Athlete Burnout and the GAA Club PlayerA Qualitative Study

Brian FitzpatrickMSc Sport and Exercise PsychologyUlster University, UK

Supervisor: Dr Lee-Ann Sharp

AbstractThe phenomenon of athlete burnout has become accepted as one of the major challenges that faces GAA inter-county players. Given this acceptance, we have seen a significant increase in the number of studies and reports that suggest that athlete burnout poses as a real danger to the GAA’s elite. By referring to key literature such as; Raedeke (1997), Schmidt and Stein (1991) and Coakley (1992), this study aims to suggest that athlete burnout poses as a danger to highly committed, competitive athletes (ie, GAA club players) as well as the sport’s elite. By using an Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (Raedeke & Smith, 2001), the author identified seven participants to partake in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The qualitative data that was collected from the participants suggested athlete burnout is indeed evident within club level GAA. Data that was collected has clear links to the key literature on athlete burnout such as; players devaluing their participation, players feeling entrapped within their sport, players portraying a restricted identity due to their sport commitment and players portraying a lack of control/autonomy within their sport. The interviews also generated more novel data that is specific to club level GAA, such as the length of the season and the unpredictability of the fixtures. The author has linked this data to how burnout can be caused by the social organisation of a sport (Coakley, 1992). The result of this study highlights the need of quantitative research on athlete burnout among GAA club players. The author believes that it is important to highlight prevalence of athlete burnout due to the large number of club level GAA players in Ireland who may be at risk.

Key wordsGaelic Games, GAA, athlete burnout, empowerment, entrapment, Coakley, Raedeke.

IntroductionStudies about athlete burnout and the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) elite, i.e. County

players, are beginning to emerge (i.e., Hughes & Hassan, 2015; Langan, Blake, Toner &

Lonsdale, 2015; Langan, Hodge, McGowan, Carney & Saunders 2016). Drawing on existing

theories and models of the phenomenon of burnout in athletes (e.g., Coakley, 1992;

Raedeke, 1997 and Schmidth & Stein, 1991), this research aims to demonstrate that there is

pressing need to investigate athlete burnout among GAA club players in Ireland. The

research will review the increasing amount of literature that has recently pointed to the

evident links between athlete burnout and highly committed, competitive athletes (e.g.,

GAA club Players). An analysis of the literature has informed the methodological approach

which has been adopted by this research which investigates athlete burnout and GAA club

players.

Research AimThis research aims to show that the phenomenon of athlete burnout is potentially evident

among Gaelic football club players and that this is an area worthy of further investigation to

determine the nature and extent of the problem. To achieve this, and drawing the theories

and characteristics of burnout outlined above, the research will employ a qualitative

research method utilising the approach, including survey tools used in research in other

sports. Upon analysis of the findings, the research will conclude that athlete burnout is

experienced by a considerable cohort of GAA Club players and more awareness is needed to

educate players and the sport’s governing body. This will require further investigative

research to identify the extent of the problem and the issues involved.

Rationale for ResearchDespite the increased number of recent studies in athlete burnout and GAA (i.e., Hughes,

2008; Hughes & Hassan, 2015; Langan, Blake, Toner & Lonsdale, 2015; Langan, Hodge,

McGowan, Carney & Saunders 2016) the author is unaware of any studies which focus solely

on the GAA club player. Drawing on Raedeke’s (1997) theory of athlete burnout, this

research suggests that given the apparent high commitment level to participating in Gaelic

games at an amateur, part time level, which often competes with other commitments in a

player’s life (e.g. employment, full time education) a club player is at least as likely to feel

exhaustion, a reduced sense of accomplishment, or to devalue their own participation in the

sport.

Literature Review

Athlete BurnoutRaedeke (1997) defines Athlete Burnout as a psychological syndrome that is characterised

by emotional/physical exhaustion, a reduced sense of accomplishment, and a devaluation of

one’s sport involvement. This theory is a modified take on Maslach and Jackson’s (1984)

theory that defined burnout as a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and

reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who work directly with

people in some capacity (Gustafsson, Hassmen, Kentta, & Johansson, 2008). , This research

has drawn on all of these theories and in particular, Raedeke’s approach, which also

employs a measurement tool in the form of an Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ)

(Raedeke & Smith, 2001).

