KARL LACEY IS putting work on hold to focus on Donegal’s championship challenge this summer.
And the Allstar defender believes that the demands of the modern game will see more of the GAA’s top stars follow in his footsteps.
“A professional without getting paid!” is how he puts it.
Lacey completed a Masters in Sports Performance at the University of Limerick earlier this year and has since been working part-time as a Sky Sports athlete mentor in schools.
It’s the perfect solution, allowing him more time to spend with his girlfriend and their eight-month old son as well as giving him more flexibility when it comes to training, recovery and the myriad other demands the game’s top players have to juggle.
After three years of long commutes from Dublin, and then Limerick, the start of the 2015 campaign has been like a breath of fresh air.
“It makes a huge difference,” Lacey said. “It’s unbelievable.
“I only kind of realise how much of a difference it makes now that I’m doing it.
For me it was into the car; straight out of the car; into training; back into the car for another four hours … and you’re just in bits the next day. The body doesn’t recover.
“Whereas now, you have the day to go to the swimming pool and do your recovery work.
“You’re not rushing on the roads, stopping at petrol stations to eat sandwiches. You’re at home and you’re cooking good meals for yourself – breakfast and lunch.
“You get your pre-training meal three hours beforehand. You’re not jumping in to grab a sandwich at the petrol station and eating it while you’re driving.
“Things like that make a massive difference. I think it’s becoming more popular nearly. There’s a few players that have kind of stepped back from employment to concentrate on it.”
Kerry forward Darran O’Sullivan has made a similar choice this year — he’s also working on Sky’s Living for Sport scheme — and Lacey believes it’s happening more and more.
“You can see it happening now. I don’t know how far it’s going to go.
“Financially you can’t do it for the rest of your career, but I’m going to do it now for the next few months, get this year over me, and hopefully then pick up a bit of work after that.”
“I’m keeping my eye on jobs as well,” he added. “There’s nothing up around home at the moment.
If there’s a job in Dublin I’m not going to apply for it, because I just want to be at home now for the summer. No matter what comes up, unless it’s on my doorstep, I won’t be doing it.
“I have family now, a wee boy of eight months as well, I have to keep everything right. I have discussed it with my family and this is the right thing for me to do over the next few months.
“The football means so much to me. I have always given everything to my football, whether I was at home or in Dublin or Limerick, and it’s just a wee bit easier this way. I think it is the right decision for me.”
Lacey doesn’t expect the GAA to start compensating those players who do choose county commitment over full-time employment.
If there was compensation coming in you would have a lot more players doing it and it’s not going to be manageable. Everyone would want to do it.
“I have good support around me with my family. They are happy to do this for the next few months.
“I don’t know what way it is going to go with the GAA but it is something that is going to become a lot more popular with players. People are putting employment behind them, putting a back seat on employment, maybe putting college on hold for a year or two just to concentrate on their training.
“Maybe it might be something the GAA would look into.”
