Tuesday 12th April 2011: The 2011 Vhi GAA Cúl Camps were officially launched this morning in Croke Park by Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Criostóir Ó Cuana and Declan Moran of Vhi Healthcare.
With over 1,000 camps taking place in Ireland and overseas, and over 80,000 children aged 6 – 13 years participating, the Vhi GAA Cúl Camps are the most popular children’s sporting camps in the country.
This is the sixth year of the massively popular Vhi GAA Cúl Camps and GAA heroes Dublin Hurling Manager Anthony Daly and Kildare Football Manager Kieran McGeeney were on-hand to launch the event in their official capacity as Vhi GAA Cúl camps ambassadors.
The ambassadors will travel around the summer camps visiting the participants and passing on valuable tips and advice.
Now in its sixth year, the Vhi GAA Cúl Camps is a nationally co-ordinated programme which aims to encourage primary school children between the ages of 6 and 13, to develop sporting skills irrespective of their skill level or ability and also to develop a sense of sporting fair play and personal achievement by participating in various Gaelic games, in a fun, non competitive environment.
Speaking at the launch, GAA President Criostóir Ó Cuana said; “The Vhi GAA Cúl Camps initiative is an excellent venture that allows young children across the country to engage with our games, in some cases for the first time.
“Key to the success of the GAA is participation at all levels and a prime example of this is the Vhi GAA Cúl Camps, where primary school children participate alongside coaches and GAA heroes. Hopefully learning the skills along the way will make them lifelong GAA supporters.”
Declan Moran, Director of Marketing and Business Development, Vhi Healthcare commented; “The Vhi GAA Cúl Camps are a marvellous example of the power of sport in our personal lives and in the wider community.
“By getting children involved in the GAA early in their lives they are putting the building blocks in place for healthy living, as well as developing a sense of community that is part and parcel of GAA activities right throughout the country.
“This year the Vhi and GAA decided to lower the age that children could register to six years old as we have seen over the past five years that the skills picked up in the Vhi GAA Cúl Camps; healthy living, exercise, a respect for others and a sense of fair play can be accessed and applied by the youngest members of our communities across the country.”
The 2011 Vhi GAA Cúl Camps are expected to be extremely popular with huge demand already coming through and parents are advised to book early to ensure they get a place at the camp of their choice.
Commenting on the Vhi GAA Cúl Camps, Anthony Daly, Dublin Hurling Manager, said: “This is my third year working with the Vhi GAA Cúl Camps as an ambassador for the programme and I am looking forward to being involved again this year. I believe that the camps are a vital initiative to ensuring the continued development and growth of GAA in clubs around the country.
“I visited a number of camps last year in my role as ambassador and I was delighted to see the level of enthusiasm that the children taken part in them had for GAA. I have no doubt 2011 will be no different.”
Online booking now open at www.gaa.ie or www.vhiculcamps.gaa.ie
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