Carroll: 'You learn a huge amount from playing different sports'

13 March 2021; Naomi Carroll cut

ELITE athletes are always left with tiny windows to fit in some important life events.

That explains the flurry of ‘sporty’ weddings every Christmas and why Naomi Carroll’s first wedding anniversary recently was so decidedly unromantic.

Preparations for hockey’s last European Olympic qualifying tournament in Spain (January 13-21) included a two-week pre-Christmas training camp in Valencia.

The Irish women only flew home on December 23 and were back training immediately in the New Year, leaving little time for festive food or frolics.

Carroll, who balances teaching with international hockey, got married on January 2 last year. Twelve months later she was in the thick of a national training camp in Dublin before departing for another huge date with destiny.

“Ah I did have Christmas Dinner, just not second helpings! But the Christmas shopping was all done online and I had to miss celebrating my wedding anniversary,” she explains with a grin.

If Ireland finish in the top three in Valencia next week and match their historic first Olympic qualification in 2019 it will all have been worth it.

As someone who’s had more than her share of the rough end of elite sport Carroll will appreciate qualifying for a second Olympics more than most.

When the Green Army suddenly turned the country into giddy hook fans in 2018 the Cratloe woman (who already had 111 caps) was one of Ireland’s two non-travelling reserves. Observing their gleeful and historic run to World Cup silver from afar was more than a little bittersweet.

“I was 24 at the time and that was tough,” she accedes. “But sport is always going to be tough and you learn from those experiences, it just makes you hungrier to get back in. I tore my cruciate after that so that put everything into perspective.” 

She actually tore it six days after that World Cup final after coming off the bench for the Clare footballers in an All-Ireland intermediate quarter-final; like getting salt not sprinkled but rammed into the wound.

Tough times, including covid, followed before the speedy striker was re-called by Sean Dancer. She made her return against GB in Belfast in March 2021 and fulfilled an Olympic dream in Tokyo.

“That’s why every time I get an opportunity to put on the Irish jersey now means so much to me. When you’ve been on the other side of it you know just how special it is,” says the woman who now has 140 caps.

In 2022 she scored the goal that brought Catholic Institute their first Irish Cup title.

In 2023 she also provided a vital goal against Italy when Ireland had their best finish (fifth) at the European Championships, which earned them this last chance at an Olympic spot.

A heavy 5-0 loss to Germany was their only obvious blip at Euros but Carroll says “we really learned how to bounce back very quickly in a tournament setting. Our aim going in was to finish top five and make these qualifiers and that’s exactly what we did.” 

An Irish/Maths teacher in Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh and the squad’s only Munster-based player (Roisin Upton is now based in Dublin) makes for a particularly hectic schedule.

“But I’m job-sharing and very lucky with my employer who’s as supportive as he could possibly be. For a qualification tournament like this you get ‘sporting leave’. I just have to take the occasional personal or unpaid day and I can be lucky if it (Ireland commitments) falls on a weekend or during the holidays.” 

Yet the past year, chasing Paris 2024 qualification, has been busier than most admits the former Clare dual star whose mom’s cousin Mo Kelly persuaded her to try hockey with ‘Institute.

“My husband hasn’t seen too much of me,” she laughs.

“We’ve been to Spain a good few times, plus Argentina, Germany and up to Belfast on camps and I’m in Dublin every Monday night and possibly on Saturday too if we don’t have club matches.

“But I love it. I’m well used to a busy lifestyle since playing for Clare and I definitely think the camogie is a great help. You learn a huge amount from playing different sports.” 

Strengthened by the return of set-piece specialist Chloe Watkins and Beth Harper, this new-look Irish team have nine players from that historic Olympic debut in 2021 and there’s a palpable bond and optimism among them.

Carroll is not their only camog either as captain Katie Mullan (an All-Ireland junior club winner with her Coleraine club Eoghan Rua in 2022) and the Carey twins (Michelle and Niamh) are also very handy with a hurl.

“We’ve had over a year together as a full group and been training for this for the last two years,” she explains. “There’s a really excellent bond there and a great mix of youth and experience. We’ve also had highs and lows together so we’re resilient.

“We beat Spain twice in November - in Spain,” she notes. “Then we had a great five-team tournament before Christmas, against India, Belgium, Germany and Spain again. I think we’ve a really good chance here. We really do back ourselves.”