The key to reviving Cork GAA is to re-build from the bottom up

I have, over the last week, being listening to both points of view as regards the state of Cork hurling. Both Donal Og and the county board have valid points but what seems to be lost in all this debate in the average player.

Rinus Michels of Holland fame once said “If you want to raise the level of the elite players, then you must raise the level of the average player” Both Donal Og with the GPA and the county board’s main focus is on the “elite” which is a major downfall of both parties.

The club player can’t plan holidays, the ratio of training sessions to matches is disgraceful: you could play a first round in May and not play again until August in the championship.

If Cork progress to an All-Ireland you might not see action till October.

So that should be the starting point for any review.

It’s all great saving the energy of the elite player, but the club player is effectively redundant, we need club players in competitive action more often so we can increase the pool of players. Currently it is harder to get off the Cork team than get on it, so pressure for places is paramount.

There also needs to be a realisation that maybe good inter-county players don’t all make good coaches?

Every club in Cork seems to have the input of a former Cork great.

But come on, is it working?

Lets do a small few things:

1. Clubs must be at the centre of any review, so lets survey them.

What issues are at play in clubs? Training? Facilities? Matches? Costs? Travel? Player numbers?

2. Put training sessions to match ratios in place.

3. Have a three week closed season for clubs so people can plan holidays

4.Get the coaching structure correct. We seem to follow trends rather than create them

5. Develop a coaching centre with all-weather pitches as well as normal pitches and make it available to all

6. The schools need to be put back in focus

7.Develop smaller hurling games that can be played in winter months, maybe 7 or 11-aside?

8. Have a full development squad review/

At the moment, Cork hurling looks like two rams in a field : Donal Og V The County board

Let the flock decide.

Pat Walsh

Bartlemy

Co Cork