GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 23 – April 10, 2015 | Page 7

BY TERENCE LYNCH, TRACY SCHELLBERG
AND DENIS O’BRIEN
MARCH 31, 2015

For the first time ever the GAA in the US recently took
part in an educational event that could have far reaching consequences in the long-term for the advancement of Gaelic Sports across America.
Several thousand PE professionals from across the US
got a first hand view of Gaelic sports during a weeklong national convention of SHAPE America conference in Seattle in mid-March. SHAPE America is the
annual conference where PE and Fitness professionals
nationwide explore cutting edge ideas and the suitability of sports for their particular programs either at
high school or college levels.
FIRST YEAR

This year marked a new beginning for Gaelic sports in
the US and it’s governing body, the North American
GAA County Board (NACB – excludes NY), as it was
the first year ever since its foundation in 1959, that the
NACB was selected to exhibit and demonstrate Gaelic
sports at this prestigious national conference.
In a statement prior to the event, the NACB sighted the
attendance at the convention as an important push forward.
“This is a huge step forward for raising GAA games’ profile in the US. Over 5500 physical education teachers
from around the US attend this conference every year
and NACB will be heavily promoting the playing of our
sports as PE sports. NACB has a fully staffed booth and
there will be live demonstrations to the entire convention of Gaelic football and hurling,” said the NACB.

Terry Lynch talks about Gaelic Sports to delegates at the
SHAPE Convention in Seattle. Photo: Kathlyn Quinn.

“The goal of this program is to increase the speed with
which our sports are being adopted in schools. Adoption into PE class programs means the students will be
taught to play Gaelic football and hurling year after
year by their PE teachers.”
NACB’s involvement with SHAPE America is an extension of the overall North America Games Development strategy of NACB Games Development Officer
(GDO) Paul McCarthy.

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