Cork U-20 footballers take on Tipp in Pairc Ui Rinn
Diarmuid Sheehan spoke with Cork Under 20 boss Seán Hayes ahead of the new look Munster championship as it transitions to the new age grade
THE importance of a steady hand in charge of underage sides at any level is important but when the young players have all genuine aspirations of playing in the big time then things get even more critical.
Seán Hayes is the man tasked with bringing on the Cork Under 20 footballers to a level that they can compete with the likes of Kerry and Dublin while all the time bringing through players that can make their mark at senior level when and if the call comes.
Hayes also has the role of selector with Ronan McCarthy’s senior side which makes him the ideal conduit between the more established side and the next generation of wannabes and that can only help the county as a whole.
“It is great for me. I don’t mind it at all. It is important with the seniors this year as it is my first year involved that we have that link. There are a lot of the Under 21s that have been around for the last three or four years starting to make it to senior so you know what they are and what they are about and that is an important insight.
“Other people may only see them playing championship so it is definitely a help, but it is time consuming. Even next year looking at the national league who would you bring forward from the Under 20s.
“You would have an idea to bring up but it is up to the lads then to decide whether they are good enough or not.”
Hayes heads into this weekend’s Under 20 championship fixture with Tipperary with an exciting side and while losing Mark White to the senior ranks is a blow it is something that is necessary for the county as a whole.
“We are going out to win it, with the Tipperary game first up. Mark White is gone up but the others really were only 19 at the start of the season so they weren’t really going to be on the senior panel at the start of the year and now if they play well here there is an outside chance for them, but the senior panel is there and training well and unless something unusual happens I couldn’t see anyone making it up now – but still this is a great stepping stone for next year.
“It is better for Mark to be playing senior when he is Under 20 and if there was 10 more of them there it is even better again because they are going in the right direction.
“The whole thing on Saturday is to get over that game, that’s the first game and they are always a bit dicey because you just don’t know how fellas are going to perform when it comes to championship.”
This game on Saturday night may well fly under the radar for many Cork fans as it is passed off as only the Under 20s, but Hayes is acutely aware of the importance of all inter-county sides that represent the county and is impressed by the attitude of all those that come to wear the jersey.
“It is vital really for the inter-county sides to do well. I look at it every year. You know the five fellows that come for the trial that you have never seen in your life and they all show up.
“They all want to play for Cork whether it is Minor, Under 17 senior or whatever. They do want to play for Cork and the attitude of the guys that make the panel is always fantastic.
“This year the Under 17s were unlucky, hopefully the Under 20s will go on a run, the juniors did some really good work and the seniors did really well against Tipperary and are now on for Kerry so it all goes together.”
Hayes is not alone with the Under 20s and relies heavily on his backroom team to make sure he can balance his time with the Under 20s and seniors in the most efficient manner.
“Jim O’Donoghue from the Barrs is the new fella in and he joins Gene [O’Driscoll], Aidan Kelleher, Sean Bowens and myself and it is great. That all helps me as we are training now tonight at 7.30, but I can go out there after this [senior training] and the boys have done the coaching and the training.
“They [players] are a very good bunch. I must say that and I am very impressed with them and their attitude but we just haven’t played enough matches to tell you how good they are yet but I would be very confident that if things go well they will go a long way.”
Saturday night will be a test for Cork’s Under 20s and their ambitions of silverware however if this side are to push on they will need to impress against a reasonably unknown Tipp side.