Medals & Mayhem

The hour on the pitch before the speeches — games any age can win, no bench to warm, and the whole club laughing before a single medal is handed out.

Gaelic football
Whole club
60 min
20–60 players and families
4 coaches
Effort 2/5
Half pitch with one goal
awards night
fun games
club community
end of season

The PitchPlans coaching teamGAA Award 1 & 2 coaches

Kit: 16 footballs (mixed sizes), 40 cones, 24 bibs in 4 colours, printed bingo cards or a marker per team, spot prizes, the good whistle

Warm-up6 min

Guard of Honour Jog

Setup: Everyone in two long lines facing each other, five metres apart, from the 45 to the goal — players, siblings, the odd game parent.

How it works: Music from a car boot if you have it. Pairs peel from the end of the tunnel and jog, skip, dance or wheelbarrow down the middle while both lines clap them through — every single person goes down the tunnel once, including the mentors, especially the shy ones. Sneak the warm-up in between runs: calf pumps, shoulder rolls and gentle side steps on the spot while clapping. End with the county-final roar: three claps, one roar, game on.

What to say

“Everybody down the tunnel once — no exceptions, no hiding.”
“Clap the smallest ones loudest.”
“Keep the line moving — a cold tunnel is a bored tunnel.”

Easier

Walk-throughs welcome; a helper partners anyone shy.

Harder

Themed runs called out — solo down the tunnel, backwards jog, celebrity goal celebration.

Activity12 min

The Crossbar Ladder

Setup: The goal, plus three shooting arcs marked in cones: 11m for under-10s, 16m for under-14s, the 20m line for everyone older. Four colour teams from the bib bag, spread evenly across ages. Retrievers behind the goal in pairs, rotating.

How it works: Each team fires in turn, one kick per person, youngest first — hit the crossbar and the whole pitch does the slow-motion celebration of the striker's choice. Bar strikes score 3 for the team, a shot that hits either post scores 1, over the bar scores nothing tonight because tonight the bar is the prize. Two full rounds through every player. Round three is Doubles: pick any teammate, both must strike the woodwork in the same turn for 5. Keep the balls flying and the commentary going — a mentor on microphone-voice makes this block.

What to say

“Youngest kicks first and the team lines the applause.”
“Pick your arc honestly — glory from your own line only.”
“Commentator keeps every name in lights.”

Easier

Little ones throw at the bar from the small square; any woodwork counts 3.

Harder

Weak-foot round where every strike counts double; adults move back five extra metres.

Activity14 min

Skills Bingo

Setup: Nine cone stations scattered across the half, each with a sign or a called number, each hosting one challenge. Teams carry a bingo card (or a mentor marks a grid on their arm-length cone). Challenges pitched so a seven-year-old or a seventy-year-old can tick them.

How it works: Teams roam freely and tick boxes in any order: ten solos in a row, five weak-hand passes between three teammates, a caught kick-pass over 20m, knock a cone tower, a family member scores a point, nutmeg a mentor with a fist pass, the whole team links arms and sings one line of the club song at station nine. First team to a full line roars BINGO and wins spot prizes; first full house ends the block. Mentors float as witnesses — a tick needs a witness, and witnesses are under orders to be easily impressed.

Rounds: 9 stations, free-roam order · line = spot prizes · full house ends the game

What to say

“Split the card — you don't all need the same box.”
“Match the challenge to the person — that's the tactic.”
“Witnesses: generous eyes, loud stamps.”

Easier

Any six boxes win; challenges halve for the under-8s.

Harder

Full house only, and the last box must be done by the whole team together.

The rest of this session is free — along with 3 more this week.

PitchPlans coaching team

Free on PitchPlans — new sessions weekly.