Conor Whelan has expressed concern that young people are being turned away from the GAA by the increasing strength and conditioning requirements on players in the modern age.
The Kinvara man won his second All-Star in 2023, after a season which saw him and Galway once again come agonisingly close both to Leinster glory and the All-Ireland final before coming up short in both quests.
Whelan scored a remarkable 7-18 across the Leinster and All-Ireland championships, and was full worth for his spot on the team after turning in sensational performances throughout for Galway.
The 27-year-old corner-forward has been one of the county's leading stars ever since winning the young hurler of the year award in 2017 - but he fears that other young players are being turned away from the GAA by the increasing physical demands placed on players.
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Conor Whelan fears young players are turning away from GAA
Speaking to RTÉ 2FM's 'Game On' in the afterglow of his second All-Star win, Galway forward Conor Whelan said that he had noticed a huge amount of dropouts from the GAA by late teens in recent years.
Whelan shared his concern that the trend may be down to the S&C requirements of the modern game:
I've noticed that players are coming to the age of 18, 19, and packing it up. 17- to 19-year olds are the highest rate of dropout across sport in Ireland.
The game has gone very physical and there's a major emphasis put on strength and conditioning. I think sometimes it is overkill.
There is any amount of strength and conditioning, gym sessions and running sessions. As a young lad it was all about playing the game and enjoying it. I'm not so sure where it's going, particularly at younger age groups.
Enjoying your sport at whatever age you are, I think, is the most important thing of all. That's what keeps you going and keeps you coming back.
Qualified as a secondary school teacher, Whelan is in the midst of a PhD on third-level student well-being. He also has a master's degree in psychology.
24 June 2023; Conor Whelan of Galway is tackled by Michael Breen of Tipperary during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Quarter Final match between Galway and Tipperary at TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
Whelan went on to say that he was concerned that third-level students were not experiencing adequate time away from the GAA with the current scheduling of Fitzgibbon and Sigerson Cup duties alongside club and intercounty games:
Some players I've looked at are playing for five teams between Fitzgibbon, Sigerson, senior, and U20 club and county.
When I came through we used to get November and most of December off. You were guaranteed to get a semester in college and that was enough to enjoy yourself and then go back.
If you're a young kid, going to college and starting to make friends, you're having to choose whether to stay in or go out and enjoy yourself. It's probably a no-brainer why younger people are falling away.
It is not the first major GAA issue that Whelan has spoken out on in recent weeks.
After proposals were revealed to limit the intercounty opportunities of counties with less than five adult club teams, Whelan hit out, calling the proposed rule change "barbaric."
SEE ALSO: Pat Spillane Feels Some Counties Are 'Wasting Money' By Fielding Hurling Teams
