Thank You and Goodnight.

Hi Everyone,

Sadly this will be my last blog on EYUC 2011. I got back to Cork today having stayed with a friend in Shannon over night. The girls made a vociferous entrance into Shannon airport at about 10pm last night. It was great to see them all in such good spirits, reunited with friends and family. The rest of the team are flying to Dublin either today or at a later stage in the week. I think everyone really enjoyed the week in Poland, I certainly did. I'm really proud of how we performed over there, I think the girls took on board what we said about not letting their heads drop no matter what the scoreboard said, because throughout the entire week they all had smiles on their faces and gave it absolutely everything while they were on the pitch. They were a pleasure to coach and a credit to their schools and colleges, their families and their country. I'm really looking forward to either playing with them in the future or watching them develop into senior internationals which I have no doubt but some of them will. The majority of them are likely to become key members of the Cork ultimate community, of which I plan to be a part of for a very long time to come, so hopefully our paths will cross again in future.

I want to end the blog with a couple of thank yous. Firstly and most importantly thanks to the 18 girls who made up the squad, your enthusiasm throughout not only last week but the entire summer was infectious and made my life as a coach all the easier. It's always nice to work with people who are so eager to learn. Thanks also to Caoimhe and Meabh for all their work in admin, accounting and coaching capacities. Thanks to UCC ultimate for having such a well run schools initiative during the past year, without which this team would not have come about and lastly thanks to the parents of every girl on the team. I hope you continue to support and encourage your daughter(s) to play the sport. Experiences like the one they've had over the last week will stand to them for the rest of their lives. They've made new friendships, visited a new country and represented their country at international level and really enjoyed themselves while doing it. I think it's been a hugely positive week for all concerned and now that the first Irish Junior Women's team has been set up I can't wait to see it develop from here on.


Finally, I'd encourage all Irish ultimate players to become involved in developing the sport at an under age level. Get involved in coaching in a school, all it takes is a couple of hours of your week. If you can spare the time I guarantee that you will find it to be a rewarding experience. In my view, as it stands the sport is far too upper class as you have to go to university to be involved in the highest level of the game in this country. Clubs, colleges and individuals should all seek to get involved in schools of varying socio-economic and gender divides. If youth development is approached in a more arbitrary fashion I think the international teams will begin to reap the benefits within a very short period of time. I'm really excited about what Ireland can achieve at the next World Junior Ultimate Championships.

I look back at the U23 Mixed team that I played on this time last year. The women on that team had been playing for less than 12 months at that stage. A year later, Mary McKee (one of said women) won A-Game on the Irish senior women's team! That's what can be achieved with hard work and dedication on the part of players and coaches. If we all keep striving to improve the sport in this country then I have no doubt but Ireland can bring home a medal from a major championships some day.

The future is bright.

Come on you Girls in Green!

Hobs.

Just Not Our Day

Hi, Sorry for not managing to get the blog us last night. Out team meeting went on a bit longer than expected.

Poland 10-8 Ireland

Sadly yesterday just wasn’t our day. We played Poland at 1pm, they had been well beaten by France in the morning and I was hoping if we came at them hard and scored a few points early on tiredness would begin to set in for them unfortunately that didn’t quite happen. In truth it was a fairly scrappy affair as our offence struggled to click meaning we had to resort to a bit of huck and D. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Frisbee lingo, “huck and D” is the Frisbee equivalent of Jack Charlton football.

It was a long tiring game on the girls which went on for over two and a half hours due to the number of turnovers. We did score some nice points Eimear O’Reilly assisted to Kate O’Regan for our first, before the Colaiste Choilm duo were working in tandem again for our second. There were also points for Aisling McCarthy and two for Caitlin in the first half as the assists were spread around between cutters and handlers, Mairead O’Meara, Mags Carey and Anne Leahy all finding the right pass to keep us in touch.

6-5 down at half, Poland went on to score the next two points, giving us a bit of catching up to do. The girls fought back terrifically, scoring three on the trot to tie the game. Leanne O’Neill assisted all three finding Elysha McCarthy, Caitlin Looney and Jess Mac Sweeney respectively. At 8-8, game to 10 momentum had swung our way and it looked as though the come back was on.  Unfortunately it wasn’t to be as some strong Polish defence meant we struggled to work the disc out of our own half and when they turned us on our end zone line they had the composure to put away the winner.

