We attend a fair number of tournaments, so we've seen about every solution that clubs come up with to solve the issue of stopping sliotars in a soccer goal. We've observed GAA specific nets that are slightly too small to cover a standard soccer goal, orange safety fencing layered around a goal frame (props for the creativity on this solution), or even goals with no nets at all!
So we decided to try and solve this issue for clubs and we think, after a lot of testing, we finally have it figured out! Introducing the AH Goal Nets. These things are robust. They're made of a knotless polyester mesh and all of the edges and seams are fabric lined.
We put a lot of effort into cutting down the time it takes to put these nets up on goals and we've reduced it to about 10-15 minutes per net with a ladder/stepstool and (ideally) two people. It can be done with one person, but it takes a little bit longer. Each goal post has a fabric sleeve that allows for a tent pole (included with the nets) to be slid in and secured to the post with ball bungies (also included with the nets). This makes for a uniform connection between the post and the net (without it we found that nets tend to pull away from the posts at these points and create gaps) while only need 4-5 bungies per post.
There are seams at both corners of the goal, so installation starts at these points. You anchor the first seam to the corner, install the first tent pole, attach the net/pole to the post, and then repeat for the other corner and post. Then it's as simple as attaching the net to the rest of the goal frame with bungies and you're good to go!
Each net is painted with the American Hurling logo. We're also working on a carry bag (prototype photo included here but the bag isn't included with purchase of the nets) that holds two nets and all the accessories needed to install on a goal.
Idea: We know these are expensive products, but we think you'll be very impressed with the quality. We've done a lot of testing on them and they can be left on goals indefinitely if you play or practice at the same facility on a regular basis. It's worth reaching out to the owners of the fields your club is using and seeing if they're willing to replace their soccer nets with these nets to make their fields better for gaelic sports. After all, they'll work for soccer as well (and there's the added benefit of these nets hopefully exposing more people to gaelic sports when they see them on goals and inevitably look up hurling!) If the field owners/rec departments/you have any questions/concerns, definitely tell them to reach out to us directly at hunter@americanhurling.com and we can go from there!
What's Included: 1 x Net, 30 x Ball Bungies, 2 x 8' Tent Poles (all quantities doubled if you purchase a pair of nets)
What's Not Included: Carry Bag
Shipping: We're still working on adjusting our software to calculate accurate shipping rates for these. At current, we will have to contact you directly and adjust shipping on an order-by-order basis. We can also try to set up local delivery at tournaments when possible.
We've done a lot of research on Canadian shipping and the options that we have available at checkout are the best choices we have found to date. They're not the cheapest available up-front price, but they are the most transparent.
A common issue with shipping goods from the US to Canada is couriers asking for hefty "Collect on Delivery" fees from customers in addition to the price you paid in shipping on the site. The options we have available include customs/duties as well as brokerage fees so the only potential additional fee will be taxes. If you are charged customs or brokerage fees upon delivery of an AH parcel, please contact us and we'll cover those fees for you.
Additionally, the shipping costs for multiple items doesn't increase much over the cost of a single item as long as we can fit them in the same type of packaging. Due to this, if possible, it's a great idea to set up a single order with friends (or to build up a wish list of a few items yourself before placing an order) rather than purchasing separate shipments of single items more frequently.
We're constantly monitoring our options and if any better/more economical shipping options come available we'll be sure to update those here on our website!
For a more in-depth look into this topic, we have a blog post dedicated to this subject available here!
