Next generation the focus of Cork

Cork GAA chiefs have unveiled ambitious plans for the development of underage talent in the county.

The Development Squads Programme for 2013provides a blueprint for players and mentors for best practice on and off the field.

Former Cork minor football boss Brian Cuthbert will chair the management committee overseeing the various panels.

This year’s programme will run from October 2012 to August 2013 and will incorporate six week-long development camps, during which players will be educated in terms of technical proficiency, physical development, game sense, nutrition, Cork GAA history, player diaries, video analysis etc.

These camps will run during various school holidays from 10am to 3pm, Monday to Friday.

Along with the six camps, five Saturdays throughout the year have also been identified for further coaching sessions. The first of the camps will run over the upcoming mid-term break at the end of October.

The camps will take place at two newly established Centres of Excellence at the Mardyke Arena, UCC (football) and CIT (hurling), where first class facilities and services will be on hand. After each camp every player will receive their own seven-week skills and physical training plan which will help them to improve on areas of weakness with the support of their club and school coaches, with whom their squad mentors will be in regular contact.

The structures of the squads have also been redesigned, based on the recommendations of the Liam Hennessey report.

From U15 to U17, in both hurling and football, there will be a top squad of 30 players and they will operate under the names of the ‘Cork CIT’ and ‘Cork Mardyke’ squads, respectively.

These groups will be under the direct control of the newly appointed team managers, as well as two further mentors in each case.

Working underneath will be the ‘Cork Rebel’ squads, which will include further panels of 20 to 25 players at each age group and who will train on a number of occasions during the camp weeks also.

At U14 level the Mardyke/CIT squads will contain 50 players, while the Rebel squad will have 25 players.