Practice makes perfect for O’Sullivan
The Waterford midfielder has figured for his county for half-a-dozen seasons at senior level, so he’s had plenty of practice getting his preparation right.
O’Sullivan, a qualified sports psychologist, is a performance coach with Inspiring Excellence, an organisation specialising in improving performance in sports and business.
“Routine is the key,” says O’Sullivan. “I’ve been on the panel six years, since I was 18, so you wouldn’t be fazed by it at this stage because you’ve been doing it repetitively.
“The first couple of years you’d be trying to find the right thing to do to prepare, and when you find that, the positive routine, then you stick to it.”
They needed to be ready for Clare in the Munster semi-final, but as O’Sullivan says, preparation wasn’t an issue that day.
“We were happy with that game – a lot of people outside the team mightn’t have rated Clare, but we knew what to expect. They’ve good underage teams coming through.
“We knew they’d won the All-Ireland U21 hurling title last year, but they also had seven players on the NUIG team that won the Fitzgibbon last season, so they’ve all shown winning performances at a high level.
“Davy, being from Clare, had the inside track and would have told us how good they were, so there was never a chance we’d underestimate them. We were very happy with the win.”
Preparation isn’t an issue for tomorrow either. Cork-Waterford has become a summer highlight for sports fans and this instalment is as eagerly awaited as any of the two sides’ previous meetings.
“Cork and Waterford games have been great occasions and a Munster final is one of the highlights of the hurling year anyway. There’s great hype around and we’re conscious that people are expecting a great game.
“But we’re focused on our performance. That’s number one for us, as it is for Cork, I’m sure.
“They’ve been very impressive. Tipperary pushed Kilkenny, one of the greatest teams of all time, all the way in last year’s All-Ireland final, and there was only a puck of a ball, if you like, between them at the end.
“For Cork to put in the performance they did against Tipperary was hugely impressive, no doubt about that.”
Waterford probably weren’t as impressive in dismissing Clare, but they’re still confident. Still positive.
“We’ve a very entertaining bunch of players with a lot of characters,” says O’Sullivan.
“Having an enjoyable time is a big part of it, particularly in amateur sport – it shouldn’t be neglected.
“But people often forget that enjoyment is sometimes a prerequisite for performance, and a lot of people performing at the top of their game are enjoying themselves in life and in sport. One can facilitate the other.”
So people can incline towards Pádraig Harrington, who plays with a smile, rather than Roy Keane, who wore a scowl more often than not?
“Without a doubt, but the obvious point from those two great sportsmen is that it’s different strokes for different folks. What works for Harrington mightn’t work for someone else.
“But as a player yourself you can experiment with some of those things in lesser games, and see what works for you and what doesn’t. And if it works you persist with it.”
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