Hickey on fire but burnout not an issue

LIMERICK senior hurler Seamus Hickey believes the issue of burnout amongst young players can be “a state of mind” and says proper communication lines between managers is the best way to ease those concerns.

Hickey played a remarkable seven games in the 19-day period between February 13 and March 3 as he lined out for the Limerick senior hurlers as well as the UL Fitzgibbon Cup and Sigerson Cup teams, including four games in a seven-day timeframe.

Hickey has no qualms about pursuing that punishing schedule and has praised the cooperation between his various managers.

“It was one of the busiest times I’ve ever had, to be honest, but I’m delighted I did it. I find by playing football, I end up enjoying my hurling more. It varies your schedule better. I often think burnout is a state of mind. Being honest, some fellas in that situation are caught with different teams and are all pulled in different directions.

“I’m blessed that Donal (O’Grady) left me off with Limerick to do my own thing and the UL coaches were also great. I managed myself as best I could during that time and it’s all about how successfully you do that. Youngsters probably feel that they owe everything to everybody and they must please everybody. I’m just lucky enough that I’ve matured a bit and it wasn’t as big an issue.”

Hickey has savoured the return to inter-county senior hurling this spring, having been in exile last season during a controversial season for the county side under former manager Justin McCarthy.

“It is great to be back. It’s taken away any element of complacency from your outlook as an inter-county hurler. Last year, a lot of things happened for lots of different reasons and it was difficult. Coming back this year, you had to take everything into perspective. You weren’t hurling last year and you mightn’t have been good enough to come straight back in to hurl this year. So you’d to come back and focus properly.”

So far in 2011, Limerick have enjoyed a flawless start under new boss Donal O’Grady having picked up four wins from their games to date in Division 2 of the Allianz Hurling League. Their form against Laois in the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday was sluggish but Hickey is adamant that it was foolish to expect them to breeze past teams in the second tier.

“People look at Division 2 and they don’t appreciate the standard that is there. I don’t think the credit is given to some of the teams down here. We played a very difficult Westmeath team a couple weeks ago and found it hard to get past them. It was the same against Laois on Sunday. So I don’t know where this myth comes from that Division 2 is a completely different standard of hurling and we should be winning games well.

“I just don’t get it. We’re not world beaters ourselves and we know that. There’s still a lot to work for us to do, I think. We’re trying to gel a new team together this year. You also have to take into account that the third-level competition has just ended and we’d a big representation in the teams that played in that. It takes time for a team to bed together.”

Sunday’s win was a notable triumph for Hickey’s club Murroe-Boher as four of their players saw action during the game. The Tobin brothers, Sean and Pat, started in the corner-forward positions while Paudie McNamara was introduced to the attack during the second half.

“I don’t know the last time that our club had three players on the starting team and then Paudie came on as well. It’s very positive for Murroe-Boher and great to see. Seanie is a real emerging talent and has shown that with LIT in the Fitzgibbon. Pat struck a real good goal on Sunday as well.”

Meanwhile Limerick attacker Niall Moran will receive treatment over the coming days to assess the extent of the neck injury that he suffered in Sunday’s victory over Laois. Moran was forced to withdraw in the first-half of the game, having suffered a blow to his shoulder which affected a muscle in his neck.