Underage GAA is where a lot of sporting careers were started and finished. It is also the start and end of many a managing career.
The thankless task of the underage manager was filled by a wide variety of men (sorry ladies but I was never coached by a female so this article will be very male centric), and this piece aims to break them down into their distinct types. So without further ado, here are the eight types of underage GAA manager.
1. The Psycho
Underage management was the only option for this nutcase. Half-time talks were just a barrage of insults and impassioned chest beating and feather ruffling "Have ye no pride in the jersey at all" was a typical call to action. He laid many a child's self esteem to waste before resigning under a cloud of red mist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guT76kAPYs0
2. The Parent
'The Parent' was the one who had two chaps on the team who started regardless of how good (or shit) they were. After a while some of the other parents would get onto him for not starting their son and he'd blow up in a huff shouting "If youse think you can do a better job then be my guest!". No one would take him up on the offer and he'd continue starting his kids until the season finished.
3. The Professor
His style of management was more cerebral. Training would be a wearying affair with cones laid out as far as the eye could see in order to practice convoluted training drills. Of course this approach was doomed to fail once you came up against any opposition that had 'a few county lads' on the team.
4. The Young One
There was always a local GAA player that took a notion to train give back a bit and train the underage lads once he got beyond the U21s.
He'd think that because of his youth he'd be able to strike up a close bond with all the players and they would follow all of his orders. After a few training sessions he would quickly realise that he was babysitting a shower of brats and would give up.
5. The John Giles
This manager had about 11 or 12 cliché's which he would trot out regardless of the situation at hand. Here's a rundown of his favourites:
- Hurl from the front
- Go in hard and fair
- Two hands on the hurl!
- Low and hard into the forwards
- If he puts up his hand for the ball take it off him
- Don't give your man two seconds on the ball
- Everybody wrote us off
- You'll definitely get a run out the next day
6. The One That Got Roped Into It
This man no more wanted to be an underage GAA manager than a peacekeeping soldier in Syria. Training usually consisted of a half arsed lap to warm up followed by an hour long game of backs and forwards. Much loved by the players but tactically found wanting.
7. The One That Wasn't Asked
This fella will appear once the team gets near any sort of success, say a quarter or semi-final. He will then begin to dictate from the sidelines having never once been to watch training. He will inevitably fall out with the actual manager and may even be sent to the stands by the ref for mouthing off.
8. The Manipulator
This particular breed of manager knew how to get the best out of his players. He could threaten laps if drills weren't done right and always gave the impression he was in control. He'd tell you the opposition was thinking they'd walk all over you just to get you riled up. And it would work. Politics was the only reason he wasn't coaching the senior side.
Images via Sportsfile
