Analysis: Almost 100 intercounty and clubs teams are provided with support for psychological aspects of performance, which shows the discipline's growing influence
By Patricia Jackman, University of Lincoln; Aoife Lane, TUS Midlands and Matthew Bird, University of Lincoln
It's that time of year again in the world of Gaelic games: the days are finally getting longer, and the national leagues have begun. Inter-county teams across all codes are setting out on their journey for the season ahead, each hoping for a prosperous year.
During the off-season, teams will have been searching for ways to improve their performance and find a competitive advantage. Many are turning to sport psychology, a key component of sport science in Gaelic games at all levels and across all codes.
With growing media discourse about the role of psychology in Gaelic games, our study on applied sport psychology in Gaelic games shows the discipline’s growing influence. We found that support for psychological aspects of performance was being provided to almost 100 Gaelic games teams in inter-county and club settings.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's This Week, Tadhg McIntyre from the University of Limerick on the provision of psychological services to players and athletes
Against the backdrop of this growing interest, the need to ensure that scientifically-based support is provided has been highlighted in research and in the media. To support researchers, policy and practice in Gaelic games, we recently searched for peer-reviewed journal articles to answer the following question: what research evidence exists on psychology in Gaelic games?
In this study, the first-ever review of research evidence specifically on psychology in Gaelic games, we identified 42 articles. These studies were published in academic journals between 2006 and 2023 and together recruited a total of 4,963 participants, the majority of whom were players (83%).
The results offer valuable information on trends within research conducted to date. A first noteworthy finding was the sizeable gender imbalance: only 18% of participants were female. While this trend does in part reflect the higher proportion of males in adult and youth playing, coaching, and refereeing populations, females are far more underrepresented in psychology research in Gaelic games compared to the broader sport psychology field. Redressing these gender disparities in future is vital to ensure that research, policy, and practice can adequately address the needs of women and girls in Gaelic games.
The research also provides a map of the research landscape related to psychology in Gaelic games. The most prominently studied area was mental health, with these studies suggesting that levels of mental ill-health are somewhat prevalent within various groups, including players, referees, and coaches. Other areas that have received considerable attention include burnout, the effects of coaching practices on youth players and the psychology of injury.
Based on the review’s findings, we identified five recommendations for those charged with leading coach and player education, and supporting the development of players at all levels of Gaelic games.
Enhance coach education programmes and support for female coaches
Currently, there is limited engagement with psychology on coach education programmes in Gaelic games. With many coaches expressing a desire to develop knowledge of sport psychology, this review offers sport-specific evidence in Gaelic games that could help to develop the knowledge base and skills of coaches, especially those working with youth-aged players.
For instance, the findings indicate that coaches could benefit from learning about how to create playing environments that increase social support, cultivate a sense of shared identity, nurture players’ basic psychological needs, and centralise fun and enjoyment. Additionally, supportive structures at club levels are important to grow the number of female coaches.
Clear guidelines and education are needed for mental health support
The level of mental health concerns across Gaelic games populations calls for education on mental health at all levels. Such education could, for example, include raising awareness about factors that can contribute to poor mental health, signs of mental ill-health, and the development of mental health literacy.
While mental health should be everyone’s business, it is vital that mental health referral mechanisms are in place to ensure individuals displaying signs of mental ill-health are referred to qualified mental health professionals. Such education is also important for sport psychology practitioners to ensure that they only provide support within their competencies.
Efforts to prevent and reduce player burnout need to look at structure and culture of Gaelic games
Over the last decade, burnout has received lots of attention in Gaelic games, with several changes to competition structures (e.g., splitting club and county season) and rules (e.g., age and training restrictions) occurring to reduce demands on players. These changes could, at least in part, start to address some concerns raised in the review about how the playing calendar could increase burnout susceptibility.
Nevertheless, it is crucial that the culture of Gaelic games does not increase potential for burnout; for example, some research highlighted how playing through injuries was accepted practice in some male inter-county teams. Ultimately, the environment (e.g., structure, personnel, and culture) surrounding players can reduce or heighten burnout susceptibility. Proactive and preventative steps must be taken to reduce the risk of experiencing burnout for players.
Be aware of the perils of an athletic identity and the performance narrative
Research had showed that players can develop an identity that is deeply rooted in Gaelic games and are thus susceptible to developing a strong athletic identity. Moreover, our findings suggested that the lives of some Gaelic games players appeared to resonate with the "performance narrative", a story of single-minded dedication to sporting performance, where winning, results and achievements are prioritised, sometimes at the expense of other areas of a person’s life and their wellbeing.
Developing a strong athletic identity and adopting the performance narrative can have significant costs, including for one’s self-worth, wellbeing, and identity development, especially following disappointments, injuries, or retirement. Consequently, players, coaches, officials, support personnel, and the media should be mindful of the potential downsides of developing a strong athletic identity and having a narrow focus on sport performance.
Adopt an interdisciplinary approach to support injured players
Several studies have highlighted adverse psychological impacts of injury for Gaelic games players. To address these, injured players should be offered relevant psychological support at all phases of injury recovery. By integrating psychological support with other rehabilitation support (e.g., physiotherapy), this can increase the likelihood that players can return to play in an optimal state of physical and mental health.
To ensure this occurs, coaches and medical staff should be aware of the psychological responses that players can have to injury and have suitable support mechanisms in place. This could include accredited sport psychologists and mental health professionals for those displaying signs of mental ill-health.
Dr Patricia Jackman is Associate Professor in Sport and Exercise Psychology and Director of Research in the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Lincoln, UK, and a former Waterford Senior Camogie Player. Dr Aoife Lane is Head of the Department of Sport and Health Sciences at TUS Midlands and leads the Sport, Health and Exercise (SHE) Research Group. Dr Matthew Bird is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology in the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Lincoln, UK.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
