Young Melbourne GAA

In 2016, a group of Gaels in Melbourne, Australia set about creating a pathway for our young diaspora, those with an affinity to Ireland, and others with only a distant connection to enjoy the great gift of participation in Gaelic Games. At the time, the dreams were grand, and the journey seemed interminably long. There were good days and bad days but visionary and resilient people stayed the course and as more volunteers rallied to our cause, Kids GAA Melbourne began to develop from a skills pathway to an emerging community. That community has grown since 2016 and it continues to thrive, with Sunday morning training sessions regularly seeing over 60 young players hone their skills, as parents mentor and coach our players and all families connect and provide the sense of kinship, inclusion and belonging that the GAA stands for. We have already begun to develop players to participate in senior competitions. We have started building a pool of referees, coaches, committee members and volunteers. These are the foundations of a vibrant and sustainable GAA club. And so, it makes perfect sense to take the next step towards becoming a fully integrated family club, and so Kids GAA Melbourne has now officially become Young Melbourne GAA Club. This is another exciting step forward, and one which will create even more opportunities for everyone involved, especially and most importantly, our young players who crave development, competition (local and interstate) and camaraderie. This next phase will see us plan and prepare the way for adult (senior and intermediate) football teams to facilitate the pathway from our junior ranks. We may even see a number of our braver and more lithe parents coming out of retirement!