The question of what their ultimate aim should be is always a complicated one for a minor GAA manager. Of course there's winning, but making that the be all and end all doesn't always mesh well with the development of players.
For Tipperary minor football manager John McNamara, getting positive feedback from the county's U20 manager about the players who transitioned to the next level was a good sign.
"The reality is if we look at what would mean a successful year, one of the key successes for me last year would be players that stepped into the U20 level this year with Niall Fitzgerald," he told the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Moments podcast.
"The feedback I received from Niall about those players is that they were confident, happy coming to training, happy to be part of the squad.
"That's a great indicator in terms of the work the lads I had [involved in the backroom last year] did with them. It has garnered the idea there's a player who potentially sees the next phase of their career and grabs the opportunity and has the confidence to drive forward."
2023 was McNamara's second season in charge of Tipperary. Last year, they won the Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship phase one final, and so the Daryl D'Arcy Cup. That phase of the Munster championship features Tipperary, Limerick, Clare and Waterford with Cork and Kerry entering at a later stage.
This year, Tipperary again reached the phase one final, though this time they lost to Limerick. As had happened in 2022, Tipp were then defeated by Cork in the Munster semi-final.
McNamara's coaching style has changed through the years.
"We've all been raised on the coach on the sideline berating everybody, roaring, screaming and shouting," he said.
"The reality is I was probably that kind of coach for a long time as well until I realised that you have to be the adult in the situation; you have to understand that the pressure is on the player, not on the coach.
"They are the ones that have to perform and they are the ones that will feel bad if they don't perform. They are the ones the will feel bad if they think you don't see the best in them.
Last year was a real eye-opener for me in terms of being present for players, even just for chats and to have a laugh.
Tommy Morrissey keeps saying it to me that the one word I've always used was 'enjoyment', that if we can't make this process enjoyable for the players, what are we doing it for?
If we can make it enjoyable for them, they may potentially want to come back and if they want to come back, then we may have a senior team in the future. I'm talking about county level at the moment but the same goes for club.
For me, it was always about the person. There's so many different personalities. You have quiet players, players that potentially have some difficulties in terms of confidence. They might have difficulties in terms of being in a crowd situation. They might be perceived to have difficulties taking instruction. They might feel uncomfortable.
I said it to the lads [in my backroom team], the reality is we're the adults in the situation. We are the ones that have to facilitate at every opportunity for every single player we have. If we have to adapt ourselves to a player or a personality, that's what we do.
McNamara believes that though a team might not win the ultimate prize, there are always positives to be taken from a situation.
"Anybody who goes into coaching probably does it because they have a competitive nature and they want to succeed," he said.
"Unfortunately, the ego will always try to take over. Park the ego and just enjoy what you're doing. There are results to be had in every single aspect of what you do.
"In the end, only one team can win the Munster title, only one team can win the All-Ireland. If you ask the people who lost the All-Ireland final last year, Mayo - who won Connacht - are they happy at the end? Would it be the same response that I would give?
"You have to look at every single aspect you are doing, and look for the results. One of the key things is to outline to the players involved that there are wins in every single thing they are doing.
"Advice you could give a player when he goes through a minor process is the idea that.... I would hope that any player who goes through our process gains confidence in their own ability.
"Yes, this is just a sport but the reality is if they want to look at the smalls wins... first they've made the squad, and that puts them within a certain level of player within their own county, which potentially puts them within a level of player in the country.
"The fitness regime that they have to put on themselves, the learning of nutrition, S&C, the pressure and environment that championship games can bring - every single bit of that is a learning for them.
"I would really hope that they gain the confidence that can hopefully give them the ability that they can tackle anything in their life. Whether that's education, work, relationships or even having a conversation with somebody."
Quiz: Identify The 10 Well-Known Inter-County GAA Players From Their Minor Photo
