Joe Canning to ignore medical advice

[Reillers]

Canning injury puts focus back on burn-out

By Martin Breheny
Thursday August 20 2009

JOE Canning's admission that, at the age of 20, he needs a lengthy break from hurling to clear up a groin condition has re-awakened concerns that the GAA's attempt to eradicate injuries caused by excessively heavy schedules is failing.

That hurling's youngest superstar suffers from a condition which is usually classified as an 'overuse injury' by the medical world will shock those who thought the problem had been addressed through a series of measures introduced by the GAA in recent years.

Meanwhile, sceptics will claim it's inevitable that young players continue to suffer from injuries brought about by the heavy physical demands involved in serving many masters at county, college and club level.

Canning, who will play for Galway against Clare in Saturday's All-Ireland U-21 semi-final, has been suffering from a groin injury for some time, but is such a central figure on so many teams that he won't contemplate taking time off.

discomfort

"I need a year off basically, but unless I get dropped or something, I don't think I am going to have that," he said.

And since there's as much chance of the Galway seniors or U-21s, Portumna or Limerick Institute of Technology dropping him as there is of Kilkenny omitting Henry Shefflin from their All-Ireland final team, Canning will have to play on through the pain and discomfort barrier.

"Unless it would threaten my career -- as in somebody telling me I wouldn't be hurling next year or whatever -- then maybe I might take a break. It's okay at the moment. I'm able to get by. I play matches all right and the day after I would be sore and then it will clear up with a bit of rest," he said.

Canning's condition is quit common in 18 to 23-year-olds, particularly in those who are playing for several teams under different trainers. Caused by overuse, it figured prominently in the GAA's analysis of the burn-out problem two years ago.

It was led by former Dublin footballer and manager, Dr Pat O'Neill, an acknowledged expert in sports injuries. While not familiar with the specific details of Canning's problem, he said that it sounded very much like cases he encounters regularly in his clinic.

"I see it here all the time. In fact, I've had two lads in with it today. This type of injury is caused by overuse and is most common among young players who are playing for several teams. It tends to be most common in Gaelic footballers and even more so among those who combine Gaelic football and soccer," he said.

A number of measures were proposed a few years ago to limit the demands placed on young players, including replacing minor and U-21 with an U-19 grade, but that was rejected by Congress. However, some adjustments were made, including banning senior teams from training in November and December and delaying the date when U-21s and minors would be allowed to train collectively.

Nevertheless, talented youngsters who are playing for several teams are still facing very demanding workloads.

"I know nothing about Joe Canning's particular case so I won't comment on it. However, in general terms, this sort of injury is a classic example of what can happen a young player who is involved with several teams. Overuse injuries are quite common and are caused by high-agility training, either using the wrong method, or doing too much of it.

"Obviously, the more trainers a player is working under, the greater the possibility that he will suffer an overuse injury. When it happens, there should be an immediate modification of training for that player.

That would involve putting him on rehabilitation training but very often that's not done.

The problem usually kicks in around June/July and lads will stagger on as best they can to the end of the season. But of course in some cases there's hardly any end to the season because they're involved with so many teams," said Dr O'Neill.

Depending on the severity of the problem, he would recommend three months away from high-agility training. This particular injury causes no permanent damage and does not lead to arthritis or anything like that later in life, but it can cut short a player's career if the on-going problem grinds him down.

Said Dr O'Neill: "The problem of overuse injuries certainly hasn't gone away and is obviously more likely to occur among elite players although it happens quite a lot at club level too where there's a tendency to do far too many sessions at times. It should be a matter of concern for everybody, but most especially for those in charge of players.

"It makes no sense to involve players in training routines that are not only doing them no good but are actually causing harm. Unfortunately, it's still going on," he said.

- Martin Breheny

[heffo]

He'd do well to heed the doctors advise and have a look around the country at other teenage prodigys who were used like workhorses and ended up crocked far before their time.

[theskull1]

My own clubman Paul Shields (shorty) same age as Joe is out for a year with hip joint problem. He has done some training over the past 5-6 years and I haven't seen many like him for putting in the hard yards. I can't help but think that he was too young for the demands placed on him, especially at County Level.

[seafoid]

Surely the Fitzgibbon and Portumna heads can cop on and plan without JC for the next while. A break until next June would do him the world of good and benefit everyone. 

