Two Offaly players attend GPA rookie camp event
Two players from Offaly were among 370 players new inter-county panel members who attended the GPA’s 2024 Season of Rookie Camps which were held in Belfast, Cork, Dublin and Sligo over the last six weeks.
Offaly hurlers Sam Bourke (Ballinamere) and Joseph Hoctor (Carrig & Riverstown) attended the Dublin camp.
This year the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) Rookie Camps were brought on a National Roadshow to each province, following the success of camps in Limerick and Dublin in 2023.
This was the sixth year of the camps, which are aimed at helping young players in their first, second or third year on a senior inter-county panel, to adapt to the new demands they are facing and also at showcasing the support they have at their disposal through the GPA.
The events all enjoyed alternative areas of focus, all of which align with the GPA’s vision of creating an environment that upholds the brilliance of inter-county players, allowing them to excel as high-performing athletes on the pitch and in their lives off the pitch.
The Dublin Rookie Camp saw GPA rookies introduced to social media expert Kieran File. The session focussed on newcomers’ online identities, probing members on how they come across online and on how they can be perceived and taken advantage of in a digital world.
Players were treated to a panel discussion hosted by Antrim hurler and 'Let’s Face It' podcast host Domhnall Nugent. He spoke to Michelle Teehan (Kilkenny camogie player), Kieran Lillis (Laois footballer) and Evan Comerford (Dublin footballer and previous Rookie Camp attendee) about their experiences as young inter-county players. They also shared advice on the challenges and obstacles they experienced.
Speaking about the event, GPA Player Development Manager Arron Graffin said: “Being invited to be part of a senior inter-county panel can be both an exciting and nervy experience for young players. This transition can be difficult to manoeuvre at times, therefore it is vitally important that these young players have self-awareness of how being your best off-the-field has a direct link to being your best on-the-field.
"These future Gaelic games stars strive to be high performing inter-county athletes and here, at the GPA, we want to support and assist our members to focus on life balance so they are best equipped to deal with the challenges that they will face during their sporting career.”