Meath players at remote rookie camp
Dunshaughlin and Meath footballer Mathew Costello was one of nine players from the Royal County who participated in a Gaelic Players' Association (GPA) initiative earlier this month.
The Meath players were amongst 303 new inter-county panel members who logged on to the GPA’s 2021 Rookie Camp which was held remotely across three evenings from 18th to 20th January.
Apart from Costello, the other Meath players included Amy Farrelly and Sophie Healy (camogie), Keith Curtis, Cathal Hickey, Shane Walsh and Jack Flynn (football) and Cian Kelly and Cian Rogers (hurling).
Speaking about the event, now in its third year, GPA Player Development Manager Ian Reeves said;
“Stepping into a senior inter-county dressing room can be a daunting experience for young players."
"We want to ensure our members are as best prepared as they can be for what that entails.
"We also want to ensure that becoming a senior inter-county player does not take away from the other aspects of their lives which cannot and should not be ignored.
"A balanced approach to their sport will allow them perform better both on and off the field of play,” he added.
The aim was to help young players adapt to life on a senior panel and also to showcase the supports available through the GPA.
On the first night sport’s psychologist Dr Ciara Losty delivered a presentation focused on strengths-based approach to developing my personal wellbeing toolkit, helping players prepare for the opportunities and challenges associated with being an inter-county player.
Dr Losty works with many international athletes including members of Irish Olympic teams.
This was followed by a panel discussion where Mayo footballer and current PhD student Stephen Coen and Cork footballer Dr Orlagh Farmer shared their experiences on how building their own personal wellbeing toolkits helped them overcome challenges and setbacks on and off the field.
The final night of the camp saw international athlete Ciara Mageean and Irish 7s rugby star and Love Island winner Greg O’Shea discuss how they balance their lives in sport and outside of sport.
They focused on how they ensure they look after the 3 Ps – physical, personal and psychological parts of their lives.
NOTE
In advance of the event players were asked to complete a personality profile which allowed Daire Lynam (Thomas International) help them better understand themselves as people on the opening night of the camp.
This in turn helps players to improve their performance in sport, their studies and their careers.
THOMAS INTERNATIONAL: We combine technology, psychology and data to translate people's diverse characteristics into easy to understand, easy to action solutions that are accessible to everyone for their recruitment, retention and development decisions. (FROM THE WEBSITE)
Thomas International Ireland is based in Dublin.