Camogie star Grace Walsh believes it is "very sad" to learn of children feeling pressurised and not enjoying their participation in sport.
There have been numerous negative stories emerging in recent weeks concerning the GAA, with many parents complaining of their child's exclusion from team games at the hands of coaches who opt not to play them in football, hurling or camogie matches.
And on the other hand, coaches have reported that many parents are placing an extreme amount of pressure on their kids and expecting an excessive amount from them in their training and matches.
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Kilkenny star Grace has been surrounded by sport her whole life and knows just how beneficial it can be for young children.
But she is also aware that some people believe winning is the only desirable outcome and this attitude takes away from players’ enjoyment.
“I think it’s sad. Sport is there to be enjoyed, it’s voluntary to play” Grace told RSVP Live.
“Sometimes we forget it's not all about winning. That is something I have learned from not winning plenty of All-Irelands.
“When I look back to when I was younger, I think of the incredible memories I made along with my teammates and that is something I will never forget.
“Obviously the goal is to win but at the end of the day, when you put things into perspective, it doesn't really matter who wins. It's all about the time you have together with your team.
“Sometimes parents need to remember that. The child is there to enjoy it.
“Everyone wants to win but it's not the end of the world if it doesn't happen. Sometimes people need to be more mindful or aware of the bigger picture.”
2022 has been a great year for Tullaroan native Grace as Kilkenny has enjoyed major success.
The team beat Cork to claim their 15th All-Ireland title back in August and now lead the way for this year’s Camogie All Stars with eleven nominations.
Grace is proud of herself and her teammates after a year of “challenges”.
“We had to jump a lot of hurdles to get to where we did but it was a really enjoyable year and one we will cherish for the rest of our lives,” she said.
“It is always an honour to be nominated for an All Star. It is great to see some of the younger girls getting their first nomination because it's such a special moment for them.
“As one of the older players on the team, I feel so proud of them because I can see the hard work they put in.”
Earlier this year, Grace told RSVP Live that the “pressure was off” for her and her teammates after a tough 2021.
Today, the GAA star says she and her teammates stuck by that decision and it paid off.
“After 2021, no one really expected us to reach the top this year,” she said.
“We knew how good we were but there was no pressure from the outside.
“Our management was very good to us, if anyone was struggling they were always there to help. That is important and what made us so good this year and got us over the line.”
Women’s sport is getting much more attention in Ireland these days, which Grace is thrilled to see.
Last month runner Ciara Mageean broke sporting hero Sonia O’Sullivan’s long-standing record and just last week the women’s football team qualified for next year’s World Cup.
Grace said: “I went to college in UCD and lived with Ciara and Chloe Mustaki and Ciara Grant from the football team. To see how driven these women that I've been lucky enough to live with are has been incredible.
“A few years ago, women's sport wasn't as highlighted, but they were still driven enough to reach their goal.
“Media are getting more on board to promote this and that's going to be really influential to the younger generation and that's what you want to see - you want a young girl looking at the TV asking their parents if they can go to the next match.
“It's important for kids to have role models to look up to that aren't just male. We want male and female.”
This week, Grace has revealed she will take part in Plant For The Planet Games this November in Kenya.
The games are the brainchild of Warriors for Humanity founder and former Galway dual player Alan Kerins and are in partnership with Self Help Africa and the GPA.
The games will feature 50 male and female Inter-County Gaelic Games players from all four codes, with each player participating committed to raising €10,000.
Funds raised will go to Self Help Africa to support the planting of trees and Grace cannot wait to get involved.
“For me, it's like a form of volunteer work, which is something I have wanted to do for a very long time,” she said.
“I work as a nurse and I thought it would be along those lines [of helping people] so I jumped at the opportunity.
“Since Covid, I appreciate life a lot more and realise the privileged position I am in.
“I'm very lucky to do what I do in terms of work and my sporting life so I really wanted to give back.
“This initiative is incredible and we will help a lot of families who are a lot less fortunate than we are. Not only are we helping families, we are doing something good for the environment.”
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