Ireland, ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge 2014’

This week the Federation spoke to Swim Ireland the grand prize winners of the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund 2013 about their winning project ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge’ …

With over 230,000 adults swimming every week in Ireland why do you think swimming is so popular?

From physical to psychological, health and social benefits, swimming is a fantastic sport available to EVERYONE; young and old, big and small, anyone can do it. You don’t have to be a great athlete for swimming to be beneficial and fun!

Once someone has learned to swim they acquire a life skill allowing them to be safer in the water and they will have gained the skill and ability to use the activity as part of a healthy balanced lifestyle.

What is your advice to someone who has not been swimming regularly but would like to sign up for the ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge’?

Just Do It!! The first step is to find your local pool on Swim Ireland’s Pool Locator on the website. The swimming programme is designed for those who can swim a little and builds up over the course of the 12 weeks. We have also produced a guide for adults to get back into the pool which answers questions like: what do I bring? Where can I buy a swimsuit?

What can people expect from the training programme provided to help them reach their goal?

There are 12 and 8 week programmes available. The 12 week programme is for those who can swim but it’s been a while since they have been in the pool or taken any exercise. The 8 week programme is for fitter members of the population. In both programmes you will get 3 sessions with direction and details of exactly what you need to do – we will also be providing free coaching sessions in the 5 flagship pools and through the Swim for a Mile website and social media sites you will be able to watch video demonstrations and ask questions.

Today FM’s Matt Cooper and former Irish International and double Olympian Melanie Nocher are both ambassadors for the programme and will be encouraging people throughout the 12 weeks. We will also follow the journey of three people taking part in the programme through Matt’s radio show “The Last Word” on Today FM.

As a qualified swim teacher, Melanie will be available through the e-mail swimforamile@swimireland.ie to answer questions and queries throughout the 12 weeks.

Swimming is for everyone! Can the whole family take part in the ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge 2014’?

The ‘Swim for a  Mile Challenge’ is open for those aged 16 and over only. Parents, grandparents, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters are all encouraged to participate as long as they meet the age requirement.

What do you hope people will gain from the ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge’ project?

Our overall aim is to encourage participation in swimming and we hope that from taking part people will lead more active, healthier lifestyles. The mile is a set goal to strive for and we hope that people can reach this through the programmes.

Through the programme people will become more familiar with their local swimming pools and clubs and we hope that they will continue to participate in swimming. We are planning the “Swim for a Mile Challenge” as an annual event and hopefully they will return in 2015 with the goal of lowering their mile swim time.

Where and when will the ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge’ events be taking place?

How will people be able to sign up to take part?

Registration for ‘Swim for a Mile’ will open through www.swimforamile.com in December 2013.

Describe what people can expect on the day of the ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge’ ?

People can expect a fun and lively atmosphere at each of the centres over the five days. Goodie bags will be given to each participant with specially designed swim hats for the event. Participants will be appointed into lanes across the pool depending on their expected mile times ensuring that everyone has an enjoyable experience in the pool.

Thanks again for your time and perhaps you have some more information on other projects and programmes that Swim Ireland are running?

Swim Ireland runs numerous projects; from ‘Swim a Song’ for babies to our Child and Adult Learn to Swim Programmes. You can find information on everything you need to know on www.swimireland.ie

For further information e-mail swimforamile@swimireland.ie or visit www.swimforamile.com from 6th December 2013.

Federation of Irish Sport Featured LSP: Wicklow Sports Partnership

Nov 26, 2013

Wicklow Sports Partnership

BACKGROUND

The Wicklow Sports Partnership was established in 2008, and aims to increase participation in sport and physical activity throughout  Co. Wicklow. The Vision of Wicklow Local Sports Partnership is to “Increase participation in sport and physical activity in County Wicklow through the co-ordination and delivery of quality programmes, training and services”. The Mission of Wicklow Local Sports Partnership is to “Provide sporting and physical activity opportunities through partnership”.

What we do:  

We provide support and assistance across a range of area’s such as Sports Development, Physical Activity Provision, Education and Training, Information Provision and Leadership & Management.

At Wicklow Local Sports Partnership our aim is to support increased participation in sport and active recreation throughout County Wicklow especially across specific target groups such as women & girls, youth, older adults, people with disabilities, unemployed, disadvantaged and minority groups. Wicklow Local Sports Partnership also works to ensure that local resources are put to best possible use.

Information:

Involving co-ordination of local sports information, initiating research, compiling a sports directory/ database and identifying needs and resources to form the basis of local planning and establishing a consultative sports forum.

Education:

Provision of quality opportunities for education and training at local level, including generic training courses in areas such as Code of Ethics, First Aid and Active Leadership while also supporting the delivery of sports specific courses in conjunction with the National Governing Bodies of Sport.

Implementation:

Implementation range of national programmes to encourage participation e.g. Buntus, Women In Sport, Go for Life. Programmes are delivered in areas such as Sports Development, Community Sport & Physical Activity, Schools Sport, Youth Sport & Sport and Inclusion. Wicklow Local Sports Partnership will also implement sports programmes in the context of the local strategic plan for Sport and Physical Activity and in line with Irish Sports Council priorities.

The next main event  is the new men’s fitness program in Arklow at the end of November the implementation of the new fitness program will coincide with the ‘Operation Transformation’ TV Series which begins in January.

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