Today, burnout is acknowledged as a serious condition among athletes. The estimated

prevalence of burnout among athletes ranges from 1% to 5% (Cresswell and Eklund, 2007).

However, Gustafsson, Kenttä, Hassmén, and Lundqvist, (2007) found that high levels of

athlete burnout were present in between 1 to 9% of elite athletes.

In addition, player burnout in the GAA has been highlighted as one of the most significant

developments to impact the sport in recent years. GAA President Aogán Ó Fearghail noted

(2015, 28th November), "Burnout is like climate change. You can argue it's not happening

but really you're naïve if you believe that. We know it's a problem and we've got to address

it”. In November of 2015, the GAA launched a new strategy to tackle player burnout which

included among a number of changes, most notably abolishing the Under 21 grade. (Moran,

2015).

The research into burnout and GAA is deepening as more relevant studies are becoming

apparent (i.e., Hughes, 2008; Hughes & Hassan, 2015; Langan et al, 2015; Langan et al,

2016). The variety of methods employed in these studies pointed towards an existence of

athlete burnout among elite level Gaelic footballers.

For example, Langan et al. (2015) used a randomised control trial in which the experimental

group of coaches had to adopt a more autonomous supportive style of coaching in line with

Deci and Ryan’s (1985) self-determination theory. Langan et al. (2016) used a follow-up

study conducted with 395 participants which suggested a link between burnout of players

due to the controlling nature of coaches.

In 2008, Hughes & Hassan completed the largest ever investigation into player burnout

within any sport, surveying 524 elite level Gaelic football players (Hughes & Hassan, 2015).

In that study Hughes found that 9.7% of participants had presented with elevated levels of

burnout, which was in line with athlete burnout figures among professional sports

(Raedeke, 1997).

To grasp a greater understanding of the ‘what, how and why’ of burnout within Gaelic

Football, Hughes & Hassan (2015) conducted 30 interviews with a variety of participants

including present and former inter-county Gaelic Football players, sports psychologists, GAA

coaches and GAA administration staff. One interesting part of this study was how the

authors used Gramsci’s (1971) theory of domination and hegemony to identify a power

imbalance that exists in the GAA, where players are being subjected to tougher conditions

due to their amateur status.

Relevant TheoriesThrough an analysis of selected literature, this research has identified three theories that

inform the approach adopted. These are: 1) Maladaptive Motivation as seen in Lemyre, Hall

and Roberts (2008); 2) the Investment Model of Burnout (Raedeke, 1997; Schmidt & Stein,

1991); and 3) The Empowerment Model of Burnout (Coakley, 1992).

Maladaptive MotivationAn area of maladaptive motivation that should be deemed relevant to GAA is goal setting

and the setting of ego goals in particular. An ego goal is when achievement is considered in

normative or comparative terms, and an individual’s concern is with demonstrating ability

or avoiding demonstrating a lack of ability, in comparison with others (Lemyre et al, 2008).

In GAA terms, commonly set ego goals are “to win the championship” in a team’s case, or

“to be the top points scorer” in an individual’s case. Hall, Cawthra and Kerr (1997) and

Lemyre et al, 2008) have argued that the endorsement of an ego goal renders an elite

athlete vulnerable to experiencing burnout.

The Investment Model of Burnout (Raedeke, 1997; Schmidt & Stein, 1991)

The investment model (Raedeke, 1997; Schmidt & Stein, 1991) can be seen as an imbalance

between the costs and benefits associated with athletic participation (Van Ypreren, 1997).

This theory considers different determinants of an athlete’s commitment to sport, and

therefore determines whether they take part in sport for ‘enjoyment’, or for ‘entrapment’.

If commitment is based upon entrapment, it is only a matter of time before burnout sets in

and the athlete withdraws from the sport (Cox, 2002).

By considering one of the findings from Hughes and Hassan i.e. that Gaelic Football players

accept the conditions under which they are asked to participate, irrespective of the

potential these conditions have to undermine the players’ well-being, a hypothesis

employed here is whether some players’ involvement in GAA is based on entrapment rather

than enjoyment.

