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Irish Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Women Gaelic games players suffer injuries in silence due to fear and lack of support, research finds
Fears of being dropped, letting their team down or being seen as weak are among the reasons women Gaelic games players opt to conceal injuries, according to new research. The study of intercounty camogie and women's Gaelic football players found that concern over being sidelined or dropped from the panel were factors in whether players chose to disclose injuries to management, as were worries about how they might be perceived by others in the team setting. The research's lead author, chartered physiotherapist and PhD student at University of Limerick Marese Gilhooly, explains that while various factors can contribute to whether players feel empowered to report injuries, it can often come down to their standing in the set-up. 'A big part of it is the player experience,' she says. 'That might be linked to their years of playing intercounty level – they might be more sure of their place on the team and they mightn't have such fear of being deselected, or risking losing favour with management, whereas younger players mightn't have the confidence or have built up that experience that they feel that they can report [injuries].' READ MORE The research focuses on the players' perceptions of injuries and how those perceptions might lead them to suffer in silence rather than flag what's ailing them. 'One player said she didn't want to be perceived as a 'drama queen',' Gilhooly says, while others said they may not report injuries they felt weren't serious enough so as not to 'waste people's time', as one player quoted in the study said. However, related research conducted by Gilhooly and her colleagues surveying athlete support personnel (ASP – 'individuals in coaching, management and allied health and performance related practice') found they did not share many of the sentiments expressed by players. Of the 42 ASP surveyed, 66 per cent disagreed with the statement 'managers view players as weak for reporting injuries'. Forty-three per cent disagreed that players report all injuries. Gilhooly, who is an assistant lecturer at TUS Athlone, says the findings from the two studies highlight a disconnect between players and ASP. The responses from the ASP also noted the pitfalls of players concealing injuries, with one participant commenting: 'Players need to realise they aren't doing themselves or the team any favours'. Gilhooly explains: 'It's a double-edged sword. They don't want to let the team down, however they're letting both themselves and the team down perhaps by performing through injury or symptoms in the long-term.' External barriers to reporting were also cited both by players and ASP, chief among them access to medical personnel. In the ASP responses, 93 per cent said they believe players are more likely to report injuries when immediate access to medical personnel [team doctors or physiotherapists] is available, which was backed up by the player responses. However, even in elite intercounty set-ups, those resources are often not available, or not consistently so, Gilhooly says. 'I often feel that women are nearly tougher, in a good way and in a bad way. They will put up with an awful lot more, they're not used to being supported,' one of the ASP respondents told the researchers. Another added: 'At club level it's really poor. You have one person on the sideline at club level with a physio bag and he or she is the manager, the coach, the S&C [strength and conditioning specialist] and physio. It's just not good enough. The clubs and county boards need to do better to support females.' The latter comment is important, Gilhooly says, as a lack of support is probably a contributing factor to intercounty players' reluctance to report injuries. 'If players haven't the support at club level, they aren't used to how to access it, how to relay [concerns] to people. Often if they did have it, they didn't know how to make use of it, but often they didn't have it, or it wasn't consistent,' she adds. Gilhooly notes many players detailed how regular access to medical professionals was not a given at intercounty level, adding that even with the adoption of player charters, 'there's still inconsistencies about what is local, feasible and economically able to be put in place'. 'Gaelic games are amateur sports, but [intercounty] players dedicate such time and commitment that it does equal professional standard,' Gilhooly says. 'They're expected to perform like elite athletes but they're not necessarily getting the resources or personnel to support them as elite athletes.' Within the team setting, Gilhooly says 'it really comes down to culture', and, in addition to having the necessary resources in place, encouraging open communication between players and ASP can achieve 'a more honest middle ground' in which players feel empowered to speak up.
