Ed Coughlan: GAA training red flags to watch out for

The short-term gains that may be seen from a flying start will show their true colours in injury and illness in the weeks after

If inter-county players are greeted with frantic energy and a sense that they don’t have a second to waste, then tension will be the overarching feeling in the camp rather than togetherness. File picture: David Maher

Monday marks a historic day in the history of the GAA. Never has collective training for the inter-county scene returned so late in the season. Then again, never have we known so much about how to return to training after an extended lay-off as we do right now. It is the perfect opportunity to lean on the evidence and principles of best practice to ensure the safe return of our players across all codes.

However, if we are to believe the stories from around the country, most inter-county teams haven’t been away at all. This has nothing to do with collective training in person, but the apparent connection maintained between players and their management teams throughout the pandemic, albeit online and from the comfort of their homes.