Sunday Morning Training

DownFanatic · March 03, 2011, 11:09:34 PM

I totally loathe the concept of Sunday morning training. It seems to be the norm in most GAA clubs around the country.

Why do managers persist with it? Is it a test of character? A deterrent? A wicked way of ending one's Saturday night social life?

Most players that train on Sunday are generally hungover from the night before. So the session is just really about sweating the drink out of themselves. With trainings generally at 9am most players will be training on an empty stomach thus creating adverse hydration effects. That isn't doing a player any good.

fitzroyalty · March 03, 2011, 11:16:30 PM

I only hate it cos I'm not a morning person and can't get out of my pit. TBH though there is more to life than going out every Saturday night and getting blocked - not a huge sacrafice to either cut back or try and go out on the Friday when the football has started. That's just my opinion, but players are still going to go out regardless, after all it's an amateur game. I also think it's up to the players to prepare themselves, if trainings at 9, eat two Weetabix at 8 and drink plenty (of water) the previous day and you'll be fine. From a management perspective I'd say it is down to all of those reasons you mentioned, also brings in discipline into the squad.

Minus15 · March 03, 2011, 11:34:14 PM

At this time of year the Sunday mornings are also important as it allows teams to make use of daylight that they don't get during the week. With most people working on a Saturday, Sunday is the best day.

In my opinion, the idea of it acting as a deterrent DF is an important one. What good would training 3 nights a week and going on the drink sat night and all day sunday do. At least the football acts as a good reason for young fellas to hold back a bit.

Like fitzroyalty says there, it's all about the attitude of the player and you will get your few in most clubs that will be going out regardless!

nrico2006 · March 04, 2011, 08:52:06 AM

We are out at 8:15 on Sunday mornings mainly because we have no light during the week, and as my Saturday nights out have become extinct since my daughter was born, I am not losing out on that front. I actually look forward to it as at the minute its alot better than running up Barnett's Park on two nights during the week.

Banana Man · March 04, 2011, 09:21:26 AM

personally i think it's a waste of time, i've seen boys getting dropped of to the pitch in a taxi with their gear from the previous night and i ain't talking about togs and boots.

Everyone has a chuckle but then more often than not the manager runs the shite of them even more and there's a serious risk of injury or a lack of hydration

P.S. Friday nights are finished, no one goes out on a friday anymore so it's not really an option

Radda bout yeee · March 04, 2011, 11:34:48 AM

Our manager reckons that anyone who tells you i train early on a sun morning is to keep you off drink on a sat night is talkin sh*te! Its cause its the only chance this time of year to get a decent game played and its early on a sunday so you can go home and ate your dinner and have the rest of the day to yourself! I think its reasonable enough to expect this - this time of year. I know when I was a bit younger i got it tight to sit in but now im a little older its not as bad! Plus social life is generally shite these days not like back in the day when you had the pick of about 10 good spots on a sat night - pre recession!

The only thing that sticks in my throat in this area is - generally the loud mouths and critics will be drinking the heads of themselves sat night sun morning whilst you have to get an early night for early mornings training - matchs later in the year and then they're the first to lay the boot into a sub standard performance!!!! GRINDS MY GEARS!!!

DoireGael · March 04, 2011, 11:51:02 AM

There a loada old school balls. Designed by grumpy old men with no life, who have to go home and clean the yard in the evening or take the wife for a run in the wagon to Donegal.

galwayman · March 04, 2011, 03:54:41 PM

In our club we train every Friday night due to the amount of lads we have away at college during the week and often also train or have a game on Sunday morning as well.
Gong out on the Friday night (which is my preferred night out btw) is a bit hard considering we don't train till 8pm so by the time you'd get near town it'd be late enough.
Training isn't usually before 11am on Sunday but still it's a bit of a pain when you have training in the morning at the back of your mind if you go for a few scoops on the Sat night.

Eamonnca1 · March 06, 2011, 09:11:42 AM

Just for perspective, I don't play hurling anymore but I'm still at the bike racing. If I didn't have to get up early at the weekend I'd think there's something wrong. Saturday and Sunday morning training rides are the norm. Most races are on weekends and involve and early start, sometimes getting up as early as 5am to drive to the race if it's far enough away. And cycling at my level is very much amateur.

It's up to yourself to stay on top of your hydration and nutrition. And when you're dangling off the back of that pack going up a hill with your heart blasting away at 185, you're hardly gonna ask everybody to slow down. You have to suffer like the rest of them and do what you have to do to hang on.

At the end of the day you're either serious about your sport and you want to win, or you're not and you don't. It's possible to go out and have a bit of crack without getting tanked up and staying out to 2am. Plenty of people in my sport go out the night before and might have one drink at the most, but they're home and asleep by midnight because they have things to do in the morning.

Milltown Row2 · March 06, 2011, 10:10:36 AM

Our training today is at 12 so i'm about to get up make a fry cup of tea, read papers and head over. Job done finshed in time to have a few pints and watch TG4 for the hurling

sammymaguire · March 06, 2011, 10:37:57 AM

Training over in time for the start of Mass??

JimStynes · March 06, 2011, 12:07:02 PM

Should teams not train at the same time that they usually have their games? If your games are going to be a 2 oclock on a sunday then should you not be training at 2 ocllock up until the league starts. Our manager had training at 6pm or 7pm on sundays for ages. Worst possible time to train, sitting around all day waiting to train

Big Puff · March 06, 2011, 12:18:31 PM

Quote from: JimStynes on March 06, 2011, 12:07:02 PM
Should teams not train at the same time that they usually have their games? If your games are going to be a 2 oclock on a sunday then should you not be training at 2 ocllock up until the league starts. Our manager had training at 6pm or 7pm on sundays for ages. Worst possible time to train, sitting around all day waiting to train

your never happy jim!

illdecide · March 06, 2011, 03:28:32 PM

Quote from: JimStynes on March 06, 2011, 12:07:02 PM
Should teams not train at the same time that they usually have their games? If your games are going to be a 2 oclock on a sunday then should you not be training at 2 ocllock up until the league starts. Our manager had training at 6pm or 7pm on sundays for ages. Worst possible time to train, sitting around all day waiting to train

Correct saa

ck · March 06, 2011, 05:31:37 PM

Personally I think managers should lay off the Sunday morning sessions. When leagues and c/ships start players will be expected to sit in on Saturday nights so why expect them to sit in before leagues start. Maybe the odd sunday session but training every Sunday at this time of year is not productive. Players have to have lives too.
Smarter, better managers will know this. Old school managers will try to implement the above just to be seen as some sort of a disciplinarian.. probably to hide the fact that he hasnt much of a clue about other elements of the game. (Maybe that's just my own experience of this issue?)