Kevin Pietersen went off to play in the IPL against better advice and ended up crocked for the Ashes. If he had been playing today in full health England could be 400 for 7..

[Reillers]

Surely the Fitzgibbon and Portumna heads can cop on and plan without JC for the next while. A break until next June would do him the world of good and benefit everyone. 

Kevin Pietersen went off to play in the IPL against better advice and ended up crocked for the Ashes. If he had been playing today in full health England could be 400 for 7..

Or even in his own four walls. Enough of his family are heavily involved in the game, and have enough sense in their head to tell him what's what.

[johnneycool]

Surely the Fitzgibbon and Portumna heads can cop on and plan without JC for the next while. A break until next June would do him the world of good and benefit everyone. 

Kevin Pietersen went off to play in the IPL against better advice and ended up crocked for the Ashes. If he had been playing today in full health England could be 400 for 7..

Or even in his own four walls. Enough of his family are heavily involved in the game, and have enough sense in their head to tell him what's what.

Aye but young fella's and common sense don't necessarily go together.

[milltown row]

Canning seems fine, has goal and 3 points already, looks like another goal now

[orangeman]

Is this a record ? Scoring 4 goals and 7 points and ending up on the losing team.

I heard the Clare v Galway under 21 game yesterday described as being one of the greatest games ever.


Would anyone happen to have a dvd of it


PM me. I'd love to have a look at it.

[milltown row]

was a good game but have seen better, Canning hit two penalties and no keeper would have saved them, actually took the net of in the second one

[seafoid]

Enda McEvoy on JC

http://www.tribune.ie/sport/hurling/article/2010/mar/21/the-greater-hunger/

It was not the first time that Joe Canning has hurled better on a losing team than he has on winning teams. It will not be the last. How much more would Portumna have lost by without him? How much more would Ballyhale have won by with him? Five points from play, two of them rifle shots off his left with the barest caress of the trigger, another killed on the bas and belted over without the need to take it to hand. Neither Ring nor Shefflin had compiled the body of work by the age of 21 that Canning has. Not remotely.

but is he ever going to get a break? 

[INDIANA]

Enda McEvoy on JC

http://www.tribune.ie/sport/hurling/article/2010/mar/21/the-greater-hunger/

It was not the first time that Joe Canning has hurled better on a losing team than he has on winning teams. It will not be the last. How much more would Portumna have lost by without him? How much more would Ballyhale have won by with him? Five points from play, two of them rifle shots off his left with the barest caress of the trigger, another killed on the bas and belted over without the need to take it to hand. Neither Ring nor Shefflin had compiled the body of work by the age of 21 that Canning has. Not remotely.

but is he ever going to get a break?

Very few in kilkenny share mc evoy's view- fair play to him for sticking his head above the parapet.

[awfulynice]

Its a difficult one to call, amd really players playing for too many teams isnt the real core of the issue imo, its the training, there has been a serious ramp up in the ammount and intensity of training at club and county level over the last 15 years or so. Excessively so that any intercounty player is expected to train like a proffesional and behave like an ameteur.

Also the "run the crap out of them" mentality of trainers at some levels is really shocking. There is an unbelievable emphasis on size, phisicality, speed and stamina...in fact a lot of people overlook far better hurlers because they lack in one of these 4 area's which is a real shame. Its coming to a point, certainly at club level, players (in my own club and ive heard it from others) are opting out of senior level at an earlier age, many at 26 / 27 because they have family commitments etc and i think more needs to be done to bring the game back from the brink of proffesionalism.

[seafoid]

Also the "run the crap out of them" mentality of trainers at some levels is really shocking. There is an unbelievable emphasis on size, phisicality, speed and stamina...in fact a lot of people overlook far better hurlers because they lack in one of these 4 area's which is a real shame. Its coming to a point, certainly at club level, players (in my own club and ive heard it from others) are opting out of senior level at an earlier age, many at 26 / 27 because they have family commitments etc and i think more needs to be done to bring the game back from the brink of proffesionalism.

Very interesting post. I know a few soccer trainers here in Switz and there is no running around the pitch 15 times. The focus is more on passing the ball around quickly, accuracy and short bursts of speed. I wonder if the GAA couldn't learn from other sports like icehockey or even cricket regarding the best use of a training session. I think that English is often a prison whereby ideas from outside the English language zone are never  given a hearing.