Volunteerism

How we love heralding all that’s great about the G.A.A. We could speak for hours to those on the outside about the passion, the commitment and the loyalty that the sense of club and community the Association evokes. One of the jewels in the crown is the volunteer movement. All those members working away behind the scenes, not for the thanks they will get but for the inner joy they feel as the club they help nurture grows and grows.

‘All done on a voluntary basis’. A sentence with such meaning to so many. In truth though, the best bit about it is telling people about it. If you are the one standing on top of a van at 06h30 in the morning, loading goalposts on to a roof rack that had never envisaged such a shipment, you probably wouldn’t think it was so sexy.

A European tournament probably brings this ideal out more than most activities at club level. The amount of work that goes into the organisation is unimaginable. Right from the start, when you have to try and find pitches, through to the end when you hand over the cash to the restaurant at the end of the tournament, it’s incredible.

On Saturday, there were three ladies teams and six men’s teams from all over Europe; around 120 players or so. That’s 120 bananas, bottles of sports drink, bars of chocolate, sandwiches, energy bars and 300 litres of water. There’s also three tents, the Red Cross, two sets of goalposts (to be transported from Brussels to Leuven on top of a Hiace), bundles of sliotars and hurleys, a shop to sell refreshments, money to be collected, mini bus to ferry teams from the train to the pitch, two referees to be accommodated and surely much much more.

It’s not finished then though as you move onto the evening function. A restaurant needs to be found to give a three course mean within the €20 budget. Money collected again, trophies handed out, speeches made, tabs settled and then, maybe then, beer can be drunk! It’s an incredible operation and it happens most weekends of the spring and summer all over Europe. The pain for the organisation committee is significant but the satisfaction must be its equal.

I’m not the best at committee related things so can’t take the credit for getting the big tent ready for the big occasion but I fully appreciate how much work goes in. It is the strength of the G.A.A. and the trait required in your member’s if your club will succeed. Sean Kelly walked the talk in Leuven earlier this year when, dressed up in his suit, he was seen on his knees, helping disassemble the tents late in the evening. Fortunately our club members have it too and their organisation of this year’s tournaments did us proud.