One of my friends asked “Why do you pay money and spend so much time running around for your Children to play GAA?”
Well I have a confession to make: I don’t pay for my children’s GAA or their boots , kit or their training times, clinics and camps.
So, if I am not paying for Gaelic games what am I paying for?
- I pay for those moments when my child becomes so tired and feels like quitting but doesn’t.
- I pay for the opportunity that my child can have and will have to make life-long friendships.
- I pay for the chance that they may have amazing instructors that will teach them that hurling and football is not just about a game but about life.
- I pay for my child to learn to be disciplined.
- I pay for my child to learn to take care of their body.
- I pay for my child to learn to work with others and to be a proud, supportive, kind and respectful team member.
- I pay for my child to learn to deal with disappointment, when they don’t get that score they hoped for, or hand-pass during a breakaway they practiced a thousand times, but still gets up and is determined to do their BEST next time…
- I pay for my child to learn to make and accomplish goals.
- I pay for my child to learn that it takes hours and hours and hours and hours of hard work and practice to create a champion, and that success does not happen overnight.
- I pay so that my child can be on the pitch instead of in front of a screen…
I could go on but, to be short, I don’t pay for GAA – I pay for the opportunities that GAA provides my child to develop attributes that will serve them well throughout their life and give them the opportunity to bless the lives of others. From what I have seen for many, many years, I think it is a great investment!
