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Frequently Asked Questions
With a name like "St Joseph's"
are you connected with a church or something?
Is there a league?
Can beginners join?
What's this "GAA" thing?
Is gaelic football a version of soccer?
How do you tackle someone in gaelic football?
This hurling looks pretty dangerous. Will I get hurt
if I play?
How do I tackle someone in Hurling?
How do I join your club?
Do you have any social activities?
Q - With a name like "St
Joseph's" are you connected with a church or something?
A - No. Our name is really an English translation of the Spanish
name "San Jose." Many GAA clubs in Ireland are named after
saints and we're simply carrying on that tradition here.
Q - Is there a league?
A - There is a championship in San Francisco every year. The
finalists go on to the North American playoffs.
Q - Can beginners join?
A - Yes. There are championships for all levels of player, so
even beginners will be involved in competitive games.
Q - What's this "GAA"
thing?
A - The Gaelic Athletic Association is the governing body of
Gaelic Games. They are based in Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland. It
is a democratic organisation and every club has a voice in how it
is run.
Q - Is gaelic football a version
of soccer?
A - No. Actually, Gaelic football is older than soccer, and
the two codes evolved seperately. However it is thought that Australian
Rules is a descendant of gaelic.
Q - How do you tackle someone
in gaelic football?
A - It's not like American football where you can use almost
any means of bringing an opponent to the ground. In Gaelic you can
try to swipe the ball out of an opponent's hands, or you can shoulder
charge him in a direct shoulder-to-shoulder collision, but only
if he has the ball.
Q - This hurling looks pretty
dangerous. Will I get hurt if I play?
A - It's not without its risks, but the injury rate in hurling
is actually a lot lower than in soccer. Most of what you do in training
is aimed at learning how to protect yourself. There are full-face
helmets available and you can get special gloves to protect your
knuckles, but the best protection of all is your stick. The more
training you do, the more confident and safer you're going to be.
Q - How do I tackle someone
in Hurling?
A - If he is in posession of the ball, you can hit him in a
direct shoulder-to-shoulder collision. If he is solo-running with
the ball balanced on his stick, you can knock the ball off his stick,
as long as you don't chop downwards.
Q - How do I join your club?
A - Three ways:
- Come along to our training sessions at Peterson Middle School
on Tuesday & Thursday evenings from April through September
and ask for any committe member
- Email us at info@stjosephsgaa.org
and ask us to add you to our mailing list. That way you'll be
kept abreast of all activities.
- Telephone Eamonn Gormley on (650) 965 8335
Q - Do you have any social
activities?
A - There's a thriving social scene in our club. As you can
see from the gallery, we are a sociable bunch and most of our games
are followed by a visit to the pub. Most years we organise either
road trips or expeditions to other cities to play friendly games
with other GAA clubs.
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