USGAA Newsletter: March/April 2021

2021 USGAA Registration

USGAA Registration is open to players and social members to register using Stack Sports. The system and process are essentially the same as in 2019, with the added requirement that clubs pay their Annual USGAA Club Affiliation fee online. The 2021 edition of the Registration Manual has been released and forwarded to the Divisional Registrars. Further details, and the link to the USGAA Registration system, is available on the USGAA website:

https://usgaa.org/registration/

As in previous years, April 30th is the deadline for USGAA Registration and for USGAA club-to-club transfers.

Homegrown players who have never previously registered with an adult GAA club may register with a USGAA club on or before August 1st, in order to play in USGAA and\or Divisional Championships – year-round registration is available for first time Homegrown players, but such players are not eligible for Divisional or USGAA Championships.

Meanwhile in Chicago, with GDA, Colm Egan

Liz Flynn, a wonderful tutor with the Camogie association, provided great insight for Refs and players alike into close plays and some contact rules of Camogie. Check it out here:

Colm also had the pleasure of interviewing Fionnuala Carr, who is a very positive advocate for Camogie and female sports. They chatted about her experiences of Camogie over a 20 year career. Check it out here:

According to Colm, March of 2021 feels like a “little more normal.” All Chicago area youth clubs hit the ground running in March with indoor Gaelic Games. The weekend of March 5th was typical with 130+ Kids & 20+ coaches playing Gaelic Games across 4 Youth Clubs in the Chicago area. The discussion on the sidelines was a constant refrain of “Feels like we are getting towards some level of normality.” “This feels good.” “We all needed this.”

Chicago GAA is delighted for all kids, parents, and coaches! The GAA in Chicago is doing a great job clubs working with Covid guidelines to ensure the safety of all.

Chicago Youth 2021

“Be Ready to Play” Coaching Program now launched!

The program is a holistic coaching and performance plan that will be of great benefit to all club coaches and players, male, female, adult, and youth alike. It will help them return to training post Covid in a way that will hopefully increase enjoyment, performance, and participation, while simultaneously reducing the risk of injury. You can learn more here: https://learning.gaa.ie/bereadytoplay

Virtual Congress 2021 to wrap up an unprecedented year in the GAA

Congress 2021 was the held remotely for the first time in history due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as we welcomed Larry McCarthy as the 40th president of the GAA.

There was a total of 47 motions submitted for this year’s Congress but 10 were tabled for Special Congress, to be held in the spring. Of the 37 that were voted on and 36 passed. Most notably, the Split-Season (motion 12) which will move the All- Ireland Finals into July, the All- Ireland Junior Football Championship (motion 17) – which will feature Kilkenny, New York, and British junior champion finalists, a Concussion substitute, and tough new rules to target cynical fouls.