Two days later and my hamstrings are still pretty shaky from my game time at the recent round-robin hurling tournament in South Whitehall Township, Pa.

The Saturday, May 5, Gaelic Athletic Association event was hosted by the the Allentown Hibernians Hurling Club, and also featured teams from Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Md. Hoboken, N.J., and Washington, D.C.

The Hoboken squad, the Guards, won the tournament, and my squad, the Baltimore Bohemians, came in third.

THE SETTING

Just like last year, the tournament took place in the shadow of Dorney Park at a glen off of Haines Mill Road. Although there was only one Port-a-Potty for the 100-or-so players, everything else was great. The field itself was the best I’ve played on so far, with springy short grass and regulation-sized goals.

In the world of American hurling, both of those are quite a rarity. Most of the time we’re playing on the “left-over” or forgotten fields not used by anyone else. As for goals, sometimes we use way-too small lacrosse goals. Other times, we get soccer goals that have nets meant to stop soccer balls, not baseball-sized sliotars. And more than once, we’ve just been defending a slightly modified American football goal.

But Allentown? They made us feel appreciated and even bought lunch for players from every team. And every team that showed up got a 12-pack of sliotars, the super-expensive and easy-to-lose specialty balls used in the game.

Along with their great hospitality, the Hibernians welcomed the good people of Handcraft Hurleys, who brought in a nice selection of merchandise for hurling players. There were hurling gloves, hurleys of all sizes, boxes of sliotars and a big pile of helmets up for grabs.

Since nearly all the hurling equipment in America came via mail-order from Ireland, Handcraft’s set up offered a  nice opportunity to be able to check out some merchandise before purchase and not have to pay shipping costs to boot.

IN THE GAMES

Since I’m not one of my squad’s premier players, I didn’t see a ton of playing time with the Baltimore team. I managed a few minutes here and there, usually at the end of the games.

For this I am not at all ashamed. I’m an old guy (a crippling 39!) and I’m awfully slow. I’m a fill-in and I’m OK with that that role.

But the trip wasn’t a waste of time for me at all. Since Baltimore had an excess of players, those of us who weren’t going to get much time playing with Baltimore, were offered up to teams that were short of players for the 13-per-side games.

That’s how I got to play for the D.C. Gaels for two games, and where I saw most of my action for the day. In those games I was playing full forward right up next to the opposing team’s goal.

I ran my heart out, swatted at opposing players, dug for the ball and generally had a good, if not tiring, time while wearing the white and blue. But did I score? Nope, not yet. That miracle is still eluding me.

D.C. STRIKES BACK

My longest stint on the field for the Baltimore team is also what hurt us the most. In the weeks prior to the tournament, I had been lightly training for a shot as the goalkeeper, and by the time we were up against D.C. in our final game of the day, I got the call.

And I was dreadful.

I might have been in goal for a total of 10 minutes, and in that time, I let three goals trickle past me. In hurling, getting three goals is gigantic. It’s supposed to be tough, and I guess I didn’t make it tough enough. After that third goal against me, I was pulled from the position, a ruling I agreed with 100 percent.

(I’ll talk more about my goal-tending experience in a later post, because it was a learning experience.)

Luckily for me, the Bohemians rallied for a tie after I put us in the hole. I appreciate that, guys. I was a failure, but you came up big to pull us out of a loss.

THE PITTSBURGH GAME

The most amusing point of the day for the Bohemians was when we realized that we were about to play the Pittsburgh team, and their jersey colors were the exact same as ours. Both squads adopted a yellow and black color scheme (Baltimore’s mirrors the Maryland flag and Pittsburgh’s copies the city’s pro-sports team colors).

After some negotiations, we borrowed Allentown’s alternate solid green jerseys and hit the field. Still there weren’t enough jerseys to go around, so some of us had to wear our own shirts. I, for example, had brought two shirts from home — a blue polyester athletic shirt and, luckily, a green t-shirt to wear on the way home. I quickly dawned it and was a proud representative of Team Pitfall! and the Bohemians.

