Fostering Spirit

One thing you'd always try to tell a fella is that when you feel absolutely wrecked in a match, the guy alongside you is probably feeling the same. It then becomes a question of who has the greater resolve to go deeper into their reservoir.

Now, training was by no means barbaric last night but there were a few sprints at the beginning and the end which got the chest pounding. I certainly felt it both in my chest and legs. A session in the gym the night before involving squats and lunges was still lingering in my muscles and I was struggling to separate whether it was a low level of fitness or those exercises which were causing the tiredness. Mentally, I was prepared for a bit of ball so that may have been another contributing factor! Eoin was back in Ireland and Conan was in charge and from chatting to him over the years, I should have known there would have been more physical stuff.

I was talking to Condon over Christmas about the difficulties of moving from trainer to player, especially when you have so many of your own ideas on training. He trains the Intermediates at home but plays with the Juniors and said often there may be things you would do differently (not necessarily better or worse) but ultimately you would enjoy it. I kept that in mind and enjoyed the session.

One comment from last night is how we continue to be such a quiet group. Naturally players won't be dishing out instructions at training but still they should be heard and in a positive way i.e. always encouraging guys during the running drills. I say it all the time, while you are recovering your team-mate is suffering and you should be there for him. As a small example, I was in the first group of the shuttles last night which meant I finished first. As everyone finished, we went straight for water. That meant the last group completed the exercise in isolation, with no support or encouragement. In the final running exercise, I was again in the first group and started to walk away when I was finished. Then it clicked with me and I returned to make sure someone in Johnny P's group was there to encourage him across the line.

It's a subtle thing but one of the important elements in fostering a bond between team-mates and it gives you a more collective drive when you are on the pitch.