It was hugely disappointing for the girls. There were a few tears shed afterwards but I don’t think we could begrudge Poland the victory. They probably played better than us and deserved their win, it’s just unfortunate that we couldn’t repeat Wednesday’s result and get our second win of the tournament. Losing games like that are painful, much more painful that getting hammered by the likes of Germany. But I’m sure the girls will learn from it and come back much stronger next time round.

MVP v Poland: Gemma Locke

A-Game v Poland: Jessica MacSweeney

France 14-3 Ireland

We didn’t have very much time between our games due to how long the Polish game went over time. Yesterday was without doubt the hottest day of the tournament  and a number of our players struggled as a result. Both Mairead O’Meara and Caroline Sexton fell victim to the heat, leaving us rather shy of handlers. We were unlucky at times against the French as we failed to convert some good opportunities early on. Consequently their 9-1 lead at half time was more than a little flattering for them I feel.

They had a loose poachy zone that clogged up our lanes and made under cuts very difficult. When they went to man we played vertical and had more joy. We tried to combat the zone by using our deep game, unfortunately it didn’t always come off for us. A few unlucky drops and misjudged hucks meant we didn’t score the points we deserved. We continued to turn them over with the likes of Leah Driscoll, Jenny Murphy and Danielle O'Shea on the wings, deterring the big throws from the French handlers.

That said, the French were good value for their win. They swung the disc between their handlers well, had solid receivers and found gaps in our cup, which hurt us. Jess, Elysha and Caitlin scored our three points with Kate assisting the first and Leanne the second and third.

It was our offence again that let us down, as was the case in most of our games. Working on the nature of our cutting and throwing under pressure aren’t really things that come to you during your first competitive tournament – which is what this is for most of these girls.

MVP v France: Anne Leahy

A Game v France: Kate O’Regan

Last Friday I lay in bed a slightly worried man. I was concerned that perhaps we were exposing the girls to a highly competitive level of ultimate too soon. That they weren’t ready for this kind of tournament. Now that the week is over I’m so glad we did. I think the experience of this week, the opportunity to play against some of the unbelievable teams that we played and the performances against the teams which were closer to our level will stand to the girls for the rest of their time playing this sport. Like I said in a previous post, this week has secured 18 new women into Irish ultimate, that in itself is worth celebrating. Also, only four of the 18 aren’t eligible to play at this level next year, a lot of them are eligible for two more years and our youngest member has three more years!

Last night we had our final team meeting of the week, a slightly emotional one it has to be said, with kind words exchanged all round. There were also gifts for Caoimhe, Sara and myself, which was really nice of the girls! I have an EYUC 2011 disc, signed with kind words from every player. It wont ever be thrown, I’ll treasure it as a memory from a terrific week.

Despite finishing 9^th in the end, which of course we would have loved to avoid, I think the whole week has been a huge positive. Of course it would have been nicer to beat Poland yesterday rather than on Wednesday but in the grand scheme of things I’m not so sure it matters. I hope the girls were inspired by what they saw this week and go home with the desire to come back stronger next year.

The future is bright for Irish Women’s ultimate. Girls on the senior team, you better watch your backs. These girls are coming for you.

MVP of the Week...in a unanimous vote.....Caitlin Looney.

A-Game of the Week: Mairead O’Meara & Leanne O’Neill.

Tomorrow It Really Matters!

Hi All,

Germany 17- 0 Ireland

Today was a bit of a quiet one for us. We played the Germans at 9am. We spoke to the girls last night about the game, we knew it was going to be tough but we were determined to try and get as much as we could from it. Make no mistake, Germany are here to win this competition and to be honest I fancy them to do it. In truth the semi-finalists have looked obvious from Day 1. Germany, Italy, GB and Sweden are all just a cut above the rest of the division.

