Startseite
Podcasts
Humans of Gaelic Podcast
Mental health in the GAA: Why players are struggling

Mental health in the GAA: Why players are struggling

Humans of Gaelic vor 5 Monaten

0:00

37:45

If you’re training hard, ticking every box in the gym and on the
pitch, but still feeling flat, stressed, or close to burnout - it
might not be physical.

In this episode, I sit down with Aoibheann NicGhiolla Bhuí, who
researched mental health in GAA players, to break down what’s
really going on behind the scenes - and why so many players are
struggling to keep up.

We talk about:

• Why GAA demands are becoming unsustainable for modern players

• The concept of psychological flexibility and how it affects
performance

• Why over 50% of GAA players drop out between 16–24

• The hidden pressure of balancing college, work, and GAA

• Why male inter-county players are 3x more likely to repeat a
college year than their peers

• The role of team culture, self-talk, and social media in
performance

We also dive into what players and coaches are getting wrong when
it comes to mental preparation - and what actually helps.

Whether you’re trying to improve performance, stay consistent, or
just enjoy the game again, this episode will give you a different
perspective on what might be holding you back.

You can read Aoibheann's book here

Stay Connected

Subscribe to the Humans of Gaelic podcast
wherever you're listening.

Leave a Review: If you found value in this
episode, please give it a rating and review - it helps me get
more top guests.

Share the Episode: Know someone who’d benefit
from this? Share it to help spread the word!

Follow Along

Website: ⁠humansofgaelic.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠@humansofgaelic⁠

Facebook: ⁠Humans of Gaelic

⁠ TikTok: ⁠@humansofgaelic