What if I told you that there is a sport in Ireland that is bigger than soccer in the country of Ireland? It may sound hard to believe, but what might be even more jaw-dropping is the fact that most people outside of Ireland have no idea the sport even exists?
Well, Gaelic football is one of Ireland’s national sports and one of the biggest in the country, yet you would probably have some difficulty finding a handful of people who know what the sport even is here in America.
Fortunately, there is a place where you can go to learn about and play “the best sport you’ve never heard of” here in Culver City. The LA Cougars are a team based in Culver City that is part of the United States Gaelic Athletic Association (USGAA)—the official governing association for Gaelic Football in the United States who is directly connected to the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ireland—making them the only officially recognized Gaelic Football club in Los Angeles.
So, what is Gaelic football? There are obviously many different aspects of Gaelic football that make it unique, but the summary on the LA Cougars website might put it the best: the drunken lovechild of soccer, basketball, and rugby. Surprisingly though, Gaelic football actually predates all three of these sports, finding its origins as early as 1670, and perhaps even earlier.
The LA Cougars have brought this unique sport to Culver City for all to enjoy. People have been able to boil Gaelic football down to relatable terms, but the only way to truly experience it is to, well, experience it. The Cougars play the final home game of their season on Saturday against Wild Geese GFC, based in Orange County. The game is part of an unofficial three game rivalry series with the club—dubbed the Southland Cup.
You don’t have to worry about a lack of experience or Irish heritage; there are plenty of people who have neither, yet are enjoying the practices and the sport itself. In fact, about 50% of the players with the LA Cougars are American born, with the other half being native Irish. The LA Cougars actually encourage and hope that Culver City locals will want to check out and possibly even join the Cougars’ ranks.
This is the team’s fifth year in existence, and because Gaelic football is an amateur sport, the club is entirely volunteer run. Whether it’s cutting the grass, making promotional videos, or booking hotels, the organization and day to day operations of the club are all labors of love by loyal team members who want to see the LA Cougars succeed. The players become deeply ingrained within the culture of the team, which is furthered by the amateur aspect and consequential lack of financial compensation.
This stems from a traditional idea in Ireland, known by many Irish footballers as “One team, one life.” The idea is that you stick with your hometown team through and through, to the point where a player who wants to switch teams in the GAA must apply to change teams and receive permission from their home team.
This breeds a deep sense of loyalty to a team, similar to the way someone who goes to a college is connected to that college forever. Many of the players are friends off of the pitch, going to watch games at bars following practices, and they share a connection despite coming from all different walks of life.
This connection is fostered through intense competition. Gaelic football, as the name suggests, is a very physical sport. There’s adrenaline running, shoulder checks, and big prizes at stake. The USGAA is large enough to throw National tournaments, which the Cougars will be attending all the way out in Leesburg, Virginia this year.
But whether or not the team, it’s all about enjoyment and community for the LA Cougars. While it is welcoming to non-Irish members, those who do have their Irish roots appreciate the community that it brings, as well as being able to “enjoy the craic”, which is the Irish way to say having fun.
After all, that’s what Gaelic football is all about.
For more information, visit the Cougars website at cougars.la.