Professional and amateur status within the GAA - Part 3 (nearly there...)

[vincentstereo]

Hello all,

For those who are not aware of my other topics, I am a student carrying out some research on the GAA for my final year project at university.  My project is surrounding the issue of professional and amateur status within the GAA.  I have posted two questions up on the message board and I thank all who contributed, but would would like to put my next question forward.  It would be of great help if you could comment on my questions as it will give opinions and views from a grassroot level, Thanks:

- It has been the case in the past that top GAA players have been head hunted or decided upon a career change whereby they have left the GAA to play professionally in soccer, rugby and Aussie Rules.  As well as this, family and work committments can often prevent some people from taking part.  If the GAA turned professional, would they be able to prevent these situations from happening?

[thejuice]

Well, lets pretend for a minute that the GAA was professional and unlike Irish soccer it was actually sustainable, they still wouldn't be able to prevent people changing careers unless their contracts dictated otherwise but out of contract, no. It would be like any other job, people can move around as they so wish if they are qualified. If people could play GAA and get paid for it naturally they would no longer have to worry as much about family commitments as it would be like a regular job. Depending on what sort of wages they command would dictate whether family and other work (semi-pro) would impinge.

[Zapatista]

Are you starting of the opinion that the GAA would succeed as a professional sport? The GAA as an organisation is one of the greatest success stories I know of. Are you comparing the professional sports person with the armature sports person or a successful armature sports organisation with successful and failed professional sports organisations?

[Hound]

- It has been the case in the past that top GAA players have been head hunted or decided upon a career change whereby they have left the GAA to play professionally in soccer, rugby and Aussie Rules.  As well as this, family and work committments can often prevent some people from taking part.  If the GAA turned professional, would they be able to prevent these situations from happening?

In many cases, yes. But there are lots and lots of buts. Including...But who do we take the money from to give to the players?

[vincentstereo]

Are you starting of the opinion that the GAA would succeed as a professional sport? The GAA as an organisation is one of the greatest success stories I know of. Are you comparing the professional sports person with the armature sports person or a successful armature sports organisation with successful and failed professional sports organisations?

The isssue is surrounding the 'what if' factor and 'what if' the GAA went professional...would this prevent people from moving away from the GAA to play soccer, rugby and Aussie rules professionally...would players who had to give up the GAA because work and family commitments did allow them, now have the opportunity to play as they will be receiving some form of income through the sport?

But i very much like your comparison in your question whereby you compare successful amateur sports with successful and then failed pro sports!