We tried our zone defence again, in an attempt to test their handlers but unfortunately the much calmer conditions  and clearly stronger handlers than those we had come up against yesterday meant it wasn't as effective. They had slightly more trouble shutting down our man defence but had the patience to retain the disc and keep us running before picking off their scores. It was really hard work for the girls as they didn't see very much possession but that was always likely to be the case, sometimes you simply have to hold your hands up and say you were beaten by a stronger team.

But we didn't come to this tournament to beat the likes of Germany, to say otherwise would be foolhardy. In many ways the tournament we came to play begins tomorrow. We play a round robin against France and Poland to decide who comes 7th, 8th & 9th. Unfortunately we have started to suffer a couple of injuries. Aisling and Elysha McCarthy were both struggling yesterday and today. Aisling hasn't played in either of our last two games due to an ankle problem while Elysha is having trouble with her asthma and has only managed a point in both of those games. Jess MacSweeney also had to sit out today's game, meaning we were without three very important cutters. I'm hoping we'll have them all back tomorrow. They certainly all want to play.

I'm really excited about tomorrow but very aware of how difficult it's going to be. The Poles are going to come at us like a tonne of bricks, desperate for revenge after losing in such horrible fashion yesterday. We'll have to be ready for them and fight even harder. I'm not sure if yesterday's performance will be enough to beat them tomorrow so hopefully we can return to the form we showed against the Czech's.

I went to spy on France today for awhile. They were playing GB who beat them comfortably enough but they do look to have some strong handlers. Again, we'll try to test them with our zone and hopefully force enough turnovers to get what would be a massive win! Their coach is a very distinctive dreadlocked girl who anyone who has played in continental tournaments will know. She was playing for Italy at U23s last summer, an Italian team who twice beat the Irish mixed team on which I was playing, by one point and two points respectively. Needless to say, on a personal level I'd very much like to beat her. But more importantly, for the girls it would be such an achievement if they could beat a country of France's stature. They'll have to play better than ever before to do it. I would put the French on a similar scale to the Czech Republic, so it's going to be very difficult. But we're well rested and hopefully come 5pm tomorrow the girls will have another win under their belt and be chomping at the bit to end the tournament on a win.

A whole new day. In many ways a whole new tournament. Nothing up to this point matters any more. Getting hammered by Sweden and Germany is obsolete, playing out of our skin against the Czech's is obsolete, beating Poland is obsolete. If we lose our two games tomorrow we finish last, simple as that. We can always reflect on the positives which we've achieved so far but having tasted victory once we're all desperate for more. I really hope the girls play their best ultimate and achieve something special. There are more big performances in this team, I just know it. Hopefully they come tomorrow.

MVP v Germany: Leanne O'Neill
A-Game v Germany: Anne Leahy

In other news, The Open team had a great game today, coming back from 8-3 down against Russia to bring the score to 9-10 in the second half. Unfortunately they couldn't keep the momentum going and ended up losing 15-11.

The 4 Irish coaches also got to play in the staff & coaches tournament. My team which was full of some very handy Italians got to the final (beating Hogie's team in the semi), unfortunately we lost in sudden death 7-6. It was a great laugh though.

So, big day tomorrow. The girls get a nice lie in but I'm up at 8.30 to spy on France v Poland at 9. Then we play Poland at 1pm and France at 5pm. Can't wait!

Hobs

A Day to Remember

The following paragraphs are the words of a very, very happy man.

Today the Irish Junior Women’s team announced themselves on the European stage. At times they played better than even I thought possible and throughout they showed a commitment and desire that made me proud to have coached them. Today we won our first game as a team, beating Poland on universe point, 9-8. While that result obviously has all the girls wired to the moon with excitement it isn’t the result that pleased me the most. That came in our first game of the day against the Czech Republic.

