The Continental Youth Championship (CYC) is an annual weekend tournament of gaelic football

Gaelic football

Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

 and hurling

Hurling

Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

 organized by the Gaelic Athletic Association

Gaelic Athletic Association

The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

. It is contested by teams from the USA and Canada, and is a separate competition from the existing youth championships in the New York

New York GAA

The New York County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or New York GAA, is one of the county boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in the New York metropolitan area...

, Canadian

Canada GAA

The Canadian County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Canada GAA, is one of the county boards of the GAA outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games all across Canada. The county board is also responsible for Canadian inter county teams-History:Gaelic games have been played...

, and NACB

North American GAA

The North American County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or North American GAA is one of the boards of the GAA outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in the United States of America, excluding the New York metropolitan region, which is under the control of the New York GAA...

 areas. It began in 2004, and its location rotates around various cities from year to year. The age of players ranges from Under 8 to Under 18.

Hosts:

• 2004 - New York GAA
  New York GAA
  The New York County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or New York GAA, is one of the county boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in the New York metropolitan area...
  
  
• 2005 - San Francisco GAA
• 2006 - Boston GAA
• 2007 - Chicago GAA
• 2008 - Philadelphia GAA
• 2009 - San Francisco GAA
• 2010 - New York GAA
  New York GAA
  The New York County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or New York GAA, is one of the county boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association outside Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in the New York metropolitan area...
  
  
• 2011 - Boston GAA

Growth

The CYC has grown at a rapid rate since its inception. In 2006 it consisted of over 200 games played in three days. Reasons given for its popularity compared to the existing youth tournaments are:

• Scheduling games at a time when children are not at school and when it is convenient and economical for kids and parents to travel
• The whole weekend is focussed exclusively on the children rather than youth games being played alongside adult games that draw more attention
• The atmosphere is a lot different from events such as the NACB play-offs because of the focus on underage games

The popularity of the CYC has led to a decline in the number teams participating in the North American Youth playoffs that run alongside the NACB adult play-offs on the Labor Day weekend. Teams from the US, Canada and Britain take part.

Management

The CYC was developed by the GAA's Overseas Development Committee under Gene Duffy, and is managed directly from Croke Park

Croke Park

Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...

 by the CYC Steering Committee that consists of officials at Croke Park as well as members of the GAA in North America. At local level, the event is planned by the CYC Hosting Committee whose membership changes from year to year as the tournament moves from city to city.

International Play

The tournament is highlighted by international games which take place before the rest of the tournament starts. This showcase highlights the USGAA Team (Formerly the NACB Team), the London All-Stars, and the New York All-Stars representing the NYGAA.

Year	CYC Champion
2007	London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
2008	London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
2009	North American County Board
2010	North American County Board

External links

• Continental Youth Championships official website
• GAA official website
• North American Board official website
• New York Board official website
• 2005 CYC video