James Horan’s withering comments will truly hit GAA players where it hurts

GAA players make a phenomenal commitment to the game.

Former Mayo manager James Horan believes that we make too much of this commitment issue, however.

Life as an inter-county player can be tough.

Winter-training generally begins in December, and this training may not come to an end until between May (undesired) and September (all going well) of the following year. Training is intense, three, four times and even five times weekly.

The commitment required stretches far beyond the training field, however. The demands are wide-ranging. Social opportunities are limited, gym programmes are plentiful. All of these players have club-commitments, team-mates expectations and manager’s demands to fulfil on top.

GAA players are regularly praised for this commitment, and deservedly so. They make this commitment in an attempt to be the best player they can be and to represent their respective club or county teams respectively at the highest level they possibly can.

Recently, a debate has emerged on whether the commitment our players are making is becoming too intense and too demanding. Many GAA followers believe that managers are asking too much of our players.

Ollie Canning commented, at Sky Sports' launch of their coverage of the Championship, that the commitment has reached a "questionable" level.

Kildare footballer Kevin Feely and former professional soccer player addressed this issue on The GAA Hour earlier this year. He said:

"[The GAA] are trying to do something that's not really feasible with the levels of professionalism, in terms of fitness levels, there's very little difference between professional soccer players and gaelic players."

James Horan has a different view on the matter.

He claims that there is too much weight given to the claims regarding excessive demands being placed on GAA players. He believes there are many other sportspeople in Ireland who make a much greater commitment than our GAA players, referencing young swimmers, for example. He declared:

"There’s an awful lot made out of how much intercounty players have to do and the amount of training the amount of effort they put in and blah blah blah…

"Amateur athletes, young swimmers that are swimming at 6 o’clock in the morning, four times a week. There’s an awful lot of sportsmen at an amateur level that are doing way more than gaelic footballers."

Horan claims we make too much of this commitment issue. Players love the game, they love challenging themselves and trying to improve themselves and they are constantly looking forward to their future aims and goals.

"I think we do. My young girl at swimming, (for example), before I came up to Dublin today I dropped her in at half six into Castlebar swimming pool. They’re doing that so there’s all that kind of stuff too. "So when you weigh it up players love what they’re doing. It’s not a chore as some people have people believe. They love going in to Gaelic Park or wherever it is and playing the game that they’re really good at and want to improve at and they can’t wait for the summer."

"Every year that builds itself," he continued, "and, of course, for some of them those defeats might just add that little extra chunk of resilience, that maybe they need so I think they’ll be looking forward to it."