Among the Wexford hurling panel at least, Liam Óg McGovern sees a shift in what his teammates are prioritising in their lives.
McGovern believes that more players are beginning to make life choices based on how it will affect their professional careers rather than their sporting ones.
"Just from a feel within our camp, I do feel that there is more of an emphasis on players focusing more on their career," he told GPA podcast The Players’ Voice.
I absolutely think players can concentrate and focus on their sporting career and simultaneously, equally if not more, on their professional careers as well. It’s something that I would have always been conscious of, in terms of, never making a decision that would jeopardise my professional career.
I’d be very conscious of not putting all my eggs into the sporting basket because I feel your identity and your self-confidence can get very much tied into just the sporting world and a bad performance or a bad defeat can leave you, you know can effect certain lads quite badly and I think if you have a strong professional career to support that, your identity is not torn away just from your sporting performance.
McGovern, who made his championship debut in 2012, believes managers should take into account the type of job which a player has when making demands of them.
The St Anne's clubman is an account manager for software company Oracle. He recently completed a diploma in Business Finance through the GPA's scholarship programme.
"I’d encourage anyone who is out there working and they are considering going back and are doubting themselves, you know, sometimes it’s just a case of putting your name forward, putting your name in," said McGovern.
"We build walls in our own heads. Maybe it’s a confidence thing; maybe it’s the thought of the work that is required. You just get on with it; you just get stuck in.
"At the time, I’m sure looking back there were times when I was very busy with it and I questioned ‘Jesus, why did I get stuck into this at all?’ But once you get it done, you get it completed, you’re delighted with yourself, you’ve accomplished something.
"It’s confidence you’ve completed a course from a reputable course like the IMI (Irish Management Institute). So I’d certainly [recommend] anyone who is listening and who is considering going back, don’t be hesitant, put your name forward and it will stand to you.”
"Once you get the ball rolling, the momentum will start. If you have been out of education for a while it’s just about getting the momentum going again and starting again.
"Look it isn’t for everyone but certainly my experience, it has benefitted me, it has given me confidence and it has opened doors."
Liam Óg McGovern was speaking to the GPA podcast The Players’ Voice which is available now on Soundcloud, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
