It’s not just what you do on the field that matters.
Diarmuid O’Sullivan thinks that the Cork hurlers’ positive League campaign is more so related to matters off the field than to what they are doing on the training field.
Much of this off the field progress is being made on the back of advice being given by their more experienced players to the younger players of the panel.
In theory, all GAA players will make their name within the four white lines of the pitch, be it through performing well at training to ensure a place on the team, or through fulfilling their potential on match-day.
It’s what they’re doing off the field that can be the springboard to this on-field success, however.
The commitment GAA players are making is becoming more intense and more demanding year after year. Training is becoming more professionalised and GAA players’ lives are now revolving around the game.
The commitment required stretches far beyond the training field, however. The demands being placed on players are wide-ranging. Their social opportunities are limited but their gym programmes are plentiful.
This all leads to more stress being placed on GAA players as they rarely receive respite or a break from the games.
‘The Rock’ revealed on The GAA Hour Hurling Show on Thursday how Cork’s more experienced players are giving invaluable advice to their younger counterparts on how to strike the balance between their GAA lives and their lives off the field and how to make the divide between these two.
“When you see the way the older guys have really responded to them(the younger lads), you know, they’ve started to take care of them and are gelling them together. It’s not just about the game of hurling, you know, these guys need to know how to balance their work life, their training life, their college life and their own personal time.”
The key, according to the famed full-back is ensuring that the younger players know when and how to leave behind the GAA world and to make use of their personal time and space to refresh their own minds.
Sometimes less is more, and according to O’Sullivan, Cork’s more experienced players have been informing their younger players on how it is more beneficial to them to focus on other parts of their lives and not to over-think the game.
“We’ve a lot of lads in the squad who are experienced, who have been through the mill on the same type of system and to see them actually take the guys, not even take them away, but sitting down and chatting to them before training and after training, how to get that balance right and mentoring them, you know you forget about the on pitch stuff, because good hurlers will always be able to play together but what i see off the field has really brought them together.”
‘The Rock’ emphasised the breath of fresh air that these younger players, such as Luke Meade, Mark Coleman and others have been to The Rebels this year.
They will be making their biggest step-up yet on Sunday in the Munster-Championship first round against Tipperary, however.
“There’s no dressing it up, them guys have played throughout the National League. The Championship arena is different. Will they make it through the championship arena? They’re putting their hand up every week…it’s very refreshing to have these guys in.”
Listen to the O’Sullivan interview here from 23’00”.