The Empowerment Model of Burnout (Coakley, 1992)

It is suggested that Coakley’s (1992) Empowerment Model of Burnout has a number of

relevant criteria for the study of burnout and GAA Club players. Coakley states that burnout

in sport occurs in connection with two conditions: 1.) When the sport experience is so

constraining that the young person is unable to develop a desirable alternative identity, the

athlete seeks to liberate themselves from the sport. 2.) When the social organisation of

sport is so structured that the athlete comes to believe that he has no control over his life,

the athlete seeks to liberate himself from the sport (Cox, 2002). Due to the high

commitment levels of club Gaelic footballers, and the lack of control that players have in the

social organisation of the sport, the presence of these conditions should be considered also.

Methods

The study design of this research is in depth, semi structured interviews, which are based on

an abductive framework. Therefore an interview guide was put in place in an attempt to

discuss existing themes from previous literature, and to encourage new, novel data that

relates specifically to club level GAA.

ParticipantsUpon receiving ethical approval on the 12th of May, 2016, the author distributed 38 Athlete

Burnout Questionnaires (ABQs) (Raedeke & Smith, 2001). They were handed out to

individuals who were anecdotally identified through the author’s local GAA networks as

highly committed players with some negative feelings of their participation. The data

identified in Fig 1 was used as a filter to select participants with the highest ABQ scores and

those who were available for interview.

Fig.1 shows the Athlete Burnout Questionnaires scores from the 31 participants who returned their questionnaire. Participants that are highlighted blue are those who were selected for an interview. Participants that are highlighted green provided the author with pilot interviews.Participant County Exhaustion Devaluation Reduced

AccomplishmentAvailability Interview

1 Louth 4 4 2.8 Yes D2 Louth 3.6 4.2 3.2 Yes B3 Louth 3 4.4 2.6 No4 Louth 3.8 3.6 3.4 No5 Louth 3.4 2.4 3.2 Yes G6 Louth 3.8 2 1.8 No7 Louth 2.2 3 2 Not Asked8 Louth 1.8 3 2.2 Not Asked9 Louth 3.6 2 1.6 Not Asked10 Louth 3.4 1.8 2 Not Asked11 Louth 2.2 3.2 1.4 Not Asked12 Louth 1.8 3 2.6 Not Asked13 Louth 1.4 2 2.2 Not Asked14 Louth 1.6 2.4 2.2 Yes15 Louth 1.2 2 2.6 Not Asked16 Louth 1.2 1.8 2.8 Yes E17 Louth 1.8 1.4 1.2 Not Asked18 Louth 2 1.2 2 Not Asked19 Louth 1.8 1.6 1 Not Asked20 Louth 1.6 1.4 1.2 Not Asked21 Meath 2.6 3.8 3.8 No22 Meath 3.6 3.4 4 No23 Meath 2.2 4.2 3 Yes A24 Meath 2 3.8 3.2 Yes25 Meath 1.6 4.4 2.6 Not Asked26 Meath 3 2.2 1.8 Not Asked27 Meath 2.4 3 1.8 Not Asked28 Meath 1.6 2.8 2 Not Asked29 Meath 1.4 3 1.6 Not Asked

30 Westmeath 2.2 3.8 3 Yes C31 Donegal 2 3.2 3.4 Yes F

InterviewsThere was an abductive framework to this study as can be seen from the interview guide in

Fig 2. Some questions were linked to relevant theories, such as question three which is

probing for data on Coakley’s (1992) Empowerment Model by asking about autonomy and

control. Other questions, such as question seven, are more open ended which is used to

prompt novel and unpredicted data.

Fig.2 shows the interview guide that was adopted for each of the interviews1. Why do you return to Gaelic Football each January?

2. Could you please tell me about your current commitment levels in Gaelic Football?

2 (b) And what do you find the toughest thing about it?

3. Would you say that you are in control of your own training regime throughout the season?

4. Imagine that you decide to retire immediately. In your opinion, what would the reaction be from the likes of your teammates, coaches, club members and even your family or friends?

4 (b). Still imagining that you are now retired, can you tell me some of the emotions that you would be going through right now?

