- maximises participation;
- optimises performance;
- harmonises administrative structures; and
- embeds a culture of Applied Lifelong Learning (ALL).
The GAA’s Games Development Annual Report to Sport Ireland for 2015 provides an overview of the activities delivered at Child, Youth and Adult level during the past year through four distinct yet interlinked stages of the GNP’s life cycle: Discover; Belong; Nurture and Evolve.
Each of the four stages has a specific set of objectives. Achieving these objectives requires the design of best practice Games Development activities and initiatives, which are bespoke to the GAA and are tailored to the unique needs within each County. These activities and initiatives are then implemented by Games Development personnel and volunteers nationwide.
The infographics below provide a statistical summary of the activity levels provided at each of the first three stages of the GNP's life cycle.
The Evolve stage looks at how Games Development is constantly evolving in response to an ever-changing society and the new opportunities and challenges presented by this. Within the past decade alone, significant changes have taken place to the environment in which Games Development operates. Games Development strives to adopt a pro-active rather than reactive approach to the often seismic shifts that are occurring in modern day Ireland.
For each of these stages the report includes the core rationale underpinning the respective projects and policies and a number of best practice case studies.
Looking to 2016 and beyond the report asks us to address the significant challenges that continue to grow in relation to the core issue of increasing participation in sport and physical activity for all Irish citizens - not just the talented elite. Now is the time to take the initiative and make a short-term investment that will garner long-term returns and ensure the reversal of current trends towards inactivity, obesity and a decrease in volunteerism. The Association believes that Sport Ireland is in a position to facilitate collaboration and engagement between the GAA, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Government Agencies and other sporting organisations to address these challenges. The Association will actively support these endeavours and due to its presence in every community in Ireland, the Association is uniquely placed to deliver common messages and mutually beneficial programmes right to the grassroots of Irish society - impacting Health, Education, Social Protection and Community Affairs to name but a few.
Irish society is ever-changing and continuously evolving, however, year upon year GAA Games Development continues to deliver high quality, innovative projects and initiatives. The level of activity in 2015 is a testament to the efforts of thousands of volunteers as well as the Association’s Games Development Personnel in every Province and County – Games Development Managers, Games Development Administrators and Games Promotion Officers.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.
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