DJ and friends launch voucher scheme

Ask DJ Carey and he'll tell you it's about sacrifice and dedication. Ask Ronan O'Gara and he'll speak about the camaraderie and the enjoyment. Ask Jolene Byrne and she'll talk about never giving up. What three of Ireland's top sports people will agree on is that sport was hugely beneficial to them growing up, not just in terms of what they have accomplished in their respective spheres but in shaping them as people.

Yesterday the three came together at Croke Park to launch Tesco Sport for Schools and Clubs, a voucher scheme aimed at providing sports equipment to schools and clubs. Shoppers can collect one voucher for every €10 spent, excluding a small list of items. They can then donate those vouchers to their local schools and clubs, who in turn can send away for equipment.

The redemption of sports equipment and apparel may be chosen from a catalogue that embraces a wide range of equipment, from pre-school right up to secondary school. The organisers claim the purpose of the scheme - which is similar to the one they ran for computers - is to encourage children to participate in sport for their general health and wellbeing.

The scheme starts next Monday and will run to November 6th. Every school registered on the computers scheme will be automatically registered for the new initiative and will receive a detailed welcome pack by the middle of this month. Other schools wanting to take part can sign up by logging on to www.tesco.ie/sport or calling 1800 621620.

One other attraction of the initiative is that a school or club could qualify for a training session with Carey, O'Gara or Byrne. And there were plenty of children on hand at the launch to listen to first-hand accounts from the three superstars about their introduction to hurling, rugby and athletics.

There was laughter when Carey revealed that his first competitive outing was with Young Irelands under-eights as a four-year-old.

"I can't remember much about the game," he smiled.

The Kilkenny hurling icon spoke with quiet eloquence about the benefits of sport and about how that natural talent will get you so far but that there is no real substitute for hard work, and plenty of it.

"No sportsman is ever handed anything. I had to work hard to be the best that I could be. Anyone can do it if they're prepared to work hard enough."

Naturally he was asked his thoughts on Sunday's All-Ireland hurling final between Cork and Galway.

He singled out the Cork defence and the fact they would start as favourites but championed a Galway victory as something that would be good for hurling in the context of a different name on the Liam MacCarthy Cup, which has been monopolised by Cork and Kilkenny in recent times.

O'Gara spoke of his own schooldays in first Bishopstown, where he played several sports, and then PBC Cork, where he finally plumped for rugby. He spoke about his love for and dedication to the sport that has given him so much pleasure.

So, too, the American-born, Irish-qualified Byrne, whose bronze medal in the recent World University Games 1,500 metres underlined both her talent and application.

The message was simple. Sport is about fun, about taking part and about doing your best. The aspiration to be a star is underpinned by the perspiration it requires to reach the pinnacle.