Kildare man conjures up brilliant business idea while unemployed that will help young GAA players

A Kildare man has come up with a new idea that will help develop the skills of young footballers in the early stages of their development, and it is set to be ran out by Kildare GAA officers all over the county.

Barry Anderson, a father of three, came up with the concept of a specifically designed football while he was unemployed in 2012 and attending a Sports Coaching Course with the County Kildare Leader Partnership. While playing in the garden with his son he noted that it was easier for the youngster to kick and handle the football after he drew a line on it.

An idea was born then, and the experienced GAA coach began designing a football that has unique markings of where the young footballers should place their hands on the ball and make contact for a kick. Two markings signal where to hold the ball correctly, an image to show the perfect place to strike the ball for a handpass and a kick-line for the spot on pass or shot.

"As a club coach, a club/school link coach and a parent, I was looking for a fun and engaging way to introduce kids to the skills of Gaelic football," said Barry.

"The ball with its markings, and the online tutorials, do just that. We have been overwhelmed by the response from clubs and kids alike. This is a really practical solution that focuses on giving each child a quality introduction to the sport of Gaelic football and helping each child be their best within their own skillsets.”

The new ball is set to be introduced by Kildare GAA development officers in schools and clubs all over the county, while Barry also plans on using them extensively with the children he trains.

With over 2,000 clubs in Ireland and 130,000 kids involved in early stage activities like Cul Camps, Spot On Sports already has 5000 balls on order when the training system is formally launched in July 2017. Anderson has his eye on the overseas Gaelic markets with over 300 clubs in Europe and USA.

The ball is available for parents and clubs to purchase online now at Spotonsports.ie