5. How have your feelings towards Gaelic Football changed as a player over the years?

6. Do you ever feel like you’ve missed out on opportunities due to your Gaelic Football commitments?

7. Finally, if you could implement one change to club level Gaelic Football, what would it be?

Interviews lasted between 14 minutes and 46 minutes approximately. As well as being

abducted, interviews were semi-structured. All questions from fig. 2 were asked of each of

the participants. Where a participant appeared to be receptive, the interviewer used

probing questions to seek further information in relation to some of the responses

Interviews were recorded (audio) and transcribed for analysis.

Thematic Analysis Figure 3 shows the themes that were gathered from the literature and from the interviews.

Fig.3 Shows the first set of codes for the initial thematic analysis1 Emotional Exhaustion2 Physical Exhaustion3 Reduced Accomplishment4 Devaluation of Involvement5 Enjoyment (want to)6 Entrapment (have to)7 Social Org. of GAA8 Player’s Identity9 Autonomy/ Lack of Control10 Control of Coaches11 Club Loyalty12 Parent Pressure13 Intrinsic Motivation14 Maladaptive Motivation15 Social Pressure16 Season Length17 Fixtures18 Lack of Support19 Time Commitment

Themes have been gathered into preconceived themes drawn from the literature, coded as

1 to 10 (Fig. 3), and new or unpredicted themes drawn from the open ended questions in

the interviews, coded 11 to 19 (Fig. 3). The author grouped these codes together in order to

make higher order themes as can clearly be seen in the results table (fig.4)

Fig.4 shows the ABQ scores and mentioned higher order theme of the seven interviewed participants.Participants ABQ Results Themes

Age County Exhau-stion

Deval-uation

Reduced Accomp.

Entra-pment

I.D. Auto-nomy

SocialOrg.

Malad-aptive Mot.

A 27 Meath 2.2 4.2 3

B 28 Louth 3.6 4.2 3.2

C 25 W/Meath 2.2 3.8 3

D 32 Louth 4 4 2.8

E 23 Louth 1.2 1.8 2.8

F 25 Donegal 2 3.2 3.4

G 23 Louth 3.4 2.4 3.2

Results and Discussion

The author has chosen to integrate the results and discussion to present a more effective analysis of the qualitative data.

Evidence of BurnoutThe intention of the interviews was to give a deeper insight as to why a club Gaelic

Footballer can be become burned out. However, the author also wanted to show that there

was sufficient qualitative data that supported the ABQ results that these participants were

in danger of Athlete Burnout. By asking questions like “describe the emotions you would

feel if you were to retire” and “how have your feelings towards Gaelic Football changed?”

the author was initiating conversation around the subscales of the ABQ which are;

emotional/physical exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishment and devaluation of one’s

involvement.

For example, when asked about how his feelings towards Gaelic Football have changed over

the years, participant A who scored high on devaluation in his ABQ said that he is “feeling a

bit deflated about Gaelic Football lately. Whereas when I was younger I was so enthusiastic.

Maybe I’m just getting a bit bored of it now. I’ve played for 8 years nonstop now and it’s

probably taking its toll. Like now I look forward to the breaks, whereas when I was younger I

was just looking forward to the next game and even the next training session”.

And when the same question was put to Participant D, who is a 32 year old that scored high

on emotional/physical exhaustion, he indicated that he has “grown a bit tired of it. Like not

just physically tired but I’m also kind of fed up now too. It’s not that I don’t care or anything

but I have started to take things that happen with a pinch of salt. It’s only football.”

Maladaptive MotivationOf the seven players interviewed, three of them suggested that winning the championship

was a primary motivation of theirs. One of these was participant G who is a 23-year-old and

involved with three different teams said that…

“…unless you were newly promoted or whatever, the goal would always be to win the

championship. And even though we’ve never won one, I still think that it has to be

the goal. Like it’s the ultimate prize for a club footballer in my opinion. Why else are

we there?”

Throughout the interviews with these three players, it was hard to recognise whether

maladaptive motivation was a reason behind their high burnout scores, but if the

endorsement of an ego goal renders an elite athlete vulnerable to experiencing burnout

(Hall et al, 1997; Lemyre et al, 2008), then it could reasonably be hypothesised that the

same is true for a highly committed non elite player. Considering that Participant G is only

23, it could be the case that a potential failure to achieve an ego goal such as win the

championship, could lead to an athlete experience burnout through reduced

accomplishment or devaluation of participation.

