The Fermanagh GAA Academy structure was rebranded at the Westville Hotel on Thursday night last with Fermanagh Coaching and Games officer Teresa McNabb leading the call to the clubs of Fermanagh for a dedicated Academy night for young players.

The Academy night would then allow all the young players selected for the academies training in their respective age sections on the one night allowing clubs to then organise their youth training around this.

Indeed, this was just one important factor to emerge from the rebrand of the academy structure which included presentations from Teresa McNabb, Shaun Doherty, Football Development Co-ordinator and Eoin Bradley, Athletic Development Coach.

The trio laid out the way forward and the work that is ongoing as the moment with Eoin Bradley revealing that a new gym is now in place in Lackaboy where strength and conditioning will be integrated to the coaching programme.

The mission statement of the academies is to have “structures, systems and facilities that will support, grow and maximise the full potential of players, clubs and coaches.” To this end, a player-centered approach will be adopted towards all the young players around whom all the skills and training required to develop that young footballer will be applied; be this strength and conditioning, technical skills, nutrition, sports science, performance analysis etc.

Shaun Doherty and Eoin Bradley have already been out around the schools and clubs as they bed into their new roles which crucially have been financed by funds raised by Club Éirne while they emphasised that upskilling club coaches via coach education courses and that working with the clubs was vital to the success of the new structure.

To this end, the Fermanagh Coaching and Games are hosting a ‘Skill Development workshop’ on Saturday, May 27 in St Aidan’s Secondary School, Derrylin from 10 - 1pm. The workshop will be delivered by former Dublin Senior Men, Clare Senior Men and DCU Sigerson coach Mick Bohan.

Indeed, it has to be said this impressive new coaching and development structure undoubtedly gives hope to the future of football in the county and is a massive step in the right direction.

The rebrand took place prior to a well-attended pre-Championship chat night organised by Club Éirne which was attended by Dick Clerkin, Oisin McConville, Peter McGinnity and Enda McGinley and chaired by Declan Bogue.