Ireland 9-12 Czech Republic

If I’m being honest, going into this game I thought it was an opportunity to warm ourselves up for what I knew was going to be a close game against Poland later in the day. I never expected us to have the experience to really threaten a team like the Czech’s. Well didn’t the girls teach me a lesson for underestimating them. They played the best ultimate I’ve ever seen any of them play. Every single one of them had a stormer. We put our zone defence on from the start and it worked a treat. The four girls at the front of our zone ran themselves into the ground for every single point, bullying some far more experienced Czech handlers into countless turnovers. The likes of Aisling McCarthy and Caitlin Looney were bossing the handlers as point marks in the cup while Caroline Sexton, Kate O’Regan and Anne Leahy were completely shutting down the dump.  We traded with them until half at 4-5 with all the points being scored up wind. Gemma Locke and Leanne O’Neill were coping superbly in the wind while Caroline found herself throwing a number of assists as Gemma , Elysha McCarthy and Caitlin Looney all got themselves on the score sheet.

By the time half time came around I realised that this was a game we could win. Our defence was working so well and we were finding the continuation in our offence, it was just a matter of whether or not we could convert our opportunities. In the second half the upwind points finally arrived and unfortunately they went the way of the Czech’s. We were still scoring points but when the second Czech upwind point went in it looked as though  it was slipping away from us. But our girls weren’t going to give up that easily. They fought back and scored an upwind of their own; Caroline Sexton squeezing a disc to the ever willing runner Caitlin Looney.

Caroline assisted three more points in the second half, twice to Niamh Carey, once to Jennifer Cassidy. Unfortunately we just couldn’t claw it back and with the score at 11-9 the Czech’s scored their downwind point to win the game. It was a simply stunning performance, the girls gave it absolutely everything. To finish a game within one upwind point of the Czech Republic was simply remarkable and made all the sweeter by the fashion in which they did it. We gave them a plan and they implemented it. That, as a coach was by far the most satisfying aspect of the day.

One who has gone unmentioned until now certainly deserves to be highlighted at this point. Laura O’Sullivan absolutely flourished in this game, proving to me that she’s more than capable as a handler. She also took on board what was said to her about being more aggressive on defence and as a result she turned from her usual timid self into a D machine willing to throw herself around the place. Thus she was deservedly voted the A-Game winner. While Caitlin Looney managed to hang onto the MVP leprechaun hat for the second consecutive game.

Ireland 9-8 Poland

New game, same zone defence, different result. I was so pleased with the Czech performance, I was really hoping the girls would get the result they deserve against Poland. What a nail biter we were made to endure! We started well, going 3-1 up early on as Gemma Locke imposed herself in the opening stages. A goal and an assist from her got us off on the right track before Poland scored two on the trot to bring it back to 3-3 and went on to take half time 5-4.

We got ourselves going again in the second half with scores from Caitlin Looney and Jennifer Cassidy. Caroline Sexton and Kate O’Regan got some really important D blocks for us but we still found ourselves behind on the scoreboard. A really important point from Laura O’Sullivan got us within touching distance again, but the Poles responded scoring shortly after the time buzzer went meaning it was 7-8, game to 9 with Poland only needing one more point to win. The previous Polish point had been a quick one so we decided to stick with the same handler heavy line for a do or die point. It was made perfectly clear to the girls just how important the point was and they responded accordingly. We had to play a bit of huck and D to ensure we didn’t turn over near our end zone and give the Poles an opportunity to score a winner and it worked in our favour. We pushed them back, our zone forced the turnover and Caroline Sexton found Caitlin Looney unmarked in the endzone to make it a level game, 8-8, universe point (next point wins).

We brought on a pair of fresh cutters to give us the legs we needed for the most important point of our week. Again our zone got us the turn and we showed some great patience, resetting amongst our handlers to retain the disc and work it up the field. Then came a huck from Caitlin Looney (a bit of a collector’s item it has to be said), and Mairead O’Meara rose highest to take it down and secure Ireland’s first ever Junior Women’s victory.

A Game: Kate O'Regan & Eimear O'Reilly

Most Valuable Player: Mairead O'Meara

Queue mass celebration as the Open team and all the subs stormed the pitch. It was just a terrific moment for Irish ultimate, Irish women’s ultimate. A catch which in my view guaranteed the involvement of 18 female player’s in Irish ultimate for years to come. It was probably my proudest moment since I’ve been involved with the sport, my only regret is that two people weren’t there to share it with us. But because of the absence of Meabh Boylan and Mary McKee I’ve decided to attach a video of the winning point to this post, for them and everyone else to enjoy.

