"Sport has the power to change the world.
It has the power to inspire.
It has the power to unite in a way that little else does.
It speaks to youth in a language they understand.
Sport can create hope where once there was only despair."
- Nelson Mandela
I RECENTLY read the final column of Simon Barnes in the Times. Barnes is a sportswriter who has regularly commented on the power of sport and the reasons it has such an influence on us all. In the column, he writes about playing cricket with his son Eddie who has Down's Syndrome. They don't play for reasons of competition or skill, merely to spend time doing something together. That's the thing about sport. For some it is about achievement, for others it's the competitive nature, but for others it is just about human contact. When you play sport you never realise how much of an influence it has on you as an individual and your life, never mind the people around you. Reading Barnes's article got me thinking about how much of an influence the GAA has on people, away from the obvious joys of winning. Like many who played for their county, I've an obsessive personality in that anything I do I make sure I put absolutely every ounce of effort I have into it. Football provides players with the outlet to use that trait to do something good. Any small change that they can make to their lifestyle that would improve their game, they commit to it. Personally, I don't go to games now wishing I was out on the pitch playing. However, it's the opportunity to improve yourself that I miss, especially now with the advancements in sports science. I would have absorbed all those changes and seen them as a great opportunity to improve. The other part I miss is the competitive side to the game - that's something that cannot be satisfied to the same level after retirement. The thing that most players enjoy is being part of a group. Would we practice a sport if it didn't involve other people? There are numerous 'individual' sports, but, in truth, no sport is done on your own. Individual sportspeople rely on coaches, medics, family and friends. Ultimately they compete against and in front of others. That sense of belonging to a group is special and the spirit that can be built within a team is one of those intangible things that are so difficult to explain. On a personal level, my involvement with the GAA has developed me hugely. I'm naturally a quiet person, but football has brought out leadership skills in me that would probably never have developed. In my latter years of playing I would have become one of the most vocal players on the training pitch. That is quite a change from my early days when I would never have spoken during training. I was fortunate enough to play sport at a high level. However, performance at elite level is only a very small element of sport and not the most important. This is where the GAA comes into its own in terms of what it brings to our people and their local communities. The GAA brings people together. As Barnes says, sport doesn't distinguish between genders or generations. It helps to bring people together who otherwise would not come into contact with one another or would have no shared experiences. As a player, the sport is all about the winning, but there is a much bigger picture. It provides us all with an opportunity to be involved in a common cause that cannot be measured by medals or cups. Most of us start off playing for the underage teams. Some may only play a year or two with those underage teams, while others continue to play for years at senior level. Yet for those who have limited playing experience, the link to the sport can be even stronger. They may not have the talent to have influenced out on the pitch, but it does not mean that the sport is any less important to them. They play the game through the players out on the pitch. The sense of belonging to something is so strong within our association. I've felt immensely proud to be a part of my own club many teams away from the pitch. The success of club fundraising activities gives everyone great satisfaction, while the GAA club provide immeasurable support to families within the community who have suffered a death. Sport is a vital tool in developing greater spirit within our communities. I believe our sport is unique in that there is an automatic connection with anyone involved across the country. I could walk into any bar in any county in Ireland and strike up a conversation about the GAA. Those sorts of connections with people would not exist without sport. There is lots of talk about how the young in our society are changing Sport must be used to give something good to engage their energies. It can provide challenges, opportunity, self-respect, discipline, strength, friendship and confidence. The experiences and learning from sport can be used far beyond the sporting field. I've seen first-hand how much of a positive influence sport can have on an individual. My nephew is autistic, but the progress he has made over the last number of years has been influenced hugely by his involvement in football. He used to lack confidence, was very shy and self-conscious. I helped out with his U14 team this year and I now see a much more confident, disciplined boy, who has become a leader within the team. Football has given him a focus and his involvement in the sport will continue to develop him on a personal level for years to come. Barnes finishes by saying sport 'begins in our dread of isolation, in our soul-deep need for contact'. That need for contact led me to playing and winning in Croke Park on All-Ireland final day. For others it may not go beyond playing football with their child in the back garden. Both are equally important.