As the intercounty GAA season slowly builds towards another remarkable crescendo, it's important to remember the countless hours of unseen work being put in behind the scenes by men and women. This is the foundation upon which all of the brilliant hurling and gaelic football we enjoy during the Championship is built upon.
That's the spirit that inspires the #BornToPlay series from Sports Direct, which centres around Clane GAA.
In an earlier video, we told the fascinating history of Clane GAA: how they gave Kildare its lilywhite jersey and how they won the county title in 1997, with intercounty stars like Eddie McCormick.
The second installment in the #BornToPlay series tells the story of the people who will be shaping the future of the club: the young players and their coaches and mentors. You can watch it below.
(video here)
This video gives you a true sense of why the club is such an important part of the community in Clane.
Here we meet the parents and coaches who give up so much of their time to work with the kids of Clane, teaching them the fundamentals of gaelic games and the values of integrity and honesty that inspire the club. It's not really about winning or losing, it's about participation, it's about taking part.
"The best thing the kids ever said to me was ‘can we get involved in the GAA?’" Shirley O'Keefe tells us. "My involvement with Clane GAA is that I help coach and mentor the under-10 girls. Each week we would have training and matches. After each match we come home and I’d take the gear, the kits home with me, and I’d give them a good wash and hang them on the line,"
As we've reported, Sports Direct have this summer announced a partnership with Clane and four other clubs: Bellaghy in Derry, St Dominic's in Roscommon, Listry in Kerry and Ballygunner in Waterford.
"Sports Direct are excited about our journey in supporting grassroots Gaelic Games. Our aim is to foster a positive and supportive relationship with our selected Gaelic Games clubs,” Leonard Brassel, Managing Director from Sports Direct Ireland told us.
It's amazing to see the work that clubs like Clane are doing in communities across the country. It's equally brilliant to see companies like Sports Direct providing support for clubs and assisting them in this process.
