Children don’t just need to be taught how to play our games, they need to be taught how to be good people

Steven Poacher believes that the GAA shouldn’t only seek to create athletes, but also rounded individuals.

In his column in this week’s Gaelic Life, he suggests that the GAA look to improve the entire wellbeing of children, rather than just their sporting ability.

“With obesity a major concern and higher levels of inactivity among our youth today, we should be striving to emphasis the importance of sport and leading a healthy balanced lifestyle.

“Not only that, but the broader values of the GAA – loyalty, friendship, discipline, self sacrifice, motivation, commitment.

“All of those are great qualities we want to see in our young people while at the same time we should be voicing the benefits of a good, balanced diet and the dangers which lurk with alcohol, drugs and smoking.”

Read this column in full in the current issue of Gaelic Life, or if you’d like to read it now, buy the online edition by clicking here.