Co Kildare man's unique football is inspiring kids to take up GAA in Portugal
(Pictured: Barry Anderson at the Kid's Sport Camp Introduction to Gaelic Football at St. Julian's School in Portugal recently. Picture courtesy of Spotonsports.ie)
By Kim O'Leary
A Kildare man is set to make waves internationally with his brilliant idea designed to help young GAA footballers properly handle footballs, with his idea being implemented in primary schools across the country-and it’s even helping to introduce European countries to the beloved Old Gaelic sport with its official website also offering advice and tips.
Barry Anderson from Moone in Athy is a father of three young boys who are huge GAA fans and he also coaches for many teams right across the county.
The Kildare native originally came up with the idea for the “Spot On” football after playing a game of Gaelic football with his young sons in 2012, and he noticed that when one of his younger sons was having difficulty picking up and handling the ball so Barry drew a line on it to provide a more visual explanation.
Speaking to KildareNow about his idea, Barry explained: “As a coach with over 10 years of experience I noticed that younger children were having difficulty picking up and handling the ball, and my own son was also having difficulty so I drew some lines and marks on the ball explaining what part to touch when you’re doing a kick or a hand-pass and the idea came from that. The spot on ball is designed especially for beginners to Gaelic football and I just thought that a more visual aid would help the kids to learn the sport and to enjoy it.”
The spot on ball features two markings explaining where to hold the ball correctly, an image to show the perfect place to strike the ball for a hand-pass and a kick-line to help beginners understand the sport.
The experienced GAA coach’s idea has struck a chord with many local primary schools and clubs, while the LQFA and GAA development officers are helping to encourage clubs and schools across Co Kildare to use the balls for formal matches and training drills.
Meanwhile, Barry has also been busy in recent weeks coaching and promoting the ball in Portugal and France. He said: “Over St Patrick’s weekend I was in Portugal talking about the Spot-On ball and showing the kids and the coaches how it works and also trying to promote Gaelic football itself. The kids there really seem to like it because it’s a great sport as it involves running, throwing, kicking and it’s all of the physical activities and that’s why it is catching on in the European countries like Portugal and France; they’ve never seen anything like it before and the kids are just amazed by it.”
Meanwhile, Barry’s company “Spot On Sports” has recently begun trading and comes with its own impressive interactive website. “We started trading in January so just two months ago and the website has games and tutorials, videos and advice for coaches, teachers and parents on how to use the spot on ball. At the moment I’m hoping to make it more interactive as a platform, and to also do a video library.”
In terms of the popularity of Gaelic football amongst youngsters, Barry firmly believes that there is a bright future ahead for the sport in Ireland as well as in Europe and the U.S, with over 300 clubs. “We’re hoping that the spot on ball and the website will keep doing well and that all coaches can access it without letting competitiveness get in the way because in the end of the day it shouldn’t matter what team you play for, Gaelic football is for everyone.,” concluded Barry.
The spot on ball and football packs for schools and clubs can be purchased online at Spotonsports.ie
It look’s like this Kildare native’s idea will inspire a whole new generation of GAA enthusiasts both in Ireland and abroad.