Nice Day for Football

Sports fans, if you're interested in spending the day outside enjoying hour upon hour of athletic competition, the Gaelic Sports Festival is exactly what you're looking for. A full day (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) of hurling, camogie (a hurling variant played by women) and Gaelic football demonstrations takes place at Buder Park (1919 Valley Park Road, Fenton), courtesy of the St. Louis Gaelic Athletic Club (www.stlgac.com). Round robin tournaments for all three sports played with fifteen-minute halves, only nine players a side and unlimited substitutions will result in some lightning play — and admission is free. If you haven't seen a Gaelic football match, you really should. Roughly similar to European football, Gaelic football allows the use of the hands, goals are worth three points and single points are scored for kicking the ball through the uprights. When it's played with the proper spirit, Gaelic football is as exotic and exciting as hurling. There's the precision passing of soccer but with shoulder-to-shoulder tackling coming at the end of dazzling runs — and ten scores a game per team are common. If you're interested in playing yourself, the St. Louis Gaelic Athletic Club is actively recruiting for the fall season, so talk to a representative or visit the Web site for an application. PHOTO BY KURT HOSNA
Sat., July 5, 2008