“Play as long as you enjoy the game…”
If Mags D’Arcy could’ve spoken with her past self after Wexford’s league defeat to Dublin on Sunday, she would’ve been given some sound advice and wisdom to carry with her.
You’re not always going to get the highs in this game, nor are you going to be sheltered from defeat and bad times for very long. It’s not like it used to be in the Model county when they were steamrolling all before them and winning three All-Ireland Senior Camogie titles in a row at the start of the decade.
That sort of success has relatively dried up – only natural too – but what hasn’t changed is the reason we’re all involved in the first place. For Wexford’s Mags D’Arcy, it’s very simple: The love of it.
You can’t win championships every year but the only thing you to ask yourself is why you are doing it in the first place and if you are even enjoying the bloody thing anymore.
After a disappointing enough outing in Wexford Park when the Dubs came to town and put D’Arcy and her team to the sword, the double All-Star winner was met by a young fan who came to watch her and idolise her. Whether they won, lost, or drew, the iconic goalkeeper was still a hero in those eyes.
It turns out that the fan had spent the day with D’Arcy after she chose her as a role model for a primary school project.
The Wexford number one took the girl on an adventure as she brought her along for the league game against Tipperary last month. D’Arcy met her again on Sunday in a beautiful encounter that she told on her Instagram page.
“I left Kiera with my Wexford jacket and a sliothar that day to mark our time together and encourage her to continue playing Camogie but on one condition: only play for as long as you enjoy the game.
“I could spot Kiera in the depleted crowd at Wexford Park today [against Dublin], she encouraged her family to come to support us and was still beaming when she ran onto the field to me straight after the game, result aside and hurl in hand, she was enjoying the game.”
Kiera left a note with her hero to say thank you and, in doing so, reminded us all of what this whole thing is really about.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSZIGafDxpY/
Mags D’Arcy summed it up perfectly:
“At every turn we are all ambassadors of our game, choose to respect the next generation, they are the future of our game.”
She gets it.
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