This article is from page 12 of the 2013-09-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
COACHES and managers have “huge power” to change attitudes towards alcohol among teenagers, a meeting has heard.
All-Ireland under 21 winning joint manager Donal Moloney told a public meeting in Ennis that coaches have a greater responsibility to players beyond training.
He explained, “Some of these coaches and managers are sometimes the most important people in that teenager’s life in that point in time. They will actually listen. I don’t know if many coaches realise that and utilise the power that they actually have. They can have a massive impact on a player’s outlook and a player’s behaviour.”
Since 2010, Moloney and joint manager Gerry O’Connor have guided Clare to six Munster and All-Ireland titles at minor and under 21, a level of success unparalleled in the county’s hurling history.
Speaking in the Temple Gate Hotel at a meeting organised by the Labour Party, Moloney told how educating players on the harmful effects of alcohol has become a central component in preparing Clare teams.
He said, “When Davy Fitzgerald came back to Clare he brought that philosophy with him as well. He’s not anti-drinking but in terms of how that senior team is managed, behaviour and lifestyle are the elemental building blocks of any sporting career. There are two aspects: from a playing perspective it’s a non-runner but even outside of playing, in terms of their social behaviour on an on- going basis beyond hurling, it is also critical that they understand and are educated about the impacts of it.”
He continued, “That’s the focus we have. We can put the evidence in front of players. We can contrast (performance) when they were drinking and when they weren’t drinking. It’s quite vivid. It just doesn’t affect you athletically in terms of your stamina, it affects decision-making and their ability to train. We try to educate them as much as possible. We use science as well as common sense.”