Do we have more to worry about than "Pay for Play?"

Started by Lar Naparka, May 04, 2010, 05:17:22 PM

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Lar Naparka

While the pros and cons of the "Pay for Play" issue are getting a good airing at the moment, there are a number of other related issues GAA members everywhere should carefully consider.
For me, the fact is that it becoming increasingly harder for players who are not from the salaried classes or who are not students at some third level institution to play at IC level comes top of the list.
I think problems start to arise with u21 players and get worse when the players in question move up to senior level. There is plenty of talk about 'burnout' alright but nothing tangible is being done about it.
Players at college may be asked to play for club, college and the county u21 and senior sides, whereas the first consideration at all times should be to allow them time and opportunity to complete their studies. Many talented young footballers, on leaving second level schools, do not continue their education but go looking for jobs instead. For the vast majority of them, the issue of "Pay for Play" will never arise because they will never have the chance to play to the standards required.

Every county board in the country is doing its best to provide its players with facilities to rival or better those of any other sport, amateur or professional. The GAA provides its members with the best facilities of any sport in the country without exception. Moreover, the standards are improving all the time- but the relentless drive for professionalism in all but name brings its own problems with it.
How many farmers, plasterers, van drivers or other individuals who do any sort of manual work are to be found playing IC football or hurling? Damn few, I would imagine. You are hardly going to find many from the ranks of shift workers or the unemployed either.
I think it was Sean Og who once said that IC players are expected to live and behave like the monks of old for the greater part of the year. (Maybe behaving like them in all respects mightn't be such a good idea but I know what he meant.) ;D
Can anything be done to lessen the demands being made on players' time and resources and bring a touch of democracy back to the IC scene?
Nil Carborundum Illegitemi

Zulu

I agree with some of what your saying there Lar but it must also be acknowledged that more and more people are going to college and working it office jobs so it isn't surprising that more and more IC players are doing so as well. I know there is still a good number of farmers playing IC and quite a few unemployed ones now so I don't think the IC season is really preventing players from committing to it. However, I do agree that we can, and should, change the structure of the season. I've mentioned a few things I would like to see done on other threads and if I get the chance I'm going to post my thoughts in detail on this issue. But I believe that we must make hard decisions soon and if anything I'd make the GAA less democratic as our decision making process is too unwieldy and is too easily influenced by career GAA politicians and delegates who aren't interested in half the proposals put before them.