ONCE UPON A time, when your parents first sent you up to your local park for hurling or football training, they probably weren’t expecting you to be the next Joe Canning or Gooch Cooper.
They wanted you to have fun, be active and make friends. But they also knew that playing sport can teach you invaluable life lessons.
Where else in the world would you find match attendances of thousands of people for games involving amateur players of 18 and under? It’s the passion, commitment and dedication of these young football and hurlers that makes the Electric Ireland Minor Championship special.
But they take plenty away from it too. Here are 7 life lessons you learn from playing minor GAA.
1. Hard work pays off
Galway's Ian O'Brien celebrates after scoring in the Minor semi-final. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
We’ve all been told this one on countless occasions throughout our youth. Whether it was our parents telling us that our study would pay off when we sit the leaving cert or a coach telling us that hard work on the training ground would pay off on the pitch.
It usually goes hand-in-hand with ‘practice makes perfect’. But it’s the truth. The more time you spend practicing your skills, working on your first touch etc, the easier it seems to be when push comes to shove in a match environment.
If you don’t take training seriously or you’re only showing up the odd training session to go through the motions, you’re not going to see any improvement. One of the first things you learn playing GAA is that it takes time to develop your skills.
Time to practice and learn.
And this is something that can be applied to other areas of your life. Like the aforementioned study in school. The simple fact is, the harder you study – the better your grades will be.
2. If you fail to prepare, then you are preparing to fail
Kerry's Billy Courtney saves an effort from Sligo's Kyle Cawley during their quarter-final. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
What is the point of pre-season? All of your friends are off enjoying their summers, on holidays or just lazing about at home. But you’ve got pre-season training tonight. We’ve all questioned how necessary pre-season is at one point or another. But there are serious consequences to skipping a good pre-season.
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We need that time before the important games start to preparing mentally and physically for what is ahead. It requires dedication from yourself and shows commitment to your team.
The same applies to life. Preparation is key. Would you go into an important interview or work meeting without adequate preparation or notes?
A winning mentality is crucial in sport. Any successful side goes into every single match believing they are going to win. If you’re going into a hurling or football match with a defeatist attitude, expecting to be beaten by ‘a better side’, then you are pretty much guaranteed to lose every time.
You have to take up every challenge in your life as if you mean and expect to succeed. That means never giving anything less than 100%.
4. Winning isn’t everything
A dejected Cillian McDaid of Galway. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
Pick yourself up and use that loss as motivation. Persistence and perseverance are what will make you strong.
5. Teamwork and co-operation
The Kilkenny team huddle. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
One of the most important lessons you can learn from sport. Teamwork and co-operation are essential in almost any career you choose in later life.
Sports encourage children to take turns, set goals as a team and co-operate with each other to achieve these goals. In a team environment, teamwork can mean players working together to try and score while they’re in possession and working as a unit to defend when without possession.
6. Follow the rules
Longford's Diarmuid Masterson gets a second yellow and subsequent red card in the Leinster final. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
While there is nothing wrong with finding a more effective way to get things done, it is not substitute for hard work. There will always be rules and principles that must be followed.
Breaking the rules doesn’t get you anywhere in the long run – on the pitch and off.
Some moments teach you everything you need to know about yourself. So many milestones are reached as we come of age – Leaving Cert results, starting college, living life independently. Players in The Electric Ireland GAA Minors Championship are embarking on their adult lives, juggling new responsibilities with their ambitions and are looking to the future. The Electric Ireland GAA Minors Championship – follow the conversation at #ThisIsMajor.
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6 life lessons you learn from playing Minor GAA
ONCE UPON A time, when your parents first sent you up to your local park for hurling or football training, they probably weren’t expecting you to be the next Joe Canning or Gooch Cooper.
They wanted you to have fun, be active and make friends. But they also knew that playing sport can teach you invaluable life lessons.
Where else in the world would you find match attendances of thousands of people for games involving amateur players of 18 and under? It’s the passion, commitment and dedication of these young football and hurlers that makes the Electric Ireland Minor Championship special.
But they take plenty away from it too. Here are 7 life lessons you learn from playing minor GAA.
1. Hard work pays off
We’ve all been told this one on countless occasions throughout our youth. Whether it was our parents telling us that our study would pay off when we sit the leaving cert or a coach telling us that hard work on the training ground would pay off on the pitch.
It usually goes hand-in-hand with ‘practice makes perfect’. But it’s the truth. The more time you spend practicing your skills, working on your first touch etc, the easier it seems to be when push comes to shove in a match environment.
If you don’t take training seriously or you’re only showing up the odd training session to go through the motions, you’re not going to see any improvement. One of the first things you learn playing GAA is that it takes time to develop your skills.
Time to practice and learn.
And this is something that can be applied to other areas of your life. Like the aforementioned study in school. The simple fact is, the harder you study – the better your grades will be.
2. If you fail to prepare, then you are preparing to fail
What is the point of pre-season? All of your friends are off enjoying their summers, on holidays or just lazing about at home. But you’ve got pre-season training tonight. We’ve all questioned how necessary pre-season is at one point or another. But there are serious consequences to skipping a good pre-season.
We need that time before the important games start to preparing mentally and physically for what is ahead. It requires dedication from yourself and shows commitment to your team.
The same applies to life. Preparation is key. Would you go into an important interview or work meeting without adequate preparation or notes?
3. Believe in yourself
A winning mentality is crucial in sport. Any successful side goes into every single match believing they are going to win. If you’re going into a hurling or football match with a defeatist attitude, expecting to be beaten by ‘a better side’, then you are pretty much guaranteed to lose every time.
You have to take up every challenge in your life as if you mean and expect to succeed. That means never giving anything less than 100%.
4. Winning isn’t everything
Pick yourself up and use that loss as motivation. Persistence and perseverance are what will make you strong.
5. Teamwork and co-operation
One of the most important lessons you can learn from sport. Teamwork and co-operation are essential in almost any career you choose in later life.
Sports encourage children to take turns, set goals as a team and co-operate with each other to achieve these goals. In a team environment, teamwork can mean players working together to try and score while they’re in possession and working as a unit to defend when without possession.
6. Follow the rules
While there is nothing wrong with finding a more effective way to get things done, it is not substitute for hard work. There will always be rules and principles that must be followed.
Breaking the rules doesn’t get you anywhere in the long run – on the pitch and off.
Some moments teach you everything you need to know about yourself. So many milestones are reached as we come of age – Leaving Cert results, starting college, living life independently. Players in The Electric Ireland GAA Minors Championship are embarking on their adult lives, juggling new responsibilities with their ambitions and are looking to the future. The Electric Ireland GAA Minors Championship – follow the conversation at #ThisIsMajor.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
electric ireland minor champshionships sponsored by electric ireland