There has been a lot of discussion and debate recently about the change of age groups from minor and U21 to U17 and U20. I purposely haven’t read much into it, but I know from my own experiences and from watching the youth players coming through the ranks within our club that the change was not necessary, and I think it is much better for the players that it reverts back to how it was before.
I got to watch some of the NFL Combine over the weekend and was blown away by the talent and skills on show but also fascinated at the minute level of details to which those players are tested.
The guys involved are generally senior year in college (average age 21-23) and are vying for a place in a professional NFL team. They go through ‘testing’ specific to their position on the team while scouts from the professional teams watch on in order to offer places at the NFL Draft in a few weeks’ time.
While I was watching, it was the turn of the ‘wide receivers’ who are effectively the Tommy Bowe or the Shane Walsh of the NFL – runners with quick acceleration, phenomenal peripheral vision and a great catching ability. They went through a series of tests including a speed test (a 40-yard straight line run) and an overhead catching drill where they had to run with the ball being thrown from behind them and had to catch it without breaking stride or pace and carry the ball on. It was incredible to watch.
What stood out for me was the focus of those involved. Yes, they are all in incredible physical condition (Peter Donnelly must have had a word with a few of them), but their focus and commitment was remarkable.
These lads are literally running and catching for their futures – an NFL contract would be life changing for anyone and it is what those guys have been training for and working towards from they first lifted a ball.
For each position on the field there are anything between 10 and 60 lads taking part and trying to stand out. Not every team will need each position so as a player you know you must push your limits to catch the eye of a scout/coach and you have to be willing to travel to any team throughout America to realise your dreams of playing NFL.
I compared what I was watching to our team trials for county football, and it got me thinking about the underage system and the physical demands on our players at every age group.
Trials for county have undoubtedly developed from my last run out and as an amateur sport we can’t expect anything like the detail of the NFL Combine but, none the less, it is just as important for those participating that they prove themselves and take their opportunity to shine when they can.
It is a nerve-wracking experience and to expect such a physical commitment and time commitment, as well as the maturity required to deal with any setback, from someone at 16 or 17 years of age, just seems too much to me.
Between the ages of 16 and 21 we are going through rapid physical and emotional development. We have schoolwork, exams, family life, social life, career decisions, work, university choices, new friendships, relationships and on top of all those commitments and pressures we are running out to try and prove our footballing ability over the course of two sessions, being thrown into a team with some people we have idolised for years and being watched by coaches and management teams, and we are expected not to feel overwhelmed or pressurised to perform?
To be named on a county set-up is as important to us as gaining an NFL scholarship is to those at the combine but the differences in both physicality and maturity highlight the difference in our lads being U17 and U20 in comparison to 21-23.
The average age for retirement in NFL is 27.5 so effectively those guys are hoping to be selected for a squad at 22 years old knowing that, if they are lucky, they have a five to six year career ahead of them at the top level. We are expecting our lads to be county ready at 17 and sustain that level of commitment right through to 30, and possibly beyond.
GAA players are retiring from the county scene younger and younger, and I honestly think it is because they have committed for so long before they even reach senior ranks that they are realising far sooner than before that they need to shift focus to other commitments in life.
As well as the time commitment and mental strength it takes to sustain playing at the top level, there are also the obvious physical demands. At 16 and 17, we may have stopped growing but our muscles have not yet fully developed. There are coaches, trainers, nutritionists all within county set-ups but to sustain an injury at 17 that could have potential impact on the rest of our playing careers is a very real possibility.
One year from U17 to U18 might not seem like much, but when we are still potentially playing club football in our late 30s (or 40s for some!) I just think it is too much too soon. That year can make all the difference both physically and emotionally for the long journey ahead.
