Are you a 'GAA Ma'? Does your life revolve around cleaning jerseys, shouting from the sidelines and always being cold, so, so cold? Welcome to the world of GAA.
Being involved in your local GAA club is about so much more than playing the game. It is almost like having a second family - a very large, shouty family who wave sticks about, a lot.
Along with making new friends and joining a new community, your children will get the benefit of a great day out, super exercise and learn skills that have passed down generations.
Then, there is the social life - camps for the children, BBQ's for the parents, mums and dads getting involved in coaching and it is lovely to share a common interest with your child.
Here's why 'GAA Mas' are simply the best:
Training on Saturdays and matches on Sundays – sure who would be having time for a lie-in at this rate? 9 am training sessions, 10 am matches and the only time you’ll ever get a lie-in is when the match is called off. Let's be honest, that is usually at the last minute and then you are up anyway!
Boots covered in grass, hurls covered in muck and gear bags, that have suspicious mud marks on the bottom, will be thrown into your gloriously shining car. This will be two, three, even four times a week. Trust us, you’ll give up cleaning it after the first match. Although, who are we kidding - our cars were never shiny! We have kids, for goodness sake!
Bah, you’ll have to decide between watching your child battle it out on the pitch, or having a few leisurely mimosas with your gal pals, because the two ALWAYS end up happening at the same time. And matches, (especially for the girls’ teams) tend to be on at the most awkward times on a Saturday – usually smack bang in the afternoon.
Spring, summer, autumn, winter… as soon as your little one starts in the local GAA club, it’s time to embrace the fact that you will never be warm again. Standing on the sideline (either at training or for a match) you’ll quickly realise the true extent of Ireland’s weather: cold and wet with some sleet thrown in for good measure.
Don’t bother investing in a ‘nice’ pair of runners; after a few training sessions, you will absolutely be roped in to help with the training. Those beauties will be filthy and falling apart a few weeks in. Whatever you do, don’t wear your Converse runners to training. No matter how much you say you won’t be getting involved, trust us, you’ll be marking out pitches before you can say ‘no’.
If you don’t have the team’s jerseys on your washing line at least once a week, are you even a GAA mum?
But listen, we wouldn't do it if we didn't LOVE it. Our children love it too and showing commitment to the game and taking on the responsibility of being part of a team are huge parts of growing up. Not showing up for training, or missing a match means letting down an entire team and that is a really important life lesson.
And then there is the pride. We are bursting with it as we watch our children, with their determined little faces, out there being part of the fastest field game in the world.
