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Our multisport youngsters are burned out and stressed out

Published

4 years ago

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by Charlie O'Neill

In the past few weeks I’ve had the pleasure of returning to coaching a feisty and passionate school GAA team in North Kerry.

These girls, ranging from 12-17 years of age, never fail to astound me with their knowledge and player-led approach to the game. I would go as far as to say that these girls and many more adolescent athletes are miles ahead of previous generations in understanding the extent of the mental and physical toll sport can take.

However, even with such positivity, the number of back-to-back days these young women train and play matches worries me. One such player confided in me of a panic attack she had just experienced in the dressing room after I subbed her off due to a niggling injury. She was visibly shaken with a sense that she had let the team down. The same girl went on to reveal that she had a basketball match the previous day and Kerry GAA trials early the next morning, before topping it off with an important soccer game hours later.

Does this sound all too familiar? The acknowledgement of player welfare and injury prevention has become a societal trend in Ireland in the adult game, amateur and professionals alike. But, to paraphrase The Simpsons, will someone please think of the children? What I learned in only our second school football game of the season was that the girls were exhausted, with no off-season in sight for them to rest and replenish.

While COVID played a role in the rush to fulfil sporting fixtures, those commendable adolescents who choose to compete in a combination of sports are struggling both physically and psychologically. A study conducted in 2015 by DCU in an Irish school found that 35.6% of multisport athletes are at risk of injury. Of those injured participants, 27.9% are at risk of sustaining another injury that school year, competing in a different sport.

The Irish Sport Council have adopted Player Welfare initiatives in recent years, but for adolescents at grassroots, access to psychologists or these processes are limited and usually at the discretion of local volunteers. Incidents of anxiety or panic attacks, like the one experienced by the player on our school team, are becoming all too common and can become chronic if not dealt with.

Munster’s Keith Earls candidly spoke about his mental health struggles in his new book. The accomplished winger experienced panic attacks from an early age that got progressively worse through grassroots well into his professional rugby career. Attending therapy in 2013 helped him to resolve his issues.

Although some pressure is self-inflicted, young athletes have no idea how to deal with it when the negative voice emerges.

Coaches and parents play an equal role in preventing mental fatigue by recognising its triggers and putting a plan in place to address it.

Irish sportspeople are no strangers to being hailed as all-round athletes. The upheaval of Irish talent now plotting their way in the AFL and AFLW is due to a culture of celebrating multisport competitiveness. Mayo's Sarah Rowe, for example, showed her capacity to play intercounty football and international soccer in the same calendar year before returning to her Collingwood squad. And don't forget Kieran Donaghy's desire to win national basketball titles while representing Kerry in the GAA.

With such success comes a goal-orientated routine. Competing in many sports has incredible advantages, once rest and recovery are prioritised for our young athletes.

Burnout results in many athletes becoming injured or, even worse, quitting their sport altogether. Gentle reminders to grassroots players that they can discuss their concerns with coaches and parents should be implemented.

If burnout is evident, such players should be allowed to step back with protocol for when they return to play, whether it’s injury-related or otherwise.

Charlie O'Neill is a Kerry-based sports writer with a keen interest in rugby, GAA and soccer. She currently plays for the Kerry women's rugby team and also coaches underage Gaelic football.

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Home cup tie for St Paul’s could be epic

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2 weeks ago

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7 November 2025

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Paudie O’Connor National Cup (Round 1)

Utility Trust St Paul’s v GCU Brunell

Saturday 7.30pm

Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre

The St Paul’s women’s team will be hoping to get their National Cup adventure off the ground on Saturday when they welcome 2024 champions Brunell to Killarney. Tip-off in the Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre is at 7.30pm.

Paul’s have displayed some fine early season form, although their unbeaten start in the Super League came to an abrupt end last weekend when they lost to the Trinity Meteors in Dublin. James Fleming’s side weren’t at their best on the day but they were well in contention heading into the final quarter with the scores at 47-45 in favour of the hosts. The Meteors pushed on in the fourth, however, eventually running out 63-53 winners.

St Paul’s scorers on the night were Maisie Burnham (13), Tara Cousins (12), Lorraine Scanlon (12), Lovisa Hevinder (9), Denise Dunlea (5) and Leah McMahon (2).

The Killarney club are now joint second in the table alongside the Meteors with both teams holding a 4-1 record. Killester are top having won each of their first five games.

Paul’s opponents on Saturday, Brunell, have won three out of five league matches so far.

LAKERS

The Utility Trust St Paul’s Lakers have now won three of their last four games in Division 1 of the Men’s National League following an impressive home victory over Moycullen in Killarney.

Eoin Carroll and Jack O’Sullivan made significant contributions of the Boys in Black; Carroll hit 17 points and collected 13 rebounds while O’Sullivan had 14 points, 12 rebounds and some spectacular blocks.

Steve Kelly posted 30 points and the durable Sam Grant played every second, adding 21 points along the way.

The Lakers started well before the visitors found their footing and the sides went in level at the half-time break after scores by home captain Carroll. There was still nothing to separate the teams entering the fourth quarter (68-65) but buckets by Carroll, Pablo Murcia and Grant opened up a nine-point lead. Moycullen fought back admirably, however, cutting the deficit to just four, but Luke O’Hea’s charges held firm to prevail by eight (88-80).

Next up is a cup tie against the Tipperary Talons, a side they defeated by 30 points just a couple of weeks ago. The cup can be very different to the league, though, and they will need another solid performance to advance to the next round. Tip-off in in Killenaule is at 6.30pm on Saturday.

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Chances of Kerry v Cork Munster final in 2026 decrease as Munster GAA delay seeding plan

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2 weeks ago

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7 November 2025

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After facing a backlash from Limerick, Clare, Waterford and Tipperary players, Munster GAA have postponed their plan to keep Cork and Kerry separate in the 2026 Munster Football Championship.

The new seeding system – which gives the two highest ranked Munster teams in the National League byes to separate semi-finals – will now come into play in 2027, twelve months later than initially planned.

This will give Clare and Limerick a chance to earn promotion to Division 2 of the league, potentially overtaking Cork if the Rebels were to get relegated to Division 3.

Despite traditionally being the two main contenders for Munster football honours, Kerry and Cork haven’t met in a provincial decider since 2021. The Kingdom have won each of the finals since then (one versus Limerick and three versus Clare) by an average margin of 15.75 points.

More high-profile Kerry v Cork finals might be desirable for fans of those teams, businesses in Killarney and Cork, and neutrals alike but Munster GAA’s plans to effectively keep the great rivals on opposite sides of the draw understandably drew criticism from the other participating counties. A statement by the GPA confirmed that players from Limerick, Clare, Waterford and Tipp had met via Zoom to discuss the matter. They were said to be “deeply disappointed and concerned” by the decision.

The 12-month delay will at least give two of those disaffected teams an opportunity to benefit from the new seeding process.

The draw for the 2026 Munster Football Championship will take place on November 27 under the old rules. As 2025 finalists, Kerry and Clare will get byes to the last four (but they will not necessarily be kept apart).

Nine members of Kerry’s squad are up for All-Stars at tonight’s awards ceremony in Dublin with Joe O’Connor and David Clifford also in contention for the prestigious Footballer of the Year award.

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