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“I feel when it’s your own, you push them that bit harder.”
As well as managing the Waterford inter-county team, Davy Fitzgerald has a young family at home, including two sons, one in his twenties and the other just 15 months old.
The Clare native is best known for his animated demonstrations on the sideline during hurling matches, or his All-Ireland success as a player and manager.
However, when he walks through the door at home, nobody is calling him coach or bombarding him with questions about puck outs and team selection – he is simply another father.
Speaking on the latest episode of the GAA Hour, Fitzgerald explained how his son Daithi Og has given him a fresh perspective on life.
“He’s a breath of fresh air, he’s unreal. he’s smiling every morning. I’m lucky because when Sharon goes to work I get to spend a few mornings with him.
“I get to hold him for a few hours before he goes down, and I absolutely love that time with him. I’m lucky that I have two lads that are a bit older to help out, and once their healthy that’s the most important thing.
“There was one or two championship games that were really tough the year, probably the Clare game, not for the loss but for one or two things around it that I wouldn’t have been happy about, so to go home to him and he was smiling just made it a bit better.
“Once the likes of him and the family are okay – we don’t value the people around us enough at times, and I mean that genuinely. Sometimes we get preoccupied with other stuff and we should really value the people around you because you’ve got a certain amount of time and you have got to value the people you love the most.”
Of course you cant be the son of a hurling legend and not be expected to hurl, but Fitzgerald says there will be no pressure on him from his side.
“He has the hurl, he has the hurl – whatever road he wants to go down, whatever he wants to play, we’ll support him, I’m not going to tell him that it has to be hurling or whatever.
“If it is hurling, we’ll support him. I think I would be better of staying back from his progression in that way. I think it’s important to follow your kids around, but give him a bit of and let other people work with him, I think it’s a good thing.
“I think you should be involved and support them, but I don’t think I’ll be a parent that will actually be over every team he is on.
“I did it with Colm, like I rarely been over any team that Colm was involved with, he was at the Bridge alright, the last two championships he won, I gave him a tough time.
“I feel when it’s your own, you push them that bit harder, you want them to do this, and that’s kind of unfair too when I think about it.
“They need to find their own way in that sense as well.”
You can watch the full show on YouTube or listen in on any of the podcast streaming services.
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