IN my view, the GAA is the greatest sporting organisation in the world. It’s in every corner of this island and can be found in hundreds of pockets around the world where the games and the social aspect provide a wonderful outlet for those wishing to merge sport, fun, culture and a sense of belonging.
In the northern part of our island, the GAA has been a candle burning in many communities when darkness was nearly all-enveloping. Many great people were sent to the clay at the end of a rifle because they were proud members of the GAA, looking to develop their communities and their sense of Irishness.
All across the world, the GAA club structure means that, in theory, the smallest club has the same rights and supports as the largest, and over the years, the central organisation has put in place numerous courses, development routes and aids to those willing to embrace them.
There are so many hugely positive aspects to the GAA locally and centrally. It unites innumerable people, families and communities.
But like all organisations, our own included, nothing is perfect.
Those of us who spend every waking hour immersed in the choppy world of media, public relations and telling stories experience the brilliance of the GAA every single day. We also see the insecurities, the insularity and the lack of foresight.
There are countless directions we could take with this conversation, but for today, let’s concentrate on one – players and the media.
A leading county recently brought U-15 boys and their parents to a gathering to outline the progression journey from underage to senior. There was a welcome and then business began. What was the first thing they were told? What was the first guidance delivered? Surely it was something to do with skills, physical and mental development, nutrition and enjoyment? No! The first thing the boys and their parents were told was ‘beware of the media’.
Can any rational human explain this? Before these youngsters even kick a ball in anger they’re being instructed that the media are the enemy and not to be trusted. Who were the people delivering this instruction? Were they PR experts with years of experience in messaging, interaction and the crafting of perception? They were not – far from it.
Needless to say, the boys hearing this message weren’t from Dublin, where the knowledge of working with and using the media has been fantastic over the years, to Mayo’s cost on many occasions.
Who is advising players at all levels not to speak with media? Who is crafting the media policy around players and keeping them in cages of silence? What’s the grand plan? Why are the finest brands in sport being stunted by people with no professional background in the business. And be in no doubt, proper media representation is a business opportunity that would break the stranglehold of debt hanging over many counties’ GAA organisations.
Positive PR isn’t about Facebook posts or Instagram reels, it’s about the intelligent, structured, professional development of long-term relationships that ensure the story gets to readers, listeners and viewers.
Of course, one of the main contributors to the success of such an approach is the interaction between the association’s primary asset and the public. Think about it. What’s the GAA’s greatest asset? The players. What do the vast majority of counties do? Silence the players. It’s laughable.
It makes little or no difference to our job. We have plenty to be going on with. But remember, while people are warning underage players and their parents about the ‘dangers of the media’, and keeping senior players gagged and locked away, rugby is pushing players at the media, soccer is craving coverage, boxers are yearning for column inches and so on. The days of waiting for GAA to throw a few coloured beads our way are over.
What are some people in the GAA afraid of? Conor Glass, the great Derry and Watty Graham’s footballer came out last week and explained how much he loves interacting with the media. Former Armagh and Crossmaglen star Oisín McConville praised his attitude and said, “If you can’t handle a journalist asking you questions, or if you can’t handle a bit of media spotlight, there ain’t no chance you’re kicking a ’45 over the bar in front of 82,500 people in Croke Park. The fact that you (Conor) embraced that is telling.” Wise words.
OPINION: Why is the GAA scaremongering about the media?
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15.02.2024
IN my view, the GAA is the greatest sporting organisation in the world. It’s in every corner of this island and can be found in hundreds of pockets around the world where the games and the social aspect provide a wonderful outlet for those wishing to merge sport, fun, culture and a sense of belonging.
In the northern part of our island, the GAA has been a candle burning in many communities when darkness was nearly all-enveloping. Many great people were sent to the clay at the end of a rifle because they were proud members of the GAA, looking to develop their communities and their sense of Irishness.
All across the world, the GAA club structure means that, in theory, the smallest club has the same rights and supports as the largest, and over the years, the central organisation has put in place numerous courses, development routes and aids to those willing to embrace them.
There are so many hugely positive aspects to the GAA locally and centrally. It unites innumerable people, families and communities.
But like all organisations, our own included, nothing is perfect.........
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