After the game, most of the Bohs said it was a tough adjustment. They kept said they kept thinking about passing to the yellow-and-black squad, instead of the green team.

WHAT’S THE SCORE?

One recurring theme in every game I watched and in every game I played is that no one ever knew for sure what the score was.

If you were on the field, on the sidelines or just watching as a spectator, you were completely unaware of the exact point count since there weren’t any billboards posting the score. Sure, we kind of knew who was winning, but you were never sure by how much.

Instead, we just kept playing and hoping for the best.

But next time, someone needs to bring out a big and highly visible whiteboard to keep us up-to-the-minute. It will be great help to keep up the fighting spirit for those trying to come out of a deficit.

NEWS ACCOUNTS

The tournament brought out at least two news media organizations. The Easton Times Express has coverage here.

A TV station, whom I couldn’t identify and can’t seem to locate a report from, was also filming for some time. (Anyone know who that was?)

Advance coverage came from the South Whitehall Patch, which can be seen here.

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Playing the defensive positions in hurling — the center fullbacks and the cornerbacks — is an art in of itself.

Unlike practically every other position in the game, these players rarely have a chance to score. Instead, they shine when the score against them is low. There job is to keep the sliotar out of the net and assist the goalkeeper in moving the ball down the field.

GOAL SIDE: Positionally, these players should constantly strive to remain “goal side.” That is they must work to drop themselves between their mark and the goal. Anytime the mark moves closer or nearer, these players should do their best to block the view of the goal. Often times, the goalkeeper, who has the best view of the field will yell out reminders to his defensive players to keep this position.

READY TO HOOK: Though its not always possible, these players should also try to keep themselves in a position that lets them hook (lift up) their mark’s hurley in the middle of the swing. Such an action will disrupt the swing and likely make it impossible for them to hit the ball accurately. The best place to be for a hook is behind them and on their dominant hand side. Note that it’s still better to be goal side than it is in a hooking position.

SPACE FILLER: Good goalkeepers will constantly be scrambling for the ball, even if it’s the play is not in the goalkeeper’s square. When the goalkeepers are on the move, the fullback or the cornerback should fade into the goal area and defend the scoring station. Unless something seriously goes wrong, the backs will only be there for a few moments, but while they are they must try to block any shots that might come in. If everything works properly, they won’t face any, but it always pays to have insurance.

CLEAR OUT: On the most basic level, the job of every defensive player is to keep the ball away from the goal area. Don’t let goals in. Don’t let points in. The best way to do this is to get control of the ball and blast it down the field. Even if there’s no one open, just send it down the field and let the other players sort it out. Sure, in an ideal world you can knock it to your midfielders, but that’s far less important than getting it away and giving the defense time to access and adjust their strategies. Clearing out the ball gives you time.

Here’s a good drill for pick-ups and defenders. http://youtu.be/oJf6rzQYcNI

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At practice the other day, I had an opportunity to learn a little more about hitting with the hurley, the stick used in the sport of hurling.

Beyond the simple physics of swinging the bat-like stick at the ball and making it go away, I found myself working the angles of striking as well.

Early in the practice, I was delivering some ground hits to some players as they simulated ball captures during a ground hurling exercise. But as we practiced, a problem soon surfaced. Our practice field is so rutted and patch that ball was bouncing oddly or stopping too short for the exercise to function well. So instead of actually ground-hurling myself, I hit the ball from my hand to give my fellow players a ball worth chasing.

Later on, I was chastised by my coach for not getting the ball skyward enough. In an exact reverse of how I was helping the other players he wanted me to hit with another angle in mind.

Both instances were the result of changing the angles of my swing to help put the ball where I wanted it. Both are useful for hurling and hurling training.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN ANGLE?

When talking about the angle of the hurley, I’m referring to its position at the point where it hits the ball in the zenith of your swing.

