Chief Executive Officer’sOperational <strong>Review</strong> of <strong>2014</strong>ContinuedLeft and below: Robbie Brady and David Meylertake some time out meet members of theSummer Soccer Schools Golden Camp.Opposite Page: Adam McDermott, LoughlynnNS, Co. Roscommon, celebrates after scoringhis side’s second goal against Neale NS, Co.Mayo in the SPAR <strong>FAI</strong> Primary School 5’sConnacht Finals.20FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND ANNUAL REVIEW AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS <strong>2014</strong>
In <strong>2014</strong> the <strong>FAI</strong> Summer Soccer School programme reachedrecord participation, with 23,496 children taking part in ourcamps over an eight week period. This was an increase of18.5% on participation numbers in 2013. Our most successfulyear prior to this saw 22,000 children taking part in 2008.SportsWorld <strong>FAI</strong> SummerSoccer SchoolsIn <strong>2014</strong> the <strong>FAI</strong> Summer Soccer Schoolprogramme reached record participation,with 23,496 children taking part in ourcamps over an eight week period. Thiswas an increase of 18.5% on participationnumbers in 2013. Our most successfulyear prior to this saw 22,000 childrentaking part in 2008.The first 5,000 participants whobooked a place online in <strong>2014</strong> receiveda complimentary adult and child ticketto a senior international fixture at AvivaStadium. Our new financial structurecontinued to deliver benefits for clubs withover €350,000 being paid out in profitto host clubs around the country. A keyobjective arising from 2013 performancewas to recruit additional clubs to run withour Soccer School model and we havecontinued to see positive results in thisarea with a record number of clubs signedup for this year’s programme. Following aslight decrease in goalkeeper participationlast year, the goalkeeper camp model wasrestructured completely. Goalkeeperscan now take part in specific goalkeepingsections within our mainstream camp.This move has meant that the <strong>FAI</strong> arethe only football camp model offering acomplete package for young goalkeeperswith position specific coaching nowcoupled with small sided games for bothoutfield players and goalkeepers.With prices remaining low at just€65 for this year’s camps, we aim togrow participation numbers further.SportsWorld, part of the Heatons group,are now on board as title sponsor forthe programme and already our newpartnership has led to some excitingdevelopments. We announced TempleStreet Children’s Hospital as charitypartner for the programme and havealready raised significant funds for thehospital. Our very successful SoccerSisters programme has come underthe <strong>FAI</strong> Camps umbrella and also hasSportsWorld as title sponsor. A keyaim of this year’s camps has been todevelop both Soccer Sisters and SummerSoccer Schools to ensure that we deliverincreases in the number of girls playingfootball around the country.SPAR <strong>FAI</strong> Primary schools 5-a-sideSPAR became national title sponsor ofthe SPAR <strong>FAI</strong> Primary Schools 5 a-sidecompetition in February. 2,387 teams (up111 from last year) from 1,069 schools (up31 from last year) competed in the SPAR<strong>FAI</strong> Primary Schools 5s competition witha total of 12,040 boys and 7,056 girls. TheNational finals were held in Aviva Stadiumin May <strong>2014</strong>. The programme catered fora total of 19,096 participants (up 888 fromlast year).Colleges and UniversitiesUCD retained the Umbro Colleges andUniversities Football League PremierDivision with a 6-5 penalty shoot-outvictory over NUI Maynooth, in FrankCooke Park. Colaiste Stiofain Naofaclaimed the Division 1 title, whilst ITBlanchardstown B and NUI MaynoothC took home the Division 3 and 4 titlesrespectively . The IUFU Collingwood Cuptook place in NUI Galway this year andUniversity College Cork defeated TrinityCollege Dublin 3-1 in an exciting final.Indeed UCC claimed a unique treble thisyear by also capturing the IUFU HardingCup and the IUFU Crowley Cup. IT Carlowwon the C<strong>FAI</strong> Umbro Cup for a recordbreakingfourth year in a row, beatingColaiste Stiofan Naofa 2-0 in the AULComplex. Limerick IT secured the UmbroPlate, with Dublin IT B and Bray Instituteof Further Education claiming the B TeamCup and Bob Eustace Cup respectively.The Women’s Soccer Colleges PremierFinal was won by NUI Maynooth whodefeated IT Carlow 2-0. The finals daywas held in Leixlip with IT Sligo retainingthe Premier Plate. University of UlsterJordanstown won the First Division andAthlone IT retained the Challenge Cup.The Intervarsities were held in WaterfordIT and UCD overcame UCC 1-0. WaterfordIT retained the Intervarsities Plate beatingUniversity of Limerick and Athlone IT wonthe Shield defeating Cork IT.Social InclusionIn partnership with national and localbodies, the Association runs a wide rangeof social inclusion initiatives that make areal difference to the lives of thousandsof people annually in some of our mostdisadvantaged communities.Our work in the social inclusion areauses the power and attraction offootball and contributes to increasedsocial capital within communitiesthroughout Ireland. The work is verydiverse but immensely beneficial inhelping to improve community structuresby addressing issues as varied andcomplex as antisocial behaviour, mentalhealth problems, youths’ self-esteem,unemployment, local area tensions oreven the experiences of children whohave a parent in prison. These are allmodern day challenges that are frequentlypresent in the disadvantaged areas whereour Development Officers work. Throughits social inclusion programmes, the <strong>FAI</strong>uses football to assist in improving youngpeople’s lifestyle choices.FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND ANNUAL REVIEW AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS <strong>2014</strong> 21
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