High Investment Leading to Entrapment.The first question of every interview was “Why do you return to play each January?” This

was used by the author to get participants thinking about whether their high investment

was justified. In five of the interviews, there were positive reactions to this question which

would be linked to commitment due to enjoyment e.g. “I love it”, “I enjoy it”, “it is within

me”. However, there were two participants who were evidently entrapped by their answers

to that first question. One of whom is the captain of his team (Participant B).

Participant B: “I don’t have the courage to walk away from it. This year is the second

year in a row where I made proper plans to step away for a few months at least but I

couldn't follow through with them I’d be afraid that I’d be letting the lads down.”

Participant D: “This will be my last year all going to plan. But then I’ve said that

before. The reason I came back this year was only to give a dig out for one of the

winter league games because we didn’t have a team and then that was it, I was

back. I probably should have just said no but I felt like I had to because it’s still my

club.”

Throughout the rest of the interviews with both participants, it became clear that they fit

the determinants of commitment under the investment model. These are; low rewards,

high costs, low satisfaction and high investment. The reason that neither player decided to

cease playing, though not directly evident from the data could, in the opinion of the author,

be explained by the final determinant in that model, low alternatives.

Low alternatives mean that athletes have a lack of choice in their sporting commitments.

This is a component of entrapment that was apparent in six of the seven interviewed

players. One dual player from Westmeath decided to take a break from Hurling due to work

commitments. When he arrived at one game to watch and show his support, he was met by

the club chairman asking “Why the f##k isn’t you togged out?” This attitude is evident

throughout the environments of the interviewed players. Participant B summed it up by

stating that…

“…if you’re not injured, and you’re in the country, then you have no excuse not to be

up training. You could have severe mental health issues and the attitude would be,

‘get up to the field and run it off you!’”.

Empowerment ModelCoakley’s 1992 Empowerment Model of Burnout compliments the Investment Model in the

way that they both focus on external factors that cause burnout as opposed to the stress

based models of burnout.

Lack of ControlPlayers, including some participants in this research, experience pressure from the people

around them in relation to playing. They also have a lack of control over their own

commitments and training. Pressure from other people involved in the same club as these

players can lead to a feeling of a lack of control over their own commitment and training.

This was particularly evident in a 23-year-old participant who plays for his club, college and

county junior team.

“I knew that training 6 or 7 days a week wasn’t doing me any good but I didn’t really

have a choice. I had 3 different managers trying to get me to as many of their

training sessions as possible and if I didn’t make them then my place on the team

was probably at risk.”

OrganisationSimilar to the findings identified to Hughes and Hassan (2005), participants in this study

have all indicated that a major source of their burnout in Gaelic Football comes from

external organisational factors. The length of the season and inconsistent fixture setting,

came up in almost every interview that was conducted, and each time the issue was raised

by the participant rather that the author.

When asked about the toughest part of his GAA commitment, participant E said that it was…

“…the fixtures being so messy. Like this year for the league in Louth, the games were

set weeks in advance, and then just 4 days before we went to play the first game, it

was postponed and put back a couple of weeks.”

There was a clear sense of disappointment and almost resentment from this participant. He

had made some big commitment choices in the lead up to that first game and because it

was cancelled due to the Senior County Team had a game the following week, he and his

teammates felt very disappointed. These feelings of ‘us and them’ between club and county

players was evident in a number of the interviews.

Even Participant F, who is a senior club player in the more successful county Donegal, talked

with an ‘us and them attitude’. He has negative memories of the 2012 season, which is the

year that Donegal won the All-Ireland Inter County Football Championship.

“The year Donegal won the All Ireland, we had the championship the week after, and

then every week after that that the full championship was played in 6 weeks…” “…We

played replays mid-week. I was in college at the time and I remember I had to take

the Thursday and Friday away from college to come back and play a game on

Thursday evening. Reflecting on that it was complete lunacy really.” “You’re training

from January and you’re playing your first championship game last weekend in

August. It doesn't really make sense.”

