Essex Shillelaghs GAA

The Newsletter of

Essex Shillelaghs Gaelic Athletic Association

A 501c(3) Non Profit Organization

March 18, 2024

Practice to Begin

Our club will launch its first practice of the season for all age groups on Stagg Field in West Orange starting on April 6, 2024.

Practice times for age groups are set as follows:

2:00pm - U10 and U12

3:00pm - U8

4:00pm - U14, Boys U16, Girls U16

This practice schedule will be in effect for all Saturdays in our season unless there is a game scheduled. Your coaches will will contact you if there are any changes.

Liability waiver for your child must be completed and returned in order to participate.

Game Format and First Competition Set

by the GAA New York Minor Board

This year, our club will play in the NY Minor Board's B division for Gaelic football. The format selected by the Minor Board is to play a series of five, one-day tournaments followed by a championship tournament to conclude the spring season. The first tournament will be on Saturday, April 13 with the first matches starting at 2pm. The tournaments will run, weather permitting every other week.

Although the venue for the event has not been set as of this writing, parents should expect that the location may require a 45-60 minute drive.

The NYMB of the GAA includes teams throughout the city of New York, Westchester, Rockland and Duchess counties.

Waiver Update

Due to a change in the requirements from the Town of West Orange Recreation Department, you will NOT need the Community Pass registration as was suggested on your registration.

Instead, we will be sending an electronic waiver form to you in the upcoming week. The form needs to be completed for each child, signed and returned by email. The waiver must be received by us BEFORE your child takes the field.

Uniform Update

The last shipment of our new uniforms is expected to be shipped from Ireland this month. Because of the support of our team sponsors, we were able to order beautiful sets from O'Neill's. As you may know, O'Neill's is the top provider of GAA uniforms for teams around the world. The jerseys remain the property of our club and are distributed to each player on game day for use. The jerseys are returned to the coaching staff at the end of each game.

Soon, a full line of Essex Shillelaghs GAA sportswear will be available for individual purchase on their website.

Shorts & Socks Distribution

Included in this year's registration fee, players will receive one set of Essex Shillelaghs shorts and socks from O'Neill's. Perfectly matched to our team jerseys, this set of sportswear is for your child to keep and wear to games and if they like, to practices. If you want additional shorts or socks, they will be available for individual purchase on the O'Neill's website very soon.

We will be distributing the shorts and socks at our first practice on April 6. Please try and come 30 minutes before your scheduled practice to allow for the distribution and to verify we have your waiver on file.

March 30, 10am-3:30pm

Shillelagh Club, West Orange, NJ

Do you enjoy working with children and helping them develop their skills? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you!

We're on the lookout for dedicated parents to join us as Coach-in-Training volunteers with the Essex Shillelaghs GAA youth Gaelic football program. As a Coach-in-Training, you'll have the chance to learn from experienced coaches, gain valuable coaching skills, and make a meaningful impact on the lives of young athletes.

We welcome parents of all backgrounds and experience levels to join us as Coach-in-Training volunteers! Your passion, dedication, and commitment to our youth Gaelic football program are what make our community thrive.

Our training session is set for March 30 at the Shillelagh Club. The training will be conducted by Cian O'Dey from the New York GAA. After completing the training, you will attain and entry-level certification to coach in our GAA program.



Interested? Reach out to [email protected] to learn more and sign up today.

GAA News is published monthly by the Public Relations Officer, Lorraine Joyce

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