Without being officially designated a professional sport, many would say the management and organization of the G.A.A. has been essentially professional since the late 1990s and the reconstruction of Croke Park. Structures and system operations, which have been put in place, are of a high standard and the G.A.A. are trying to encourage serious game development on an annual basis.
One example which illustrates the positive investments of the G.A.A are the new “Centres of Excellence” which are being built to accommodate each county in the hope that these facilities will continue to steer these counties to greater success. Projects currently under construction include; Laois and Offaly G.A.A. Laois G.A.A started the development across a 17 acre site which lies right next to O’Moore Park and Offaly across a 21 acre site in the location of Ballybracken. Finished centres such as Wexford and Kildare have all been completed and are unique landmarks in terms of the G.A.A. Facilities such as sand based pitches, meeting rooms, changing rooms, gym’s, flood lights, reception areas, and a state of the art clubhouse are what define these fine sporting settings.
The huge development of Cork stadium Páirc Uí Choimh is evident when taking a glimpse of the growth and steps taken forward in the G.A.A. The re-construction team began demolishing parts of the old ground in May 2015 as new developments were set to finally take place. It is estimated that the rejuvenation process of the ground will take two years to complete, and when completed will have a maximum capacity of 50,000. This is a massive boost not only for Cork as a county but for the G.A.A, to eventually have two prestigious destinations in the country for gaelic games, Croke Park and now Páirc Uí Choimh. With a price tag of €60 million slapped onto the large development, very little is left to the imagination to what this fine establishment will look like when its gates open in the near future. Such large scale investment funded mostly from Croke Park’s lucrative gate receipts, certainly add a spice of professionalism to the association.
The professionalism displayed from our inter-county stars today is nothing short of elite. Various methods of individual testing are carried out on these athletes on a regular basis and from results recorded, are all allocated specific dietary requirements and gym plans in order for the player to be in the best shape and condition prior to a performance. This has a huge affect on a lot of players trying to find a balance between work, training, and other life events including; family, and there are players who take part that do suffer from mental health issues. In recent years these mental health issues have become a major concern and our inter-county stars have fallen into a daunting trap, resorting to a range of addictions such as gambling. In 2013, over half of mental health problems were in fact gambling orientated. Barriers like these are unfortunately in our game today and are an ongoing crisis. However, in 2014 the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) created a supportive campaign with the objective in mind to encourage players to take part in the mental health program.
All aspects regarding player welfare mentioned such as dietary requirements, gym plans, training & work balances, mental health issues, and funding, are all key elements today in our amateur game much like the professional team sports for instance soccer, rugby, and American football. However the leaders in our game seem to refuse to acknowledge this publicly. If the G.A.A was indeed to turn professional in the morning would it have a massive impact, if any on the game itself?
Will these advertisements and television rights take control in our game?Will we somehow get carried away and end up like the sport that is American football, with advertisement breaks every five minutes? If this is the case and we as an audience are not witnessing enough time, straight away the tally of viewers is going to decrease considerably.
Author: Jamie Malone - 4th year BB (Hons) in Recreation and Sport Management student.