JUVENILE NEWS
On Sunday 23rd April 7 of our Juvenile members competed in Day 1 of the Dublin Leagues. A massive well done to these 7 wonderful athletes who participated in running, jumping and throwing events putting all they learn each week at Thursday training into action . I know all of the coaches are incredibly proud.
We currently have 211 members under 18 in the club. The Dublin leagues similar to a soccer match for soccer players or a hockey blitz for hockey players are the ideal event for your child to put all they learn each week in Thursday training into practice. We would strongly encourage all our little athletics & juvenile members to attend at least one of these events each year. Although these are competitive events it is all about your child participating in their sport...Athletics. Read below a fabulous report by Coach Ruth which highlights how much fun these events are. Good news is Day 2 of the Dublin Leagues is Sunday 7th May. Go to Clubzapp to accept this event. Cost is just €3 and you are guaranteed it will be a fun day!
Day 1 Dublin Leagues
Report by Juvenile Coach Ruth Capocci
Day 1 of the Dublin Leagues started early in Tallaght on a mild day with the sun beginning to make an appearance as they day went on. LSA was represented by 7 athletes ranging from U15 to U10. Our 7 athletes competed in a range of events throughout the day. First up we had Kate Jones competing in the U11 Long Jump and coming in third, there was a very large group of competitors in this age group and Kate stuck it out for over two hours with little turn around time before she then competed in the U11 600m race and ran a strong race. Reuben Capocci was first up on the runs of the day competing first in the U15 400m, this was a fast and competitive race and despite some nerves Reuben came in 4th. While Reuben was running Mark Kelly and Leon Capocci competed in the U13 Javelin event, their first time in this field event and they learned lots on the day from the officials while having fun. Dara Carr or own LSA coach officiated at the Javelin event while also lending a hand at other field stations to keep the whole day running smoothly.
Next to participate in the running events were Maeve Kelly and Sarah Jones in the U10 500m race the girls did themselves proud in their separate races and went on to get some more field experience in the Turbo Javelin later in the day.
Ruth D Capocci was kept on her toes all day trying to capture, support and warm up the athletes as next up was Eliza Hussain who threw a PB of 7.26 while her Dad and LSA coach Taz Hussain officiated on the day. Without coaches and parents volunteering at Track and Field Leagues we wouldn't be able to enter our athletes so we are very grateful to the coaches and parents who give up their time so our athletes can participate and practice the skills they learn at training.
Making the most of his 3 euro entrance fee Reuben Capocci went on to also compete in long jump, high jump and the 1500m race where he was again faced with an incredibly fast race but finished the distance in a PB time of 5.35. The high jump was a brand new experience for Reuben and although it may not have been his favourite event of the day he did himself proud by giving it a go at the end of what had been a busy day for him.
At some point between long jumps, javelins and shot putts Mark Kelly and Leon Capocci ran 600m with another strong field of competitors and a 4th place finish for Mark. All in all Day 1 of the Track and Field events went very well, the athletes had fun and it was a great opportunity to practice their skills, meet other athletes and learn lots. The weather played ball on the day too and while inevitably some events ran over Athletics Ireland managed the day so well these delays were hardly noticed. Thanks also to Parents Todd Kelly and Derek Jones who supported all the kids and the coaches on the day. We are very much looking forward to Day 2 which is in Tallaght again on May 7th and we would love to see more athletes join us. There will again be lots of track and field events to try out and get some experience in. Details for day 2 will follow so keep an eye out.
Kate Jones 600m
Sarah Jones 500m
Eliza following in her dad's footsteps at Shot Putt
Rueben in flight at Long JumpIf all the this excitement still has you wondering if your child should compete check out what our coaches and junior athletes have to say...
COACH DARA SAYS:
"The Dublin league competitions offer an opportunity to try out the events we have been focusing on over the last months. We have worked weekly on turbo javelin and long jump. In soccer and Gaelic there are weekly matches where you practise skills learnt at training. These athletic meets are the opportunity we have to practise what we have learnt at training. Similar to our weekly stations the athletes get to try out different events where there is no winner or loser. A relaxed atmosphere where you can make friends with children from different clubs and not worry about the competitive element. We strongly encourage our athletes to attend"
COACH TAZ SAYS:
"I love the Dublin Leagues, spread over 4 separate days in Spring every year. It is not a competition, but rather an athletics meet. It is not just for those that are already fully competent at an event, it is for all athletes to come and have ago at as many events as they would like to try, a chance to learn, sometimes a taste of events that your own local club may not be able to facilitate. These 4 days are a great welcome for any athlete who has never been to an event with other clubs before. There will be coaches from our club and other athletes, so you will not feel out of place. Just come along, have a go, it's a fabulous day out!"
