A New Life: Colm Burtchaell tells Claire O'Connell the one thing that's essential for his job is passion
On his honeymoon, Colm Burtchaell followed his heart - and it led him to the Gaelic Athletic Association. With the full backing of his new wife, he decided that he was ready to leave behind his career at Intel and become a games promotion officer with the Dublin County Board, raising awareness of Gaelic football and hurling among the younger community.
"It's a relatively new concept where most GAA clubs in Dublin would have a games promotion officer," says Burtchaell, who took up the position with north Dublin club Na Fianna 16 months ago.
His role is to raise the GAA's profile in the local schools and organise coaching for the club's younger members, from four to 16 years old.
"What I'm trying to do is make sure that every child in the area gets a taste of hurling and football to see what it's about, and if they want to come down and play in the club then so be it. The whole thing is based around enjoyment."
It's a far cry from harsher days when strong kids got to play all the games while the less talented stood shivering on the sidelines. Now anyone with an interest can pitch in.
"The ethos in Na Fianna would be around enjoyment and development as opposed to winning and elitism. Obviously, the more good players they have the better, but they would never turn anybody away because they are not particularly good," says Burtchaell,
And the club is attracting young players in droves, with more than 40 juvenile teams at present. In particular, the Saturday morning nursery for around 300 under-sevens is a sea of colour and fun. It is also a rare feat of organisation, although Burtchaell insists modestly that it almost runs itself.
His main role there is to encourage parents to become coaches. "People are afraid to step forward because they think it is rocket science coaching young kids, but at that age it's really rolling the ball to them and encouraging them, picking them up when they fall - it's not as complicated as people might think," he says.
Burtchaell started early with the club himself, playing football before the age of 10 and later finding his strength in hurling. When a knee injury finally took him off the field at 25, he coached senior teams on his own time.
It was through coaching the ladies football team that he met his wife, Shirley. Her input was important when it came to deciding to leave his job as vendor manager in Intel to pursue the GAA role.
"I was very happy in Intel and making good progress career wise," says Burtchaell. But he saw the ad for the games promotion officer in a newspaper and after their wedding he and Shirley had time to reflect on it.
"It was the sort of thing that I thought if I don't take it now I will always be wondering what would have happened if I had. It was a big step, it was a huge career change, but if I didn't jump, it was definitely something that would play at the back of my mind," he says.
So when the GAA offered him the post he left Intel and underwent extensive training for the promotions officer job.
"People in Intel understood fully and were saying they wished they could do something like that where they had the passion for it."
And passion is a must for the physical and administrative demands of the role. As well as organising coaching for teams and improving the skills of parents who want to coach at the club, Burtchaell also takes six-week blocks of football and hurling classes at local schools during term, often teaching five classes in a row.
"I always thought teachers had a handy number but I have definitely changed my opinion on that," he says. "You are concentrating all the time and talking all the time."
One of the biggest challenges is remembering the names of all his charges. "I could be seeing 400 kids in the week at schools not to mention anything I'm doing in the club, and then they are wearing hurling helmets so I can't even see their faces," he says. But he adds it is important to keep track because the kids love hearing their names called out when they get the ball.
He puts his success with the schoolchildren down to his own temperament and keeping the focus on fun.
"I'd be easy-going enough and into having a bit of craic and not getting too worried about who's winning the match or how they are kicking the ball. I wouldn't get stressed, but you have to be in control - I found that early on - otherwise they will walk all over you."
And when dealing with the kids and the parents who coach them, his own interest in the game is a prerequisite: "Some people are very good and some people for the best will in the world just aren't into it. But you have to be enthusiastic about it - otherwise you can't expect them to be."