The issue of the season’s length was raised by six of the seven participants. 28-year-old

participant B from Louth is his teams’ captain and was evidently becoming burned out. He

has stated that he has only had a one-month break in training in the last two years. When

asked about a change he’d like to implement to club level Gaelic Football he said:

“…condensing the season into the summer months and having it that there are loads

of games, every week, without fail. That would mean that we’d only need to start

training in the Spring time and we’d be finished by Autumn. I think that these long,

drawn out seasons will be the death of football because lads will just become tired

and bored.”

This was the most popular theme among all the interviews. This is impactful considering it

was spontaneously by the participant. Some of the players alluded to the fact that there are

only 10-15 competitive games in a given season, but some seasons go on from January right

up until November or even December. The danger is that players are putting in this huge

investment and commitment for too long each year, that they are in danger of fostering a

single identity which Coakley (1992) had warned.

Identity Restrictions As discussed in the literature review, it was the author’s intention to include elements of

Coakley’s (1992) identity theory in this research. The step into competitive club football

coincides with a young person’s steps into adulthood. Highly invested club Gaelic

Footballers are faced with a number of social choices when they reach adulthood that many

of their friends do not have to make. Looking at these seven players alone, there are

examples of deciding not to go to a preferred college or university, missed opportunities to

work in the US on the J1 student work visa, jobs turned down, damaged relationships and

many occasions or opportunities missed due to their commitment to club football.

The author probed some of these issues by asking participants to discuss what they found

toughest about their commitment levels, and the degree of missed opportunities due to

Gaelic football. Participant F from Donegal said that…

“…it's basically 7 days a week isn't it? It's tough, you got a job and you got a girlfriend

and stuff, like it’s hard to say no to training and then you have to say no to other

things like family and friends and you know the girlfriend would get fairly annoyed a

lot of the time because you’re giving up your weekends, your week nights, kinda (sic)

giving up every day, every bit of free time to football”

In contrast, participant A, a 27-year-old from Co. Meath imagines how he would feel if he

was retired from football.

“It would be a weight off your shoulders. Like I said before, it would be like getting

your summer holidays from school a month early. It would be nice to be able to do

other things with my weekends and Tuesday and Thursday nights.”

This same player also admitted that he:

“had to rule out any jobs abroad or even beyond Dublin because I couldn’t leave the

club”.

This links in very closely to Coakley’s (1992) theory that burned out players feel a sense of

liberation when they do finally stop playing their sport. This participant has seemed to

realise that he is limiting himself by being too invested in his participation.

Conclusion

As identified and discussed there is a definitive link between some of the participants

interviewed and the presented theories of burnout. Therefore, it is evident that athlete

burnout does exist among club level Gaelic Football players. This data in this study pointed

to some of the potential reasons as to why this phenomenon occurs, and how, burnout

happens at this level.

The Investment Model of Burnout (Raedeke, 1997; Schmidt and Stein, 1991) presents itself

through the entrapment of players. There was an attitude among participants that they

“have to play”. By adopting such strong emotional ties to their clubs through high

investment, players are leaving themselves with a perceived low level of alternatives other

than to continue playing.

Evidence of Coakley’s (1992) Empowerment Model of Burnout was ever present in the

interviews. Players’ lack of control over their own lives due to their Gaelic Football

commitments seemed to be having a damaging effect on their identities. Despite

participants being quick to point out the positives of participating in GAA, they also eluded

to how their “non-football” identities were suffering as a negative consequence to their

commitment. This lack of control seemed to manifest from the social organisation of club

level GAA. The drawn out seasons and unpredictable fixtures were two of the key themes

that raised themselves among almost all of the participants.

This study has identified evidence of athlete burnout in club level Gaelic Football. This is

presented through players who feel like they have few options but to play football due to a

social pressure from clubs, coaches, and peers. Athlete burnout is also evident in players

who feel like they have limited their own identities in order to commit fully to their teams.

Finally, it can be seen in the players’ frustration at the social organisation of the sport that is

rarely consistent and generally always beyond their control.