A game against a very strong German team in the morning. Time for bed.

Hobs

Mairead O'Meara - MVP v Poland

Kate O'Regan & Eimear O'Reilly - A Game v Poland

Match Day 1

Hello from Wroclaw,

Mags Carey - A-Game v GB U17

Caroline Sexton - A-Game v Sweden

Leanne O'Neill - MVP v Sweden

Caitlin Looney - MVP v GB U17

Well day 1 is over and while our results may not look so good on paper, personally I’m delighted with how the girls performed today, especially in the second game. The rate of improvement was superb and their hunger and desire couldn’t be questioned. Unfortunately a bit of inexperience meant we didn’t capitalise on all of our opportunities but there are plenty of positives for us to take into tomorrow.

Sweden 17-0 Ireland

The girls played their opening game as Irish internationals in The Olympic Stadium, home to Wroclaw’s professional football club Sparta Wroclaw. I was more than a little bit jealous. It made the perfect backdrop for our opening game, adding to what already was quite an occasion. I have to say I was very nervous before the game and judging by the opening few points it seemed the girls were too. I knew the Swedes were going to be strong and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t prepared myself for the result which eventually transpired. But despite failing to score I was really happy with the attitude of the team. They took on board what we spoke about last night and never let their heads drop, they fought for every point and were very unlucky not to score. In a way I’m glad our opening game was against a team like Sweden as it provided an opportunity to get the nerves out of the system before playing the games that are likely to be much closer. Unfortunately because we started every point on offence we never really got an opportunity to implement our zone defence at any great length. The Swedes really made us work on offence and forced a number of turns, they really weren’t afraid to throw themselves around. That said it wasn’t all plain sailing for them either as we managed to turn them in every single point and often got some great offensive flow. Unfortunately it was never quite enough to see us over the line.

Most Valuable Player: Leanne O’Neill

A-Game: Caroline Sexton

Ireland 3 – 14 Great Britain U17s

We went into the game against Great Britain’s U17’s determined to improve on our performance against Sweden, especially our offence. With a large number of our players actually eligible to play in their division we knew this was going to be a very difficult game against the power house of European ultimate. With the score at 9-0 at half time it looked as though events on the scoreboard were going to run a similar course to the first game, despite the fact that we had obviously improved our game. We were just still struggling to convert our scoring opportunities.

Then came a massive second half performance and the character which I had spoken about before. The girls paid absolutely no attention to the scoreboard and went relentlessly in search of a point. When it came, it could hardly have come in more spectacular style. The youngest (but my no means the quietest) member of our team; Leanne O’Neill threw a hammer to her Colaiste Choilm class mate Caitlin Looney (the second youngest member of our team), to get us off the mark. Having failed to score a point all day, we were right outside the endzone and she decided to throw a hammer!  That ladies and gentlemen takes real guts! It was a point which came straight out of Ballincollig. And while I won’t for a moment attempt to claim any credit for it (those of you who have seen me hammer will know I wouldn’t have any right to), I must say I did take great satisfaction in seeing the two girls on the team who I’ve coached in their school since November working together in such perfect harmony on an international stage. We were a long way from the windy Colaiste Choilm Astroturf but it felt like we were right back there as that point was scored.

From then on the confidence in our team visibly spread. Our defence really started to unsettle GB as we put on a zone whenever we could and they struggled to get their dumps off. When we managed to prevent their very talented handlers from hucking long we found ourselves getting a lot more possession. Memorable moments included two hucks from Eimear O’Reilly which were measured to perfection. For those of you who don’t know Eimear, she’s the one who made the team after she out-jumped the Senior Irish Open team’s top points scorer Fergus McAuliffe, when UCC played NUIG at open intervarsities earlier this year. There was also a massive point block from captain Anne Leahy and D’s from almost every other player on the pitch. Our girls were up for this and GB knew it!

We went on to score two more points, Caitlin Looney assisting for Mags Carey before Caitlin herself was back in on the scoring act receiving a pass from Anne Leahy. Sadly we had given GB too much of an early lead to ever make a come back possible but the guts that the girls showed in the second half were just unbelievable. I was so proud of them, to come back fighting despite conceding point after point in the early stages really shows the maturity of these girls. The second half of that GB game has left me very excited about what may await us tomorrow.

