Dublin star Kevin McManamon has explained the challenges that GAA players face during the coronavirus lockdown.
With the GAA, and practically all other sport in Ireland, on shutdown since early March, McManamon is among thousands of players waiting to get back on the pitch.
A sports psychologist, the seven-time All-Ireland winner has lifted the lid on the obstacles that he and other athletes face with the summer of sport in the balance.
"The big thing that we're finding is this lack of a goal or a bit of uncertainty of when - I'm thinking boxing here - is the bell going to ring?" he said on RTE 2FM's Game On.
"'When are we going to get a chance to perform again?'
"So it's become a big challenge to keep people ticking over and the other thing I was thinking about this rollercoaster - we've all been on this emotional rollercoaster since our routines and since the patterns of what's been expected have been taken away from us - it's fairly challenging for athletes."
The pause has given players an inside look into life after they hang up the boots - something that has gotten the St. Judes forward thinking.
"I was on a call recently with the GPA (Gaelic Players Association) and one of the guys said, 'Welcome to retirement' kind of thing.
"And it struck me kind of thinking, 'This is what it's going to be like maybe when there isn't that sense of purpose'.
"I heard Paul O'Connell talking about it on the Late, Late Show that what he missed when he left the game was that sense of purpose.
"So we have to start figuring out how to give ourselves those little goals and 'what's my accomplishment for the day' and maybe not putting ourselves under too much pressure.
"I know in the first two weeks I was just all over this lockdown. I was saying, 'I'm going to get all this done, I'm going to do this course, I'm going to read all these books and improve myself as a footballer'.
"I was working on some hamstring stuff and it's very hard to keep it up at that level so I've kind of lowered the bar for myself a little bit and trying to give myself little accomplishments every day is important."