Irish Times
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Gaelic Players Association concerned over continuing ‘cheap remarks' over split season
The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) has reiterated its stance that the GAA's new spilt season should be maintained. GPA chief executive Tom Parsons has hit out at 'cheap remarks' that preseason competitions should be restored and All-Ireland finals returned to later in the year. The GPA lobbied for the establishment of the split season to afford intercounty players greater time off between club and county commitments. However, the lack of preseason competitions was criticised ahead of this year's National Football League , particularly given the introduction of the Football Review Committee's new rule enhancements. The earlier staging of the All-Ireland senior hurling and football finals in July to clear the latter half of the year for club competitions has also drawn debate. READ MORE Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday following the GPA's annual general meeting on Monday evening, Parsons said he is concerned about comments calling for changes to the split season. 'I am worried because there's a lot of provincial leadership out there talking about bringing back preseason competitions and extending the season into August, while there's an amateur status committee and there's data that has shown we have a huge load on intercounty players. 'We also have strong feedback from players that they support the split season – they get meaningful time with their club and they can focus and get a little bit of downtime in August before the club [championship] ramps up. 'We can't push more load on intercounty players. It's cheap remarks to say 'let's extend into August' or 'let's bring back preseason competitions' without an actual plan. If anyone wants to make comments or remarks they need to be made in a consultation manner and bring in all stakeholders to find a solution.' At Monday's agm the GPA voted on 12 motions, all of which were passed with overwhelming majorities of between 96 and 100 per cent. Two motions expressing a desire for an amendment to the rule requiring camogie players to wear skorts for competitive games were voted on together. The first motion passed will see the GPA engage with the three Gaelic games governing bodies – the GAA, the LGFA and the Camogie Association – collectively from next year. Gaelic Players Association national executive committee co-chair Aisling Maher during the media briefing. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho The motion was proposed by the GPA's national executive committee with an eye to the planned integration of the three bodies by 2027. However, the GPA has expressed frustration over ongoing efforts to engage with the integration process . After motions were passed by each of the three governing bodies to 'prioritise integration' in 2022, the Steering Group on Integration was established to plot a route forward. However, GPA equality, diversity and inclusion manager Gemma Begley said they have only once addressed the committee. 'We've made a couple of requests and they've been turned down,' said Begley on their efforts to engage with the steering group, which is chaired by former president of Ireland Mary McAleese. Begley added: 'The GPA has had no other engagement, no other consultation or communication about what proposals are in place, what the consultation is going to look like ... timelines. 'We've 18 months effectively until something is supposedly going to be in place ... To have one of your biggest cohorts, one of your biggest stakeholders on the outside of that process, I think we can do better. We're calling on the NGBs [national governing bodies] to do better.' On the ongoing issue over skorts, co-chair of the GPA's national executive committee and Dublin camogie captain, Aisling Maher, welcomed the Camogie Association's decision to hold a Special Congress on May 22nd at which delegates will again vote on a motion to allow players to choose whether they wear skorts or shorts. 'Obviously there's a certain scepticism, as players, until the vote actually happens, and obviously we'd be hopeful that the vote gets across, but it is very difficult to know. Obviously you can't get around the fact that it's the same delegates voting again that voted last year, and unfortunately that vote came up short.' Maher added: 'We're not looking to get rid of the skort, it is just the opportunity for choice for the player, and I would hope that delegates see that and are reminded of that, and that the underlining message for them going in [to vote at Special Congress] is that we're asking them to give the choice back to the player.' Among the other motions approved at Monday's agm were plans for the GPA to negotiate with the Government on the establishment of a tax credit/relief for intercounty players, call for clear guidelines to support players representing multiple teams, and advocate for equitable funding to support lower-tier counties. List of motions passed Motion 1: Unified engagement with Gaelic games associations. Motion 2: Structured media policy in-season to help players build profile and enhance opportunities. Motion 3: Guidelines to support players representing multiple teams. Motion 4: Policy to support the development of hurling in lower-tier counties. Motion 5: Equitable funding to support lower-tier counties. Motion 6: Mandate the sharing of season-long injury surveillance and GPS-based load monitoring data with the GPA. Motion 7: Align manager performance with player welfare. Motion 8: Improve LGFA injury fund to ensure the process is fit for purpose. Motion 9: All hurling league finals to be played at suitable county grounds or Croke Park. Motion 10: Remove mandated skorts. Motion 11: Skorts reform. Motion 12: Intercounty player tax credit/relief.
