Benefits of Snooker for girls, in the school
As we know sport is of huge benefit to both male and females of all ages and backgrounds. It teaches us commitment, respect for others, how to relax, concentrate under stress, set and achieve goals, accept responsibility and failure and be gracious winners.
Colaiste Chluian Meala has witnessed these gains through many sports played at school, including snooker. The Two full sized tables have proved to be a huge asset to the school. Girls are encouraged to play and be part of the snooker club. The esteem-boosting benefits are invaluable.
Playing the game has improved the self-esteem of many of the girls. They are part of a club and play as part of a team which is a good distraction from the uncertain time that adolescence brings. Playing the sport with boys has helped to increase their self-confidence around the opposite sex and to feel comfortable forming friendships with males.
Focus and commitment to academic work has improved. The game has a calming effect which reduces stress, thus improving performance in the classroom. Snooker has been known to sharpen the mind and improve hand-eye coordination. It involves performing mental mathematical estimates and calculations, such as basic geometry and concepts from physics. The stance used can perform very precise tasks on the table.
Cognitive skills are also improved. The different layouts of the coloured balls challenge the students’ imagination, visualisation and creative problem solving skills in order to pocket balls.
Accepting responsibility is not always an easy task for any teenager. Looking after the snooker room has highlighted the importance of the smooth running of a club to ensure its success. They value the importance of looking after a resource that is in place for their benefit. They take pride in the club which they help to maintain.
Along with professional guidance, they also coach each other. They enjoy guiding each other. Overall, the girls and boys enjoy being part of a club that welcomes all abilities.
RILSA have provided the necessary equipment and follow up support that ensures the continued success of the sport and promotion among young girls at the School.
Leona O’Connor
Ballinabranna N.S CARLOW
Ballinabranna N.S has been very fortunate to have been involved in snooker for primary school pupils for almost four years.
The school has been closely associated with RILSA who have hosted enjoyable training competition days for our boys and girls. All this has been made possible by the excellent and untiring work of Dan Carroll whose enthusiasm, kindness and energy are infective.
We were proud to have one of our pupils, Orla Fitzpatrick become the first national ladies primary school champion. Three other pupils Amanda Walsh, Rachel Doran and Kayla Whelan O’Regan have also achieved great success at national level.
Our association with Dan and RILSA has been a wholly positive one. It has been fantastic to witness the opportunities afforded to some of our pupils and the huge personal benefits which have accrued to them. It has also added to the holistic spirit on our school. We would like to thank Dan for his huge commitment to the girls and recommend that other schools consider being involved in promoting snooker as a very enjoyable alternative activity for senior pupils.
Joe Doheny
Principal of Ballinabranna N.S. Carlow
TESTIMONIAL
CBS Westland Row Dublin
Dan Carroll and his team at RILSA have provided an immense amount of support, coaching and opportunities to all the students of CBS Westland Row.
Our girls in particular have excelled under the professional guidance of this wonderful team of people. To date over 70 girls have taken part in numerous national and international snooker competitions. The pinnacle being in 2014, when one of our students, Emirjeta Doda was the under 21 women’s national champion. The involvement of Dan and his team has been a great addition to the school’s sporting events but more than that we have found that snooker promotes good behaviour, discipline and improves numeracy levels of the students who take part.
We look forward to many more years of involvement with Dan and his team at RILSA.
Rosie Carroll
CBS Westland Row
Our Lady Immaculate J.N.S Darndale
Dan Carroll has been organising and running our snooker club here in Darndale Junior School over the last five years. It has been a huge addition to the school and our children love the snooker club. Our first and second class boys and girls attend the club on a rotation basis. All children have an opportunity to try snooker and those who really take to it continue from term to term.
The benefits of the snooker club are many. Children learn a wide range of skills, improve their Maths and most of all have a great time. We have been surprised to see that there is a strong uptake from the girls as well as the boys in the snooker club and we would hope to build on this in the future.
I cannot speak highly enough of Dan as a tutor and a valued colleague of our afterschool’s project. His endless patience, good humour and excellent rapport with the children has made a real difference . Some of the children he works with have persuaded their parents to buy snooker tables for their houses so his influence is spreading beyond the school !
Dan has also developed good relationships with school staff – he is a pleasure to work with and we are delighted that he chose us to set up a snooker club here. I think that many other children would benefit from clubs like ours and would love to see what is happening here being rolled out elsewhere.
Yours Sincerely
Breda Murray
St. Laserian’s School
Dublin Road, Carlow R93 N704, Ireland.
Phone: 059-9142601 Principal: Sonia Gibbons
Fax: 059-9140980 Deputy Principal: Deirdre Nolan
e-mail: info@stlaserians.ie
St Laserian’s School is a special school catering for girls and boys from 5-18 years with a wide range of disability.
Dan Carroll introduced snooker to the students attending St Laserian’s School about 5 years ago. He also secured a super full sized snooker table for the school.
Over the course of the years, with Dan’s help and encouragement, students have participated in many snooker tournaments bringing several impressive trophy’s back to school. In particular the senior girls (14-18 years) have achieved a new confidence in themselves and their ability to both play snooker and participate in competitions. After Neicy Kavanagh won the RILSA National Special Needs Snooker title in 2016 along with Shannon Wilson in Runner Up place, the sport is now more popular among the girls as the focus and commitment of RILSA in their promotions towards girls is just outstanding. Traditionally snooker was seen as a boys sport but of course this is not the case with many of our girls competing (and winning) on an equal basis with the boys. It’s wonderful to encourage a sport where both boys and girls compete on a level playing field or should I say snooker table.
Students get great enjoyment from the sport and very importantly they can play snooker with confidence in their local communities.
In my opinion snooker and in particular women’s snooker needs as much positive press as possible in order to help the sport continue to grow and expand into the future.
Sincerely,
Sonia Gibbons
Principal
