As we continue our series profiling GAA Handball's full-time staff, we hear from Regional Development Officer Joe Dillon.
Name: Joe Dillon
Home club: Kingscourt HC, Co Cavan
Background in handball (playing/administration): Playing over 20 years as a kid and adult. I won a few county and Ulster juvenile titles. Won the 4-Wall Junior Singles All-Ireland.
Other sporting achievements/interests: Gaelic football, Minor, U21 Ulster Championships. Racquetball, Senior All Ireland.
Hobbies outside of handball: Gaelic football, golf, gym.
Areas of responsibility as RDO (geographically): Dublin, Antrim, Armagh, Down, Kildare, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath.
What attracted you to the role? I have a keen interest in sport. I had previously studied in college to be in a development role within Gaelic games. When the opportunity came up within handball, I wanted to try it out.
Seeing that the job was to promote and develop a sport I enjoy playing, I felt that this was a job I could really enjoy. Also being able to work with the youth and people of all ages to encourage and help them learn how to play the game of handball appealed to me.
What are your hopes for the future for the sport in the short and long term?
Short term, keep what’s going well going. There is a lot of great work been done in handball all over the country currently. I hope to see this continue and to build on it. I hope that we can encourage people to play any code of the game as a short- and long-term goal.
Long term, I would like to see further development into schools, clubs, colleges, and communities to hopefully aid the growth of the game and its various codes. The more people playing, the more facilities and clubs will be required. I would like to seethe continuation of coaching and further games development plans for the players of our sport.
All in all, I would like to see the continued growth and development of the sport.
Staff contact details are here.