The Secret GAA Coach: Parental slings and arrows puncture the joy of a dream coaching role

"I resigned myself to the fact that there would always be an amount of dissatisfaction among non-starting players and their parents and that I was more likely to lose friends by fulfilling my duties as a coach."

Pic: Stephen Shannon/iStock

As a newly retired hurler in my early 30s, it wasn’t long before I found myself back involved as the sort of bib-wearing, sideline-marauding evangelist that I have since grown to despise.

I planned to cherry-pick the most notable characteristics of Cody, Loughnane, Liam Griffin, Justin McCarthy, and Michael Bond and blend them all with my own personality to create the perfect coaching mastermind.