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.
Hon Limerick!!!
They beat two poor teams and lost out to a decent cork side there not on same level as limerick or Galway
@Back pass: So in your opinion the two teams they beat were “poor” and the team they lost to is “decent” and Clare are not at Limerick’s level. Tell me, what two teams have Limerick beaten? Ah yes, the same two “poor” teams, both home fixtures whereas Clare beat Tipp in Thurles. Next Sunday should decide who’s at the best level.
@Back pass: strange opinion! None of the teams named here are on Galways level yet, all have the attributes to at least challenge them etc, but c’mon ffs, Clare are without doubt on sane levels as Cork & Limerick! Sunday will be a very entertaining clash, can’t wait!!!;) still think we (Limerick) are a year away from being genuine contenders tho, game is full of surprises so who knows!
@Sloop John G: but be cork poor or decent, limerick drew with cork in cork while clare were beaten in cork
@Trevor Beacom: and limerick had 14 men for the best part of the game in cork. no doubting Clare’s talent they have great players, but they’re awfully slow out of the blocks and have to grow into a game. next weekend will be a great one for hurling.
@Sloop John G: Sure will! Bring it on.
Limerick have been impressive so far but let’s not get carried away. Galway are ahead of the pack and there is very little between the rest (Waterfords injuries didn’t help their challenge but they were All Ireland finalists last year). It’s only April since Clare and Limerick couldn’t be separated by extra extra time. With the game on in Ennis next weekend I expect it to be much closer than people think. They have both beaten Waterford and Tipp and it’s still a winner makes the Munster final game. Hon the banner.
Omg the previous story! Comments closed.
I think this will be a big test for limerick. They have been behind the scenes, off the spotlight. But now expectations are growing and are going to a stadium with which they haven’t a great record.
I can’t see anyone beating Galway at the moment. Mind you, it’s only June.