98 per cent of participants in the Ladies Gaelic Football Association’s Gaelic4Mothers&Others programme believe that it is a benefit to their club.
The finding is part of the results from Sports Direct's 'My Reason Why' survey which was conducted ahead of the Gaelic4Mothers&Others National Blitz that took place last month.
The survey aimed to uncover the reason why women across Ireland take part in the Gaelic4Mothers&Others programme, with a total of 1,157 partaking in the survey. Of those respondents, 56 per cent had never played Gaelic football prior to joining the programme.
34 per cent of those surveyed cited a lack of time as their biggest obstacle to participating in sport, with 20 per cent listing confidence as a barrier to participation.
96 per cent of those surveyed agreed with the statement that the Gaelic4Mothers&Others programme is beneficial for relieving stress, while a further 98 per cent said that being involved in the programme helped them to reconnect with friends.
Over 96 per cent of those surveyed meanwhile, said that their partners and/or families are supportive of their participation in the Gaelic4Mothers&Others programme, while 76 per cent of those surveyed said that they felt like a sporting role model in their family since getting involved.
3 September 2022; Naomh Eoin of Antrim at the Sports Direct Gaelic4Mothers&Others National Blitz day, hosted by the Naomh Mearnóg & St Sylvester’s GAA clubs in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
30 per cent of participants however said that they felt pressure to be a positive role model for their family, a 12 per cent increase from last year’s findings.
Further insights saw a 10 per cent increase from 2021 in the number of participants who answered ‘For Themselves’ as the reason why they participate in the programme, while having fun, improved fitness and a widened social circle were found to be the top three benefits for participants since joining the programme.
Almost 400 clubs from all 32 counties are now involved in the Gaelic4Mothers&Others programme. Since the beginning of the 2022, 22 new clubs have registered to be part of the programme.
This year, well-known podcaster, Laurita Blewitt joined her local Gaelic4Mothers&Others club at Knockmore. It was her first time playing footballl in nine years.
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