Competent

Aurelian · 06-09-2020 4:04pm #1

I know this has been done before but is it possible to become competent at football as an adult to play having never played? Just junior say.

Assuming you are otherwise fairly fit and can run etc.

dobman88 · 06-09-2020 4:30pm

Aurelian wrote: »

I know this has been done before but is it possible to become competent at football as an adult to play having never played? Just junior say.

Assuming you are otherwise fairly fit and can run etc.

Yes, definitely. I've posted before about a lad from England who joined our Junior team this year. He never played before and only ever watched if a game was on in the pub. Hes 36 and has kids now so moved over here with his Irish missus a few years ago and came down after a few of his mates were telling him to come down for the craic. Only thing he kind of struggles with is positioning at times, he picked up the basic skills quickly and gets plenty of game time now. Doesnt miss a training and seems to be enjoying it.

Go for it, you wont regret it.

Uncle Pierre · 07-09-2020 9:40pm

100% possible in football. We've a Polish lad in our club, who plays on our second team in football, and who's as good as any of the lads there despite never even having heard of gaelic football until he moved over here at the age of about 25.

Hurling would be a different story though...........!

joebloggs32 · 07-09-2020 9:55pm

Uncle Pierre wrote: »

100% possible in football. We've a Polish lad in our club, who plays on our second team in football, and who's as good as any of the lads there despite never even having heard of gaelic football until he moved over here at the age of about 25.

Hurling would be a different story though...........!

i remember when i played hurling in college a few yanks who were over to study for the year decided they wanted to come and play so strolled up to the "try outs" as they called them or as we called it the first training session of the year.
Now we had some serious players, some who already had collected senior all irelands and more who would go on to do so.
I know we should be welcoming but god love them these boys hadnt a chance. I think they had played lacrosse, but after being thrown right into the thick of the action in a training game the penny dropped faiy quickly with them that hurling was one sport where yes, it probably is too late to take it up.

Uncle Pierre · 07-09-2020 10:04pm

We're primarily a hurling club ourselves, and the Polish lad at first tried to take it up too. Ended up much the same as your American lads!

He now just calls it "that crazy game" and stays well way when it's just hurling training, which is actually about 90% of the time under normal circumstances. Having said that, he's a great supporter of our hurling teams, and his five-year-old son has started playing hurling in our nursery section this year too. In fairness to him, he's a good clubman overall.

Realt Dearg Sec · 07-09-2020 11:31pm

joebloggs32 wrote: »

i remember when i played hurling in college a few yanks who were over to study for the year decided they wanted to come and play so strolled up to the "try outs" as they called them or as we called it the first training session of the year.
Now we had some serious players, some who already had collected senior all irelands and more who would go on to do so.
I know we should be welcoming but god love them these boys hadnt a chance. I think they had played lacrosse, but after being thrown right into the thick of the action in a training game the penny dropped faiy quickly with them that hurling was one sport where yes, it probably is too late to take it up.

Well in fairness if there playing against lads with all Ireland medals they're going to be out of their depth. We have had loads of lads in our club who took up the sport as adults and have gotten on grand playing junior. We have had a few lads make it into our first team (now Junior A in Dublin) where there would be plenty of lads with senior club experience. Some lads take to the sport surprisingly well. It's just a matter of finding your level.

rpurfield · 08-09-2020 10:47am

The hurling one is a hard call. Didn't Sean Og not start it till he was 11 or 12 or something and he done all right. Equally my own young lad is that age and is trying to pick it up now after being a bit wary of sticks flying when he was younger. You can see the gap of four or five years of not doing it with him.

Aurelian · 08-09-2020 3:24pm

Having re-taken up hurling a few times with a few gaps I've just found it too hard to get it together. I think the basics aren't drilled in enough to do stuff on the move and accurately while under pressure.

Thought football might be slightly easier in terms of kicking instead of striking.

Realt Dearg Sec · 08-09-2020 5:24pm

Aurelian wrote: »

I think the basics aren't drilled in enough

Drilled in by who? If you have been away from the game it's up to you to put in extra time in an alley or wall getting the skills sharpened, the training for an hour or so twice a week won't be enough. All you need is more strikes of the ball, and the best place to get that is on your own at the wall.

Aurelian · 08-09-2020 6:27pm

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Drilled in by who? If you have been away from the game it's up to you to put in extra time in an alley or wall getting the skills sharpened, the training for an hour or so twice a week won't be enough. All you need is more strikes of the ball, and the best place to get that is on your own at the wall.

I spent a good bit of time at the wall and the wall of the house, just never really got it to translate to passing drills etc. I'm not saying its impossible...

Uncle Pierre · 09-09-2020 3:03pm

Story about somebody who went back playing hurling at adult level after a few years away from the game....

It's about a friend of mine from here in Wexford, who drifted away from hurling after around under-14. He was always talented but not exactly committed, and his main reason for giving up was he concentrated on soccer instead.

After finishing college (this was late 1990s), he got a job in Monaghan, and one of the lads he worked with happened to play hurling for one of the local clubs. After hearing that the new lad in work from Wexford, he invited him along to play too. Friend joined the club, got on fairly well, and even ended up on the Monaghan senior team for a couple of years.

Then he met an Australian woman, and ended up marrying her and moving there. He's been there close to 20 years at this stage.

Now he tells people there "oh yeah, I'm from Wexford, and I played county for a few years just after Wexford won the All-Ireland in '96." He just doesn't say what county he played for!

No disrespect to anybody involved in Monaghan hurling, by the way! Just think it's a funny story. That Monaghan team actually came down to play my own club's junior team at one stage while the friend was playing there. Sound bunch, and we had a good game.

Boom__Boom · 09-09-2020 4:39pm

Started played football at 17 and ended up winning an All-Star.

https://www.gaa.ie/football/news/turbo-charged-o-connell-has-come-far-from-a-standing-start/

Competent

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