Meath footballer Vikki Wall admits to being “overwhelmed” by the reaction to going public on fierce verbal abuse directed at her.
Having spearheaded Meath’s All-Ireland intermediate title win in December, Wall was last month named as Player of the Year at that grade and upon picking up the award, she spoke to TG4 about her experiences.
The 22-year-old outlined how she put on weight during her final year in school and for a couple of years afterwards, until she lost it, she had to deal with barracking from the crowd and even opposition management.
Wall commented: “It wasn’t something I gave a huge amount of thought but I said I would bring it up in the interview but I didn’t expect the reaction it has got so far.
“I am overwhelmed by it but I also think it has been really encouraging in the fact that a lot of younger girls have reached out to me and I did not realise it was such a problem but the fact that these girls have reached out to me with their stories having that conversation on the topic was not a bad thing.”
Speaking as the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association launched its Player Pathway, she said that the abuse was such that it could have turned her off playing the game altogether.
“I reflect on it and think if I didn’t have such a love for the game and if I didn’t have that underlying confidence in myself, I do think it could have gone a different way.
“It probably did affect me more than I would have liked to admit at the time. I definitely think that the strong love I had for the game helped me but I do think it did affect me as well.”
Explaining how parents had been in touch thanking her for being so candid, Wall added: “It kind of shocked me how young it is, players who are under-12, under-14, and it is not something at that age I would have been conscious of.
“I think it is definitely trickling down into younger ages and a little more conversation and awareness about the topic is a good thing.
“I hadn't really thought of strategically how you'd kind of tackle it. It is tough and I think stuff gets said at matches, no one's perfect when you're under pressure, or when you're in a high-pressure situation like that and you want your team to win.
“I understand that stuff gets said, so I don't know. I don't think I have a perfect answer, but I do just think more talking about it and more acknowledgment that it's not ok, maybe, is the way forward.”
