The Irish American Football Association held its Annual General Meeting at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry on Saturday 21st April last.
Restructuring:
The most significant outcome of the AGM was that the Association approved the adoption of a new structure for the sport which will hopefully be implemented with effect from early 2013. This new structure follows the Irish Sports Councils corporate governance recommendations and will involve all aspects of the sport coming under the umbrella of an expanded Association Board and many of the day to day functions being carried out by an executive appointed by the Board. A Working Group was established to draft new statutes and consult with the member organisations regarding the detailed implementation.
Board Members & Appointees:
The incumbent officers were reappointed to their positions. In order to smooth the transition to the new structure, the alternate Board members from the IAFL, IAFOA, IFFA and representatives of the IAFCA will also attend all Board meetings. The new Board is as follows:
President: Greg Loughran
Secretary: Cillian Smith
Treasurer: Michael Smith
Alternates/Representatives:
John Judge, Chris Gaughan, Russell Kerley, Ken Farrell & Tony Rivers.
Auditor: Terry Lynch.
IAFA Coaching established:
The IAFA approved the establishment of a new Coaching Department. John Judge was appointed as the Associations first ever Director of Coaching and Chris Gaughan will be the departments administrative coordinator. This Department has taken over the registration, regulatory and education functions that were previously carried out by the IAFCA. Coaching in Ireland is expected to undergo significant changes over the next couple of years consequential to the sport transitioning from BAFCA certification to Coaching Ireland certification courses/standards. Two coaches are currently enrolled in Coaching Ireland’s tutor course at UL.
Other topics discussed at the AGM include the big events taking place later this year, IFAF/EFAF matters and the recently announced ISC grant.