To strengthen this study, the author would recommend further research in this area using a

number of methodological approaches. It would be beneficial to complete a large

quantitative study to find out what the prevalence rates of athlete burnout in club level

Gaelic Football and Hurling on a national level are. Also the author recommends a

randomised control trial (RCT) that will adopt different social organisational approaches

being put in place by different counties to tackle the issue of burnout to measure the

effectiveness of these methods against general burnout levels. An effective RCT could

potentially identify what structure would suit club level GAA best in order to protect players

and encourage participation.

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Appendices

Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (Raedeke & Smith, 2001):

How do you feel about your Gaelic Football participation?

Below are a number of statements made by Gaelic Football players about their Gaelic Football. Please consider your Gaelic Football participation and rate the following items on the extent to which you feel you experience each one of them. Please rate the items from 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always).

Almost Never Rarely Sometimes Frequently

Almost Always

1. I’m accomplishing many worthwhile things in Gaelic Football

1 2 3 4 5

2. I feel so tired from my training that I have trouble finding energy to do other things

1 2 3 4 5

3. The effort I spend in Gaelic Football would be better spent doing other things

1 2 3 4 5

4. I feel overly tired from my Gaelic Football participation

1 2 3 4 5

5. I am not achieving much in Gaelic Football 1 2 3 4 5

6. I don’t care as much about my Gaelic Football performance as I used to

1 2 3 4 5

7. I’m not performing to my ability in Gaelic Football 1 2 3 4 5

8. I feel ‘wiped out’ [or completely worn out] from Gaelic Football

1 2 3 4 5

9. I’m not into Gaelic Football like I used to be 1 2 3 4 5

10. I feel physically worn out from Gaelic Football 1 2 3 4 5

11. I feel less concerned about being successful in Gaelic Football than I used to

1 2 3 4 5

12. I am exhausted by the mental and physical demands of Gaelic Football

1 2 3 4 5

13. It seems that no matter what I do, I don’t perform as well as I should

1 2 3 4 5

14. I feel successful at Gaelic Football 1 2 3 4 5

15. I have negative feelings toward Gaelic Football 1 2 3 4 5

Interview Guide:

1. Why do you return to Gaelic Football each January?

2. Could you please tell me about your current commitment levels in Gaelic Football?

2 (b) And what do you find the toughest thing about it?

3. Would you say that you are in control of your own training regime throughout the season?

4. Imagine that you decide to retire immediately. In your opinion, what would the reaction be from the likes of your teammates, coaches, club members and even your family or friends?

4 (b). Still imagining that you are now retired, can you tell me some of the emotions that you would be going through right now?

5. How have your feelings towards Gaelic Football changed as a player over the years?

6. Do you ever feel like you’ve missed out on opportunities due to your Gaelic Football commitments?

7. Finally, if you could implement one change to club level Gaelic Football, what would it be?

Coding from data analysis:

1 Emotional Exhaustion2 Physical Exhaustion3 Reduced Accomplishment4 Devaluation of Involvement5 Enjoyment (want to)6 Entrapment (have to)7 Social Org. of GAA8 Player’s Identity9 Autonomy/ Lack of Control10 Control of Coaches11 Club Loyalty12 Parent Pressure13 Intrinsic Motivation14 Maladaptive Motivation15 Social Pressure16 Season Length17 Fixtures18 Lack of Support19 Time Commitment

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Dr Lee-Ann Sharp for her

expert guidance, understanding and encouragement throughout this research. Without her I

would have found completing this research an impossible task. Thank you Lee-Ann. I would

also like to express my thanks to her Ulster University colleagues Dr Mary Margeret Meade

and Dr Gavin Breslin for their academic guidance and support throughout my time in Ulster

University.

I would also like to thank the nine interviewees for their time and more importantly for the

honest accounts of their playing experiences. Without this there would be no research, so I

thank you sincerely.

A big thank you also to Mr. Stephen O’Hare and Ms. Marie O’Hare for their help and support

throughout the completion of this study. Whether it was a Tuesday morning or a Sunday

evening, they were always at the other end of the phone or an e-mail to keep me on track.

Thanks guys, I owe you a lot.

And finally to my Mam and Dad, family and girlfriend Theresa, thank you all for your

patience and love over the past year. You all helped me knock down many brick walls and

barriers from last September until now. Thank you all so much.