Sharp suit says so much in a GAA world without any frills
So many breakthroughs have happened within the association during the past 15 years. Momentous evolution has brought about foreign games at Croker, players revealing their sexuality publicly, advocate groups for these young athletes, new training methods to make them more professional than we should dare to dream.
But who will be the first inter-county bainisteoir to wear a sharp suit on the sideline? They brought in yellow cards and red cards and they allowed Hawk-Eye and God Save the Queen to emanate from the big screen at HQ. Will the GAA gaffers ever mimic the sartorial elegance of Pep Guardiola? Is it the ultimate forbidden frontier?
The Whitney brothers are pioneers in their own small way. Elliot, the current manager of the University of Connecticut hurling team, led his charges to a collegiate decider this past weekend, a wet, grey Saturday accurately homaging October hurling back home for the Mary Cosgrove Memorial Sevens.
Whitney always stands out at these sorts of events. The UConn Huskies are more renowned for basketball dominance but their hurling team is the biggest student outfit in this neck of the woods. Part of the reason is that he has followed his older brother’s tradition right down to the choice of attire.
The ceaselessly energetic Whitney motivates the Huskies hurlers to within an inch of their lives, wearing a pristine grey suit and nice shoes, opting against a tie and all the more believable for that.
Normally there’d be some astroturf to keep those shoes someway decent but Saturday’s downpours meant his trousers never stood a chance against the mud-splattering caused by his continuous pacing on the sideline.
“The suit is something I love doing and is an important part of being who I am: UConn’s manager,” he explained.
“This team requires me to take myself and my players as seriously as possible in every aspect. It’s not just clothing to wear, it’s a statement about myself. I love what I do and I set my own standards.”
He said his brother Alex has always been his main inspiration, not just in hurling. Alex has graduated now, passing the team on to his younger brother.
“He has always been there for me to show me how to be a better person. Being five years older than me, he has always given an insight into a later part of life.
“He and his best friend since high school, John Wilkinson, started the team with five other people a little over three years ago, and that is where hurling in my life first began. Seeing him and John put so much passion into it and having the time of their lives made me want to be a part of it.”
According to Elliot, the UConn side started out as a modest team of just six or seven people consumed by a niche sport. But they also wanted to create a legacy.
“We want to keep expanding at an exponential rate so that we can not only be the best collegiate team in the north-east, but in the United States.
“I put so much passion into hurling because of the amount of community that it has given me since enrolling in college. It’s not just another sport, it’s something that brings people together.”
They lost their final against a New York Colleges selection but their incredible camaraderie was there for all to see. From the pre-game chants to the enthusiasm of the players and subs, most of whom have been developing these skills from a base of zero.
Unfortunately, of course, it being such a niche sport, there isn’t much room for the GAA in any of the always competitive athletics departments.
“We receive little to no help from the university, financially and administratively. It took several trips to the UConn recreation office to finally allow us to become a club.
“The other big problem is that to start a hurling club requires a lot of up-front money to get the equipment. The National Collegiate GAA (NCGAA) has done a good job providing a starter kit for colleges at a relatively low price but coming up with money to expand is something the UConn hurling team has trouble with.”
They hope to travel to the 2015 NCGAA nationals at the University of Montana but that will also bring added expense. Whitney’s enthusiasm remains undimmed.
“Hurling is the greatest thing that has ever come into my life and now that I have experienced its camaraderie, it will not cease to be the greatest thing in my life.”
johnwriordan@gmail.com
Twitter: JohnWRiordan
