Writing is on the wall for future success

SCHOOL REPORT DE LA SALLE WATERFORD AND HURLING:The re-emergence of the Waterford school owes much to the enthusiasm and work rate of it's co-managers

'HAVE YOU seen the wall?" "The wall?" Derek McGrath and Dermot Dooley lead you through the high echoing corridors of De La Salle, Waterford, down steps and around corners and out a door to a handball alley in a remote niche of the grounds.

The court takes the stinging thwack of sliotars more than handballs these days. There, daubed foot-high in paint is a mantra: "Harty Cup '07 Believe."

Dooley and McGrath, co-managers of the senior hurling team, were the painters, two years in advance of the school's victory in that competition last year.

Another slogan, "Harty Cup '08 Hunger", was slathered across the concrete for this year. The trophy was retained. The words "All-Ireland Champions '07" complete the cataloguing of De La Salle's recent pre-eminence as a hurling college.

A fierce self-belief envelopes the senior team. A curious legend raised in gold letters against the material of McGrath's school tracksuit top catches the eye. Another slogan: "Harty Cup '08 B2B." B2B? "It stands for 'back to back'. We put that on at the very start of the year when we weren't even in the quarter-final. It was a massive risk."

They were tempting fate, to be sure, goading and pointing at it, just asking to be knocked flat. They rode out the risk and by the March 8th the bold words could be uttered with the sweet ring of truth and vindication. The back-to-back Harty success was completed with a 1-11 to 0-7 victory over Thurles CBS.

This year has been the sequel to 2007, an annus mirabilis when a great gaping decades-old hole of under-achievement was finally filled, as Dooley recalls: "People forget that we won nothing for years. The tournament (the Dr Harty Cup) is 88 years old and we won nothing for 86 years. You win one, and then that's it, people are happy."

They had loosed themselves from the chains of the Harty. They thrived in the freedom victory afforded them. "There was a big buzz around," says McGrath. "When we won the Harty last year the aim was to approach the All-Ireland with a kind of freedom. When we got to the All-Ireland semi-final, such was the build-up, we said we might as well give it a crack.

"And we've been in a similar position this year. We're going to give the All-Ireland a right crack. We still have the fallback of saying it was a successful year."

Their defeat of Kilkenny CBS in last year's colleges' final came a week before Waterford's National League final against Kilkenny. A little inspiration trailed upwards and the Deise had an edge by proxy. McGrath heard this from John Mullane, who is his brother-in-law.

"I suppose there was a massive aftermath because Waterford won the league the week after our All-Ireland. John said that Ken McGrath had told him that he'd got a bit of a boost from seeing the team beat a Kilkenny team in Croke Park the week before. Psychologically, I suppose, it was a spur on. But these things are always quoted if you win. They're forgotten about if you lose."

McGrath and Dooley have been with the current senior squad since they were first years. They were determined no shabbiness would attend their set-up. Their equipment should reflect their ambition. Hence the slogan-embossed tracksuits, the smart plush kit. Doing it right costs money, so they fundraised. McGrath feels they have been more than repaid by their players.

"We're living in an age where if you give lads a bit of gear and look after them well, they'll respond. They'll meet you halfway, or more than halfway.

"I think it creates a togetherness as well. Even a small thing like tracksuit can make a fella feel important, even if he's number 36 on the panel, and not part of the team. He can say to himself: 'This is great'. And he'll tell fellas in his own club: 'I'm on the Harty panel.'"

Both co-managers, at 31 each, are still young. Their own schooldays are not so distant and, out on the training pitch, they are considered fair game for banter by the players. There is a sense of unity in the back-and-forth, the give-and-take, as McGrath explains: "I'm not saying we're immature or anything ("Ah, we are!" interjects Dooley, and they laugh) but we enjoy their company and we love the craic. The players could prank us, and another teacher might go crackers, but we go along with it and we'd probably prank them."

They have learnt with their teams through the years, learnt to allow their players breathe without the crushing weight of pressure on their young shoulders. Life after school will bring enough of those forces to bear. Dooley feels this is particularly important.

"It's totally relaxed; there's no one under pressure. There's no fella going out thinking he's going to be taken off. I always had that pressure hurling; you miss one chance and you're looking at the line. I'm not saying we're some new age managers, but we're not putting pressure on them, because there's enough pressure on yourself going into a match without coaches roaring at you."

Most of this year's team watched from the sidelines as glory unfolded for the school last spring, involved yet apart. They have stepped up this year, seizing their chance with victories of crushing, brute totality in the earlier rounds of the competition (3-17 to 0-6 against St Caiman's, 5-11 to 0-6 against West Waterford Colleges). McGrath sees the campaign as an important part of the players' development.

"We firmly believe that a lot of these fellas will make it. There's no guarantees for them, but they've a great chance. They've got good experience of playing in front of big crowds and they've loads of big days ahead of them. It's a good grounding for them."

As for the co-managers, they are enjoying the vicarious thrill of the ride, taking every last beam of sun as their own playing careers approach twilight.

"It's easier for Dermot and myself to reflect on it because we're both 31. We're coming to the end of our playing careers. The lads are probably taking it more in their strides. We're kind of living the dream, living it through them if you like."

There is always something more to strive for. Dooley had a conversation after this year's Dr Harty final. "My wife asked me: 'So who's taking the Harty next year?' I said: 'I think we'll have to. The three-in-a-row; we'll have to go for it."

Three-in-a-row. Another motto for the handball alley.

De La Salle College,Waterford
Founded:As a national training college in 1894 and reconstituted as a secondary school in 1949
Number of pupils:1,000
Main sports played:Hurling, Gaelic football, basketball, soccer
Schools sports colours:Maroon and gold
Major recent sporting honours:Dr Harty Cup (Munster Senior A Colleges' Hurling) winners in 2007 and 2008, Dr Croke Cup (All-Ireland Colleges' hurling) winners in 2007
Notable past-pupils:Ex-Wexford hurling manager, Liam Griffin; Waterford hurlers, John Mullane, Paul Flynn and Kevin Moran; Irish soccer internationals John O'Shea and Jim Beglin

INSIDE TRACK PHILIP MAHONY
Name:Philip Mahony, De La Salle, Waterford, senior hurling joint-captain and Waterford minor
Age:17
Position:Centre back
Hurling hero:Paul Flynn, who plays for my club, Ballygunner
Hero outside hurling:Tiger Woods
Sporting dream:To win an All-Ireland with Waterford
Any perks from playing sport?You get off a lot of class
Hard to combine sport and study?It's hard enough, but you get used to it through the years
Other sports:I play squash. I used to play Gaelic football and soccer, but I had to give them up for hurling
Highlight of school sports career:Lifting the Dr Harty Cup this year
Visited anywhere interesting through sport?The team went on a trip to Newcastle and to a Sunderland game while we were there
Deep heat: sweet aroma or unholy stink?Sweet aroma