COACH RUTH SAYS:
"The leagues have been a great opportunity for me as a coach to learn more about running, jumping and throwing I have also brought my two boys along to give them the opportunity to learn more but also to try events they don't always get the chance to try at training such as long jump. They had so much fun the first time they went I don't even have to ask them now if they are interested they just check with me when the next events are. I would encourage every athlete to join us if they can for a great day out."
COACH STEVEN SAYS:
"The Dublin Leagues have something for everyone - first and foremost they are great fun and are the ideal place meet other athletes, coaches, parents etc. and get a real feel for the wider athletics community, which is really friendly and supportive! Also they are the perfect environment to have a go at competing if it’s something you’ve been thinking about - it doesn’t matter whether you are beginner or a more experienced athlete, all are welcome and there are lots of different events for you to choose from, so you can have a go at whatever suits you. All I’ll say is that, if you go to one you will most likely go to more!"
ATHLETE LEON SAYS "Fun day with lots to try"
ATHLETE REUBEN SAYS: "It's an opportunity to push yourself in new events"
ATHLETE ELIZA SAYS: "Good chance to test your skills in different events"
********NEXT EVENT SUNDAY 7th MAY!!!....SIGN UP NOW**********
Next League is Sunday 7th May, also in Tallaght and the timetable is below!
If athletes are interested in taking part please RSVP on the ClubZap JUVENILES chat to help us plan. If your plans change you can change the RSVP at any stage.
It’s a great opportunity to try different events at a full size 8 lane athletics track-all for €3!
You can try one event or all the events on your age group
Junior Club T-shirts
Ali Conway will be at Juvenile Training at the hockey pitches this Thurs 4th May selling Junior Club T-shirts. The t-shirts are €10.50. These can be paid for by card.
Summer Camp
Bookings still open for our very popular Summer Camp
Sports Ireland Summer Camp
Some club members have booked the Sports Ireland Summer camp as an addition to the LSA camp. Car pooling could be an option also. More details can be found HERE
Newbridge House Junior Parkrun
23/04/2023 | #12
Last weeks Junior Parkrun saw a sea of purple participants as it was a Portrane Hockey Club takeover. Huge congratulations to the 7 LSA participants on the day with a PB performance from Liam Butler. Thanks to junior members Kate & Sarah Jones who volunteered doing the first timer briefing and a special shout out to their dad & club member Derek Jones for filling in the puddles with gravel to ensure noone slipped on the run. Huge well done to Club member Elaine McKenna who was the volunteer co-ordinator and mastermind of the hockey club takeover and ensured everything in the day ran like clockwork.
Newbridge House Junior Parkrun
30/04/2023 | #13
Another great show for LSA at the bank holiday Junior Parkrun @ Newbridge House we had 9 junior members competing with PB performances from Philipp Koenicke and Finn Phillips. As always there was great support from our members on the volunteer rota including Aisling Hegarty as run director and Fintain Counihan putting them through their paces with a run warmup!
Why junior parkrun is not just for Juniors...
Check out this Fantastic Article by Mary Jennings (Mary is also a Little Athletics coach) in Irish Times Here
TRACK & FIELD
Our track & field season kicked off in earnest this week with North Leinster Schools, Dublin Graded Meet 1 and Templemore Throws Weekend action.
We were delighted to have four of our older juvenile/U20 athletes competing at the North Leinster Schools Athletics in Tullamore on Wednesday.
Suzie Linkiewicz, representing Donabate Community College was 3rd in a very strong Inter 100m heat. Suzie then headed to Kilcullen as part of the Dublin GAA Minor panel playing Kildare in the Leinster Championships!
Michelle Branigan, also representing Donabate Community College, was 5th in a very fast moving Inter 800m.
Éabha O’Farrell, Loreto Balbriggan, had an excellent Silver medal in Inter Hammer with a 36m throw and made the final of the 300m.
Anna Gavigan, also Loreto Balbriggan, took Gold in Senior Discus with 44.96m.
