Ireland soccer

Noel McNamara reached adulthood without ever playing rugby but infectious enthusiasm and a thirst for knowledge has seen him rise through the ranks ahead of ...

Now the only way you can do it is by putting your big rocks in first, then your gravel, your pebbles and your sand. The Sharks have had that taste six times this season, three times in the first four weeks of the season. “In fact, we are moving to a different continent,” he informed them. “If the person can’t change, then you change the person.” But I want to go to the highest level I can. But the environment has to exist where there should not be any fear of mistakes.” In McNamara he saw a mirror image of his younger self, putting him on a path to learn about rugby and the decision-making process elite athletes make. Was it the racquet, the opponent’s body, the opponent’s face? A coach is drawn to a rugby field like moths to a light; they live their lives through a different set of norms. A college degree in Law and European Studies didn’t float his boat so he switched after a year to study P.E. knowing teaching was where his future lay, even if the money wouldn’t have been as good. He’d watched the decisive game the previous Friday on RTÉ. “So, that’s the same Noel McNamara,” I said to myself. Inside an envelope was a colour photograph of a team he used to coach.