Imagine a the most mechanical swing you can:  In this “perfect” swing, the flat of the hurley is absolutely perpendicular to the ground.

What I want you to do is consider adjusting that angle so it’s no longer perpendicular. Make it a conscious choice of the angle you’re choosing.

ACUTE ANGLES

While you typically won’t want to do this in a game, striking the ball with your hurley at an acute angle (less than 90 degrees) will send your ball to the ground. Depending upon the force of your strike, the ball won’t immediately stop dead. Instead, it will bounce down the field.

This type of hit, which I call a “swat” since it hits at a downward angle, can be useful in games occasionally because it’s unexpected. Camogie players, who often do more ground-based hurling, might do this more regularly than hurling players.

More importantly, this is a good hit to use in training because it gives a good erratic bounce that players can then chase down.

OBTUSE ANGLES

Hitting the sliotar (the ball) at an obtuse angle (more than 90 degrees from the ground) is an important thing to master. The angle of the strike, which we can call a “scoop” hit,  depends on the height of the hit you want. Higher hits are better for scoring points and efforts to shuttle the ball far down field. More level hits, a “smack” if I may continue to label them, are good for quick passes down the field or blistering shots at the goal.

The thing to remember here is the extreme scooping  strike is going to create time for your fellow players. The sheer distance the ball must travel in this high-arcing strike is going to give them time to get under the ball to gain control. Conversely,  lower-arcing ball gives players (especially your opponent)  less time to react.

And please note: The obtuse angle I’m talking about here is only a few degrees greater than the 90 degree angle. Likewise, a slight upwards motion on your hit is also important.

BEWARE THE BACKSPIN

Be careful though. Too much of an obtuse angle can backfire on you. Instead of making a solid strike, you might just graze it. Your limp whack will cause it to backspin and only travel a few feet.

Even worse you could just miss the ball completely.

I’ve done both in practice and in games, and it’s plenty embarrassing.

YouTube video on hitting tips: http://youtu.be/l93DPGnN0Uk

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Here’s a simple handpass drill for hurling training.

In this drill, divide the team up into three or more stations, with an equal number of players at each station.

In the diagram, the stations are marked A, B and C.

At the start of the drill, Player 1 takes three running steps from Station A toward Station B.

As Player 1 runs, Player 2 leaves Station B and calls to Player 1 for a pass. Player 1 executes a handpass to Player 2.

Player 2 catches the ball as Player 1 runs to the end of the line at Station B.

Player 3 leaves Station C and calls for a pass from Player 2. As this happens, Player 2 takes his running three steps and then executes a handpass to Player 3.

Player 3 catches the ball as Player 2 runs to the end of the line at Station C.

Player 4 leaves Station A and calls for a pass from Player 3. As this happens, Player 3 takes his running three steps and then executes a handpass to Player 4.

Continue this cycle for about five to 10 minutes so that each player gets at least five tries.

NOTES

• Once in possession of the sliotar, the player can take only three steps.
• Players should call to each other by name for the pass as this helps them become familiar with one another.
• Stress the importance of handpasses over a strike as a tool to move the ball forward a short distance  with greater control and less exposure to be picked off.
• Slowly widen the circle so that players are required to run further and pass farther.
• Players should not stop to catch the ball or to pass it. The should keep moving.
• Players should use their hurley in a protective fashion while catching and return to the ready position after the pass.
• Speed the drill up by adding multiple balls into it.
• That’s an awesome graphic I created, isn’t it?

Handpass basics: http://youtu.be/iNPboZYjdM0

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It was a bit cold and definitely quite wet Sunday morning when I stepped out of my car and into Baltimore’s Latrobe Park.

There the Baltimore Gaelic Athletic Association was presenting its annual rite of Spring: Gaelic Sports 101, where anyone with an interest in hurling or gaelic football could come out and try the sports for themselves.

The hurling group included total newbies and returning players.  The veterans were assigned training buddies and we were split out among three different skills stations.

