Cork forum aiming to help young players to deal with pressure

Cork GAA will host a youth health forum as a first step in tackling the pressure on development squad players.

The forum, which takes place at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday, is targeted at 14 to 16-year-olds within the development squad system and aims to create an awareness of the issues which may impact on their development.

The event, which is also open to coaches and mentors, will feature presentations from Cork hurler Stephen McDonnell, All-Ireland winning ladies football manager Éamonn Ryan, former Cork players Bríd Stack and Rena Buckley, who hold 29 All-Ireland medals between them, and clinical psychologist Jennifer Hayes.

Cork board children’s officer Des Cullinane said that they have a duty of care to young players, both on and off the field, noting that improvements can be made where the latter is concerned.

He explained: “We do an excellent job in coaching our young players and teaching them the skills of the game, but I believe we spend too much time concentrating on skills.

“In my job with the Cork County Board, I am getting a lot of complaints from parents about the pressure we are putting on young players.

“We need to develop a greater understanding of the issues young players are dealing with away from the pitch and how we can help them. Otherwise, we are in danger of turning people off sport, which is not what we want.

“One of the objectives of this forum is to equip young players for their journey to becoming an inter-county player. It will focus on mindset, lifestyle, the challenges that 14, 15 and 16-year-olds may be exposed to. We want to mind our players, but we also want to make them more resilient.”

Last August, Cork hurler Shane Kingston revealed that he was involved with 15 teams during his early teens and how his father Kieran eventually stepped in to limit his commitments to prevent burnout.

While coaches cannot be overly demanding of any one player, young hurlers and footballers, according to Cullinane, must also be educated as to the importance of putting their own welfare first.

“Cork GAA will look after the player, but the player must also look after themselves. Players must be taught to self-help and self-regulate. They have to recognise they cannot do everything. If they do, they will burn out.

“Coaches and mentors, similarly, have to realise that everyone can’t be demanding that Johnny or Mary plays with them.”

The county board children’s officer added: “We need our mentors to recognise the signs of stress and that we are not contributing more to a player’s stress levels by putting them under pressure. We need to educate our coaches because a lot of them may not understand what is going through the mind of a 14-year old. We want to show parents and teachers that we are very serious about all aspects of a player’s development.”

The event, put together by Cullinane, Cork GAA coaching officer Ronan Dwane, and Cork GAA games manager Kevin O’Callaghan, begins at 4.45pm. There is no entry fee.

There will also be presentations from Conor Quinlan, a psychotherapist and cognitive performance coach, and Steven Casey, the Cork minor hurling strength and conditioning coach in 2017 and 2018.