Seen more games than he cares to remember!
Among the followers of the game are those who played, many with distinction, many with heart and fury, along with those who never laced a boot to their foot, and many who made up numbers, established some skill, along with a deep knowledge and respect for teammates and opponents alike.
Followers are a breed.
An ace of a score, a blinding shot from the hurley of an accomplished player, struck with the force, accuracy and travelling power of a meteor, that billows the goal-net, and blurs the sight of a dazed goalie, can be described as 'a soft goal', a 'lucky hit that any eejit in the right place could've got', to 'a stroke of genius', a 'mark of the breed of the man'.
It depends on who got the score and which supporter you're talking to.
Apart from remarks reflecting rivals' or allies' views, there is a strong loyalty to the game overall and to the followers of any camp, in any circumstance.
Hurling is a religion to many. Back in the 1950s, before televised games, when even radio was a rare enough commodity, hurling, and Gaelic Football, provided the entertainment, the purpose for living, and the conversation topic for most of rural Ireland.
Men were singled out as role models in sports and in life. The heroes of the day were dedicated to their sport, their skill, and in the performance of some, a sport and skill that was raised often to the level of artistry.
Among the followers of the game are those who played, many with distinction, many with heart and fury, along with those who never laced a boot to their foot, and many who made up numbers, established some skill, along with a deep knowledge and respect for teammates and opponents alike.
Followers are a breed.
An ace of a score, a blinding shot from the hurley of an accomplished player, struck with the force, accuracy and travelling power of a meteor, that billows the goal-net, and blurs the sight of a dazed goalie, can be described as 'a soft goal', a 'lucky hit that any eejit in the right place could've got', to 'a stroke of genius', a 'mark of the breed of the man'.
It depends on who got the score and which supporter you're talking to.
Apart from remarks reflecting rivals' or allies' views, there is a strong loyalty to the game overall and to the followers of any camp, in any circumstance.
Hurling is a religion to many. Back in the 1950s, before televised games, when even radio was a rare enough commodity, hurling, and Gaelic Football, provided the entertainment, the purpose for living, and the conversation topic for most of rural Ireland.
Men were singled out as role models in sports and in life. The heroes of the day were dedicated to their sport, their skill, and in the performance of some, a sport and skill that was raised often to the level of artistry.
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Possession is all.
If you don't have the ball there's no score you can take. None. The tussle for possession is endless and often fierce. On the ground, in the melees that happen in a game, where the emergence of the favoured jersey with ball in hand will inspire a tumultuous roar of approval from the crowd, or in the air, where sheer determination and belief can add two or three inches to a reaching hand for the prize of possession. |
Club Hurling
While much of the media coverage is for inter-county hurling, the players for the counties are chosen for their performance and current form in the club games.
Form is a peculiar thing. You see it reported in every sport. A fine player may be 'off form', 'out of sorts', 'not himself', for any number of reasons.
Confidence is a huge factor.
For some reason unknown even to him/her self, a player can have confidence undermined and all the experience, skill and talent in the world will not resurrect that player's form till confidence is restored.
This is one of the reasons that Sports Psychologists are now commonly used by hurling clubs and Counties.
Elements of confidence are Belief, Thinking Patterns, and Emotion.
There are others, but these are the key activities of the player's make-up.
If they're right, a player can be unstoppable. But even the slightest element of doubt can strait-jacket a player out of contention in as long as it takes to move from one foot to the other.
While much of the media coverage is for inter-county hurling, the players for the counties are chosen for their performance and current form in the club games.
Form is a peculiar thing. You see it reported in every sport. A fine player may be 'off form', 'out of sorts', 'not himself', for any number of reasons.
Confidence is a huge factor.
For some reason unknown even to him/her self, a player can have confidence undermined and all the experience, skill and talent in the world will not resurrect that player's form till confidence is restored.
This is one of the reasons that Sports Psychologists are now commonly used by hurling clubs and Counties.
Elements of confidence are Belief, Thinking Patterns, and Emotion.
There are others, but these are the key activities of the player's make-up.
If they're right, a player can be unstoppable. But even the slightest element of doubt can strait-jacket a player out of contention in as long as it takes to move from one foot to the other.