Éabha & Anna will now represent Loreto Balbriggan at the Leinster Schools Athletics in May.
Dublin Graded Meet 1 @UCD
At the weekend, these athletes donned their LSA gear for a repeat performance in the Dublin Graded Meet 1 at UCDs impressive new facility, Michelle again in 800m and Suzie 100m . Michelle posted a 2:48 and Suzie a 13.3 giving both athletes a great base to work off for the coming outdoor season.
Meanwhile, Anna Gavigan travelled to the ever hospitable and welcoming Templemore AC in Tipperary for their Throws Weekend, winning the U20 competition with an impressive SB of 47.25m. That’s just 25cm shy of this years European U20 qualifying standard!!
Well done to all.
Irish Life Health National Road Relay Sunday 24th April
Huge congratulations to our first men 035 Relay team who competed in a very competive national road relay event in Raheny on April 24th. I am sure this is the first of many for this super strong team. Well done Fintan Counihan, Anthony Sharkey and Shane O'Farrell.
Leinster Novice & Masters Road Championships
Congratulations to our Womens 35+ team Eimear Caulfield, Sarah Minto and Sinead Kiernan and our mens 35+ team Anthony Sharkey, Fintan Counihan, Paddy Phillips and Derek Jones who all competed in the Leinster Road Race in Gowran last weekend. A special shoutout to Anthony who was part of the Dublin County team who won Gold today. Huge thanks as always to the supporters, it's always nice to see a friendly face on route.
ADULT NEWS
Ali's London Marathon Adventure
London Marathon 2023
I am still pinching myself that I was there! I’ll get the important bit out of the way first…...the goody bag is rubbish! There wasn’t even a banana.
I woke early after a great sleep; I was calm and felt ready. My last couple of runs with the club had felt great and I was confident.
I left the hotel for my 40 min journey to the start line and couldn’t help but laugh at all the runners coming from all over heading in the same direction. Halfway through the journey the sunshine disappeared, and the heavens opened……this was expected but I had hoped the forecast was wrong! Luckily, I paid attention during the LSA marathon zooms and was prepared with a poncho and some shoe covers!
Over 40 thousand people took part on Sunday and the start was really well organised, despite the rain everyone was buzzing. You line up in your wave and start walking, music is blaring and before you know it you are passing under the start line and crowds of people are cheering. I tried to focus on not getting caught up and going too fast and it wasn’t as crowded as I had expected so was feeling good. You start hearing people shout ‘hump’, Siobhan had warned me so I knew to look out for the speed bumps!
I turned a corner and saw the 2km sigh ahead and remember thinking ‘already’ and then something pinged in the back of my knee and instantly it hurt! I pulled off to the side and did some stretches, but it hurt so much that I thought I was going to have the dreaded DNF! I tried a little run and it felt easier than walking so took a couple of pain killers and off I went!
The crowds are constant, people in their gardens, outside pubs and lining the barriers. There were several bands and DJ’s on the route and a great party atmosphere. The closer you got to the city the busier it got and in some places it seemed like the crowd was 5 deep! I passed the time receiving lots of hi fives and laughing at the many signs and before I knew it I turned a corner and was on the iconic Tower Bridge, a proper WOW moment and almost half way and the rain had finally stopped! A short time later the Cutty Stark appeared, and it was so noisy but somehow I managed to hear ‘Auntie Ali’ along with a cowbell going mad! It was so good to finally see someone I knew and the look of pride on my Sisters face is something I will never forget! It wasn’t long after this that the pain in my knee got too much and I started walking, I tried to get going again a few times after this but each time it was a big NOPE so I found a speed that worked and kept going.
It was from this point that the LSA support crew of Siobhan, Ciara, Sarah and her son Scott started popping up along the route. Random people shouting your name is massive but absolutely nothing compares to seeing people you know in the crowd and those girls made sure I saw them……screaming, shouting and jumping up and down waving their arms. It filled my heart with such joy each time and the hugs and words of encouragement – ‘its just the wall Ali, c’mon, you got this’ - are what kept me going along with my friend Gayle popping up with some freezing spray and paracetamol! There were many tears shed when I saw them but each time they really helped to push me on, I am still not sure how they managed to be in so many places! They will hold a very special place in my heart for playing such a massive part in getting me over that finish line, as will the girls who gave me a paper cup of Heineken at mile 25!