Most Valuable Player: Caitlin Looney

A-Game: Mags Carey

Almost Game Time

Hi All,

So it's Monday night and at last it's the night before our first game. It feels like it's taken forever to arrive. We just had a team meeting and I think we're all really pumped for tomorrow. We emphasised the fact that we're going to stick together as a team regardless of what happens and not lose the heads no matter what the result. I used the Irish Mixed team as an example of a team who didn't let early defeats get them down, how character and putting negatives behind you can count for so much in this sport. The rewards which the Mixed team reaped from those kind of qualities are plain for all to see. They proved their doubters wrong and I'd love us to do same. But even if we don't, I'd love it if we continuously do the right things in games and achieve the same rate of improvement by Saturday which we have from the trials until now. I see no reason why we cant.

Today was a bit of a lazy, frustrating day. It began by Helen (my other sister) and Mary McKee arriving from Slovenia to support us in our games tomorrow before they fly home on Wednesday. Mary's arrival, as expected, sparked pandemonium. She's coached exactly half of our team all year long in Christ King Secondary School in Cork and it's no exaggeration to say that the girls simply idolise her. I'm actually thrilled she's here so she can see the fruits of her labour. She is almost single handedly responsible for half of an Irish squad. Thank you Mary McKee.

We then had an hour long walk through our zone and 2-5 and 3-4 offence. It was just to tweak things and make sure everyone was clear, nothing too strenuous. Then the girls were let loose to do what they waned for the evening (they went shopping). Caoimhe and Hogie arrived, finally fulfilling the full representation of Irish here. Unfortunately today was the day that the tournament organisation which I previously raved about began to take a serious step backwards.

We had a rather unproductive, slap job coaches meeting. This was followed by a BBQ and the opening ceremony at which the Irish team were without doubt the loudest. It was so, so loud. Some might say it'd make you proud to be Irish. Others might say it'd simply make you accept your Irishness and all the loud obnoxiousness that goes with it. Make no mistake, the rest of Europe certainly know we're here. Let's hope we can leave as much of a mark on our games that we did on the opening ceremony.

Sweden at 9am, I'm nervous but I cant wait!

Training in the rain... nothing new there.

Hello again,

I've managed to get my hands on some regular internet access so the keeping you guys up to speed shouldn't be too much hassle. Today the remainder of the two playing squads arrived, all be it over two hours later than expected due to some problems leaving Dublin airport. But they're all here now, decked out in their Irish zippies and in great spirits.

I decided to have an inter-squad game with the girls today. This perhaps didnt run as smoothly as I'd hoped, as finding a pitch which we didnt have to pay for was more difficult than I had expected. When we did eventually get sorted, the rain came down and the insects attacked but we soldiered through it and played an hour long game. Stopping at intervals to tweak a few things. The green's came out on top, surviving a late white come back to win 7-6. Overall I was pretty happy.There was good intensity despite the rain and insect bites.

After some nice warm showers it was time for food. Unfortunately it had gotten quite late so we had to resort to a pizza delivery. 12 large pizzas of miscellaneous flavours were ordered and delivered after a lengthy wait, largely thanks to the Germans who ordered 25 just minutes before us - The pizza place thought it was some sort of prank.

Speaking of the Germans, they have hung up possibly the biggest flag I have ever seen in my life on the stairs of the dorms. The lads have responded with numerous smaller Irish flags and a 5 foot cardboard cut out of the unfortunately absent Killian from the open team.

Caoimhe and Hogie are arriving tomorrow in time for the opening ceremony at 6pm. I hope to run through some tactics with the girls in the morning and let them loose to enjoy some shopping for the afternoon. News of time designated for shopping was met with mass approval from the entire team. I'm hoping my generosity will be rewarded with a big performance against Sweden on Tuesday morning.

We've Arrived!

