MANY ARE SCHOOLED FOR SUCCESS NOW

IN a week in which former Hurler of the Year Richie Hogan (below) admitted that he has parked his teaching job to effectively be a full-time hurler with Kilkenny, David Burke admits the game is becoming increasingly suited towards students and teachers. A teacher himself, Burke is in the same boat as Hogan — at least for the summer months. ‘I finished first week in June. Doing a bit of roofing. One or two days a week. Just to take my mind off the hurling. ‘Between trying to get your body right and preparing for the game it would take up most of your day. So it’s ideal really to be a teacher, alright. ‘Even during the year, there are pockets of time where you get mid-term and Easter holidays and I know teams who have gone on training camps because maybe most of the panel has been off. ‘It can be hard on the body when you see lads like James Skehill, Matt Donoghue, lads working in construction. Just finding it hard even getting to training. It’s a demanding lifestyle. But they love doing it. If you told them in the morning they weren’t able to, they’d probably take the head off you. ‘Being a teacher is definitely helpful for me. You’re finished at four o’clock. If you have to go off and get physio before training you can do that. Some lads mightn’t have the time.’ Waterford manager Derek McGrath recently envisaged players retiring earlier due to the demands of the current game. Burke agrees. ‘You can nearly see it already. Take Colin Ryan in Clare. Taking a year out, maybe because it was so intense what they were doing that he needed a break mentally. It’s very hard to keep that going over a sustained period of four or five years. ‘I was listening to Liam Sheedy and one day he was saying the life of an intercounty hurler is shortened into eight, nine, 10 years — that’s the pocket of time you have where your body is right, you’re at the age, and you’re physically able to play. After 30 you’re probably going downhill.’