Before I knew it I was passing the London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster and I could see Buckingham Palace up ahead and knew I was nearly done. At the 385 yards to go sign I tried another run but it wasn’t happening so I swung my arms as hard as I could and powered through. I had just finished the London Marathon! A nice man gave me a foil blanket and another put a medal around my neck before the (long) walk to pick my bag up and get to the friends and family meeting point and the cold beer that had been promised!
Thank you so much to everyone in the club for all the lovely messages, belief boosters and phone calls. I could see some messages on my watch as I came down the final stretch and it really was such an amazing feeling knowing that you were all with me.
Big thanks to Nuala for picking me up at the airport and taking me straight to the VHI clinic and then taking me and my new crutches home 3 hours later! I probably wont be running for 6-8 weeks but I’ll see you at Juvenile training this week……….I’ll be the one wearing the medal!
Ann at Antwerp 10 Mile
Huge congrats to Ann who flew the LSA flag in Antwerp 10 mile on 23rd April! Ann said "Race was by far the best organised race I’ve ever attended. About 5000 did the 4 mile run, and 32000 did the 10 mile. Great route, mix of old town (cobbles!), residential, major landmarks and 2 tunnels!! Lots of spectators and bands along the way. Organisers were super helpful and very accommodating. I’d highly recommend. Expo was brilliant too - small but LOTS of great running gear (I bought 2 pairs of runners!!)
National Duathlon Championships
Huge congratulations to Michal who competed in the National Duathlon Championships. This was a Run Bike Run Event.
Michal said "The National Duathlon Championship took place in Phoenix park on 23.04.2023. It was 5k run, 21k cycling and 2.5k run. Around 350 people were in the start lane. For me two weeks before I had a chest infection. So I've lost two weeks of training and I wasn't in the best condition. But even that I've decided to start. The first 5k was in 21.25. The bike was in 37.05 and the last lap of the run was in 11.04. finish time was 1.11.19. much slower than I expected but I was happy on the finish lane. The plan was for the top 20 and it was possible but the health condition didn't help me with that 😀 78 place overall. Next year will be better."
Great Limerick Run Sunday 30th April
The LSA flag was flying high in Limerick on Sunday with Claire Dorman taking on the Half Marathon distance and Darragh Doherty and Dino Higgins taking on the Marathon. This marks Dino's 120th Marathon (But he didn't take any photos!!) Amazing milestone Dino!
Donabate Parkrun
22/04/2023 | #303
LSA was well repesented at Donabate Parkrun on April 22nd with 9 LSA participants. Thanks to club members Cathal Brady, Nuala Freeman and Patrick Phillips for volunteering.
Always nice to a have a coffee & catch up after parkrun ( Welcome Back Ceire)29/04/2023 | #304
Last weeks Donabate Parkrun was another special event for the club with many of the latest C25k members graduating ( A number will also graduate at this weeks parkrun) There was a lovely atmosphere of celebration and support for all the graduates. Thanks to Ceire for the fantastic photos.
There were 18 listed LSA participants (Reminder to all C25k graduates to ensure you add LSA as your club on your Parkrun profile). There were PB performances from Shane O'Shaughnessy and Maureen Gillespie and a milestone 25th parkrun for Siobhan Brown.
Drogheda 10k
Congratulations to Ann, Amy, Marie & Ian who took on the Drogheda 10k on 30th April!! It was like four seasons in one day with sun, rain, hail & wind on the Hilly course! Well done guys!
LSA Annual 4 Mile Road Race
Volunteers still required for our Annual Road Race. Please complete the Whatsapp volunteer spreadsheet or contact any of the race committee if you are available
Darkness into Light
Join fellow LSA Club members for a walk and the most important sunrise of the year and help raise much needed funds for Pieta House, suicide prevention.
Wayne will have his coffee at the usual spot at the Tower bay car park, for refreshments and goodies.
LSA ON TOUR
Shane O'Farrell not only flew the LSA flag in France he won a club 10km in Le Garde in south of France.
Bravo Shane! C'est incroyable!
Nicole Brought LSA to Lanzarote....Enjoying he sunshine of Puerto del Carmen
And Finally....
What an action packed newsletter...I hope I have left no one out!! Dont forget of you've any news at all send it to me WhatsApp 0879583807. Thanks Kelly x