Hi Everyone,

As I write this it’s just past midnight on Saturday night. Unfortunately you wont be able to read it until tomorrow because of a few internet teething problems. So we’ve arrived in Wroclaw, well, 22 of us have (myself, my sister, 13 women’s players and 7 open players). They rest are all due to arrive early tomorrow from Dublin and of course Caoimhe and Hogie who will be joining us straight from EUC in Solvenia.

We left Cork this morning on a 9.25am bus to Shannon. With a gaggle of talkative girls having boarded the bus before me the bus driver asked what was going on in Shannon that such an unusually large number of people were going there. I told him that there was nothing going on in Shannon but that the European Ultimate Frisbee Championships were going on in Poland and that was where we were off to. He was suitably bemused.

A two and a half hour journey eventually saw us land in Shannon, meet up with the members of the open team and two of the girls who had travelled from Mayo and Tipp independently. Feeling a bit like Monica from Friends I distributed the boarding passes from within my folder/filing cabinet thing and before we knew it we were on a very packed flight to Wroclaw.

We were, as expected met at the airport by the tournament director Marcin. He and his friends had enough people carriers and cars to transport us all. It was a fantastic gesture and made us feel instantly welcome. He then proceeded to drive us on a tour to show us all the important places we would need to know about for the week. The supermarket, the shopping district, the pitches and our accommodation. He was really careful to make sure we had our bearings and knew where we were going. First impressions were certainly very good.

People sorted out what rooms they wanted to be in and we quickly headed off to the supermarket to organise stock up on food for the morning. There was also a stop made at a McDonald’s drive through on the way home, despite the fact that none of us were driving. I’ve been assured that the healthy eating begins tomorrow.

Everyone seems to have settled in well. The balconies of our dorms are awash with tri-colours, leaving nobody in any doubt as to who’s staying here. I’m looking forward to the rest of the teams getting here tomorrow and the atmosphere really starting to build. We’re one of the first ones here and we’ve been made to feel incredibly welcome. Our accommodation is perfect, only about a 15 minute walk from the pitches. So far so good, if it carries on like this, this tournament may even be better than Cork Open ..............Surely not. 

Living my international career through 18 teenage girls.

Hello Irish Ultimate Community....and maybe others,

This is the blog I hope to keep while we are in Poland. Hopefully I'll be able to keep you up to date with regular posts throughout the tournament. There are 15 of us flying from Shannon to Wroclaw tomorrow afternoon. My sister (not the ultimate playing one) Sara, has joined the management team at late notice, so her and I along with 13 players are off tomorrow and will be joined by the rest of the squad on Sunday.

Its been a great summer coaching this team. I've enjoyed every minute of it and I feel proud to be part of what may prove to be one of the most important developments in Irish women's ultimate; the first ever Irish Junior Women's Squad. We have a squad of 18 players, none of whom this time last year had even heard of the sport. They now face the prospect of playing for Ireland at European Championships. This is obviously a huge ask for any group of players who are so inexperienced. We're all aware of the difficult challenge that lies ahead but I don't think anyone's afraid of it. There's a nervousness and excitement but no fear. A lot of these girls are used to playing in big games having come from other sporting backgrounds. Others haven't been so exposed to a highly competitive environment, but there's no pressure on any of them. Obviously there is a pressure of sorts and a responsibility to wearing an Irish jersey but that responsibility on this occasion isn't a product of expectation, and as all sporting enthusiasts will know, in times of low expectations Irish teams often thrive.

At the start of the week my hope is a simple one - that all of the players enjoy themselves, improve and are inspired to continue with the sport. And of course that they all come home in one piece (that's probably my biggest hope). All that said, I want to be competitive over there. I want to be able to tell you guys about some of the great results we've had. After all, I have got a famously bad record in an Irish jersey (13 games, 13 loses). As the title of this post says, I am living my international career through 18 teenage girls. I really hope they can get me off the mark with my first win. If they do, even though I will have spent it on the sideline, good luck to anyone who tries to take it away from me. But this week isn't about me, it's about them. I hope you all get behind them and give them the support they deserve and hopefully they'll do the Irish ultimate community proud. Just as their senior counterparts did in Slovenia this week.

Looking forward to keeping you up to speed,

Hobs