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Quitting GAA at the age of 18

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How many games realistically do you play with your club yearly...10-15 maybe? So 15 days out of 365

Yet you spend 3/4 of the year training for this at least three times a week maybe.

You're missing lads holidays, nights out, and even bloody lie ins at the weekend instead of being got out of bed at 8am on a Sunday.

It isn't worth it, and lads are great that still do it...especially ones at the periphery of getting on the first 15

boxtyburgerbuns (Leitrim) - Posts: 189 - 14/02/2025 14:46:42    2591004

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Replying To boxtyburgerbuns:  "How many games realistically do you play with your club yearly...10-15 maybe? So 15 days out of 365

Yet you spend 3/4 of the year training for this at least three times a week maybe.

You're missing lads holidays, nights out, and even bloody lie ins at the weekend instead of being got out of bed at 8am on a Sunday.

It isn't worth it, and lads are great that still do it...especially ones at the periphery of getting on the first 15"
Our lads at our club would play more than 10 championship games every year, 11 last year, 13 the year before and 15 the year before that. plus around the same number of League games. That's football and hurling combined.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 15205 - 14/02/2025 15:55:32    2591021

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Replying To boxtyburgerbuns:  "How many games realistically do you play with your club yearly...10-15 maybe? So 15 days out of 365

Yet you spend 3/4 of the year training for this at least three times a week maybe.

You're missing lads holidays, nights out, and even bloody lie ins at the weekend instead of being got out of bed at 8am on a Sunday.

It isn't worth it, and lads are great that still do it...especially ones at the periphery of getting on the first 15"
Couldn't agree more, and this guff of not being allowed take holidays unless you ask the manager is a cod

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2219 - 14/02/2025 17:07:49    2591032

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I think a big issue lads packing in football is the changing of minor to undrr 17 at least when it was 18 lads were playing and it is not as big step playing adult football at whatever grade but in my opinion bringing minor to undrr 17 has being a very poor decision most counties have gone back to 18 at club level but unfortunately here in Galway they won't change also in Galway undrr 16 pure joke of competition 3 matches that it and then players are expected to be ready for county minor the year after well actually 6 months after under 16 on in Aug same time as minor ( under 17 ) a 16 year old in Galway who plays soccer gets 17-20 matches cup competition included in gaa 3 -5 if u get to final joke

Kickitout (Galway) - Posts: 1033 - 14/02/2025 17:33:06    2591037

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Replying To Bon:  "Couldn't agree more, and this guff of not being allowed take holidays unless you ask the manager is a cod"
Some of the stuff you hear about is like boot camp stuff Bon. But then maybe that's why we aren't a Senior club.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 15205 - 14/02/2025 18:04:37    2591044

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Replying To boxtyburgerbuns:  "How many games realistically do you play with your club yearly...10-15 maybe? So 15 days out of 365

Yet you spend 3/4 of the year training for this at least three times a week maybe.

You're missing lads holidays, nights out, and even bloody lie ins at the weekend instead of being got out of bed at 8am on a Sunday.

It isn't worth it, and lads are great that still do it...especially ones at the periphery of getting on the first 15"
Agree and you have managers training this time of year early on a Sunday morning so that screws up your Saturday night. There's more to life than GAA but in order to keep up with the big clubs and "winners" you've zero chance unless the work is put in. I think it would be great if rules were brought in as to the number of times/hours you can train but realistically that can not be policed.

The vast majority of players will never even win a county title. You talk about 10-15 games…how many even mean that much? League and divisional comps are secondary. Championship is where it's at and that 2-3 games for most depending on your county structure. No wonder lads are leaving the game in droves.

I'm from a small rural club that struggles for players at senior level but I could count at least 10-15 lads who could play and maybe would if the demands were not so high.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11508 - 14/02/2025 19:10:39    2591047

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Replying To Viking66:  "Our lads at our club would play more than 10 championship games every year, 11 last year, 13 the year before and 15 the year before that. plus around the same number of League games. That's football and hurling combined."
They're lucky, minimum 3-4 championship games and 7 league ones in Leitrim. No dual chances here for the majority alas

boxtyburgerbuns (Leitrim) - Posts: 189 - 14/02/2025 19:29:21    2591051

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Replying To boxtyburgerbuns:  "They're lucky, minimum 3-4 championship games and 7 league ones in Leitrim. No dual chances here for the majority alas"
We are lucky with the games we have for sure.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 15205 - 14/02/2025 20:19:07    2591059

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Replying To Viking66:  "Some of the stuff you hear about is like boot camp stuff Bon. But then maybe that's why we aren't a Senior club."
There's definitely a time and a place for knuckling down and getting some work done, but you need to let fellas live too, life's far too short, lads need to let of steam .

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2219 - 14/02/2025 22:37:55    2591081

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Arethoae figures for competitive games really that low

Rugby moat senior or junior 1 club players will play between 14 and 18 league games. Then 4/5 cup games and a few more non competifve games as well.

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3738 - 16/02/2025 19:52:26    2591418

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Replying To KillingFields:  "Arethoae figures for competitive games really that low

Rugby moat senior or junior 1 club players will play between 14 and 18 league games. Then 4/5 cup games and a few more non competifve games as well."
I'd imagine most GAA club teams would play a few friendly games too throughout the season

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2219 - 16/02/2025 22:21:59    2591456

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The reality for the majority of underage sports people, you have a range of sports you play under 16/18.
Once they hit 18, their teams get disbanded. You may have been training with the same gang from U10 and then you hit 18 - there is no U18/U19/20/21 competition worth talking about. If you were barely making the 15 at U17, there is no hope of getting a game at senior/intermediate/junior so you just pack it in and do an individual sport.
Its the same with all sport to be fair.

Interestingly though, due to the sheer volume and regularity of soccer matches (20+ games a season) you are more likely to get a game if you stick with soccer above all else.

I personally used to like U21 football, but it was only 2-3 matches per year.
There is surely some merit in having an U21 league, which has matches from April to September very 2nd Saturday evening. Clubs that can't field a team could amalgamate for this competition to keep guys playing. It could also have divisions with 15, 13, 11, 7 a side versions.

At least a league can be done with less hassle and commitment, then have a championship in July.
If the GAA could think outside the box a bit, it would be easy enough to keep guys involved between 17 and 22.

I come from a rural village and our club cancelled the junior B team for 10 years because some of us weren't taking it seriously. All they did was get rid of the opportunity to play for all the subs on the first team. They then quit and the whole club ended up back in junior. They finally saw the error of their ways a few years ago and now have junior A and B teams.

Even rural junior clubs should be allowed to amalgamate with nearby parishes to have a junior B team. The GAA is supposed to be about increasing participation in Gaelic sport. This goal is lost on a lot of club administrators.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1278 - 17/02/2025 16:26:13    2591624

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