To be the best player you can be takes a lot of time, passion and effort

Using extreme examples of some questionable training regimes, Joe Brolly is tarring everyone with the same brush in an effort to strengthen an argument, writes Dick Clerkin.

In life, most things worth having demand hard work and dedication. With Gaelic football, there is now a groundswell of sentiment questioning the ethics of such an approach, whilst also deriding those who strive to embody it.

Joe Brolly is leading the cheerleading squad, and whilst I agree with much he has to say around the urgent changes needed re competition structures and fixture scheduling, I have serious reservations about how modern day players are being portrayed.

The narrative suggests that the modern day inter-county player is a mindless half-wit, aimlessly stumbling from session to session without any greater sense of purpose or direction.

A gym rat featherbedded by hand-outs and privileges such as sponsored cars and lucrative grant payments. Far from driving a sponsored car, the GPA grant wouldn’t even tax my own car for six months.

Using extreme examples of some questionable training regimes, Joe is tarring everyone with the same brush in an effort to strengthen his argument.

Please take an awful lot of Joe’s views with a very big pinch of salt. For one, the prevalence of early morning training sessions is greatly over-stated.

I know the only thing I will be getting up for at 6am is to change a nappy or give our newest born a bottle. It certainly won’t be to deadlift or bench press.

Without doubt however, our national games, and Gaelic football in particular, are in a turbulent state. Originally founded in a broader sporting environment of amateurism and volunteerism, our codes have been slowly infiltrated by the innovations of professional sport and the winning mentality they instil.

In an age of free and fast movement of people and ideas, this is a trend that will continue to grow, and to think otherwise is naive. Standing tall, but alone, in this quasi professional existence, the uniquely complex GAA is unable to look outwards for guidance on how to navigate such uncharted waters.

We, at every level of the association, are largely going to have to figure this out for ourselves. I wouldn’t be big on hurling from the ditch, but I do intend getting actively involved in this process of change when I retire.

For the moment I am just concerned with protecting the integrity of our game and the reputation of its players.

When I see terms like ‘toxic’, ‘slave’ and ‘unhealthy’ aligned to the sport I love, and have dedicated a huge portion of my life to, I can’t but get angry and frustrated.

For the vast majority of players I have known, Gaelic football is, and always has been, part of a balanced lifestyle.

I truly hope there will never be a day when trying to maximise your athletic potential whilst representing your county will be seen as anything but a healthy endeavour.

Strip aware the glamour and money from professional sporting success, and what you have are stories of relentless hard work and dedication.

Then look at successful careers in whatever you like; medicine, politics, business, the arts, or even raising a family, they all demand sacrifices and a price to that had to be paid.

In the world of elite performance, winning and success is what matters the most. These are the same people we idolise and hold up as the role models and benchmarks for society.

Winning and success is about recognition for your efforts, and a testament to what can be achieved with hard work.

For those of us who do chose to dedicate a part of our life to our chosen sport, we don’t want patronising back slaps along the way. We just want to be treated with the integrity and respect our sport and commitment deserve.

If you’re a Gaelic footballer or hurler, the opportunity to apply yourself at the highest level in your sport rests within the inter-county set-up.

Yes, the canvas is far from ideal at present, and major changes are urgently required, but for the moment, it is what we have.

The choice of whether to pursue a county career lies with each and every player. All I can say is that from my experience, the sacrifices have been worth it, and regardless of current demands there is nothing to stop modern day players from having a successful career on and off the pitch. Don’t let Joe Brolly et al tell you otherwise.

I’ll finish with one of my favourite quotes… It’s from Warren Buffet, one of the world’s richest men; “To succeed in anything, you need three things: be passionate about what you do, don’t be afraid to take a chance, and be prepared to work hard”.