All of the stations offered basic instruction on the game — how to hold the hurley, basic rules and a look at the philosophies of the sport.

It was a simple practice, but it was meant to be just that. More importantly, it was a great template that other clubs can follow to introduce the sport to locals.

Here’s how it all came together.

INTRO

A few minutes after the class’ start time, the team coaches and managers call everyone into a circle. After some basic introductions of the key personnel, talk about the game and offer an extremely brief history. Follow that with a quick rundown of key terms (hurley, sliotar, goal, point, solo, handpass)  and how scoring works.

With the basic description still floating in their heads, the group was split among three skill stations. New and old players were purposely mixed together.

STATION 1: HANDPASS

In this station, players got quick instruction on how to execute a legal handpass. It was stressed that you can’t throw the ball to another player — you swat or scoop it. The group is split into teams of two for the exercise where they handpass to one another. The starting distance was only two or three yards, but gradually the gap widens as they get better.

Important points to stress:

• Practice handpasses with both hands.
• After you pass the ball, return to the ready position.
• Keep your feet moving during the exercise.
• Learn your partner’s name. Talk to them. Get used to talking and playing at the same time.

STATION 2: GROUND HURLING

At this station, players are again separated into groups of two, who then swat the ball on the ground back and forth to one another. Players focus on getting a solid, clean hit on the ball and learning how to stop it.

After some time, two groups of two join together to form a longer line of four people. The middle two people focus on speeding up the ball as it goes by them. The end players focus on stopping a quick moving ball and then immediately sending it in the opposite direction.

Some key points to remember here:

• Practice hitting the ball from the right and left side.
• Remember you can stop (but not step on) the ball with your feet. Watch out it could hurt!
• The ideal position to ground strike the ball is to have one foot a few inches to the ball. The foot should be perpendicular to the direction you want to send the ball. This makes the arc of your swing land exactly where the ball is.
• You can stop the ball by making it hit the flat of your hurley and ride up the stick.

STATION 3: STRIKING FROM THE HAND

This is the most fun of the three stations, but it’s also the hardest to master because there are several skills involved. First you need to be able to hit the ball. You also need to be able to control the direction and distance it gets hit. Third, you have to be able to catch the ball one-handed.

Once again, split the players into pairs and have them hit the ball to one another.

Important reminders to go over:

• Don’t throw the ball up as if you were hitting fly balls in baseball. The longer a ball stays in the air next to you, the more likely an opponent can disrupt your swing, or even grab the ball for himself.
• Your strongest hand should be at the bottom of the hurley handle. This is the exact opposite of a baseball grip.
• To make the ball go a shorter distance, choke up on the handle.
• The speed and strength of your strike do not help a ball go farther. It’s all in the follow through and in your ability to make the ball hit the hurley’s “sweet spot.”
• Always try to catch the sliotar in your non-dominant hand.
• If the ball is going over your head, try to stop it by raising your hurley to meet it. Catching it is better because you have instant control, but this is helpful, especially if you are defending.

PRE-GAME TALK

With a basic skill level now established, bring all the players back together and tell them that now it’s game time!

Give the team a quick idea of how long they will play, explain the boundaries and basic rules about contact with other players. This is a good time to discuss safety issues as well.

Split the teams up on even sides, but then pit veterans and new players against one another when you assign positions. This lets the vets talk about the game and its strategies when the action has moved away from them.

MINI-GAME

Launch into a light-hearted mini-game. Call penalties. Stop the game to explain things. Keep things light. Congratulate people for good plays and scores. Help people up that fall.

This is a time to show your brotherhood.

DEBRIEFING

After the set amount of play time, bring everyone back together and talk about what you want to do this season. Tell the players when the next practice will be. Gather up contact information for those interested. Explain ways that newbies can get equipment of their own.

Then wait and see what happens next time.

Images courtesy of the Baltimore GAA Facebook Page and Bill Hughes.

 

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