THE LAST POINT: The quiet before the storm

Regular readers of this column, if there be such a thing, know I'm a fan of Christopher Nolan movies, be they the Dark Knight trilogy, the magnificent Oppenheimer starring Cork's own Cillian Murphy, Interstellar and The Prestige. I've used the concept from the movie Inception more than once to fill these pages.

Ideas and lines from Nolan's work often pop into my mind and as I was struggling on Tuesday morning to come up with a theme for this week's column, the phrase “We live in a twilight world” from Nolan's mind bending and brilliant “Tenet” popped into my mind and for some reason, it resonated as I contemplated how Leitrim's players are feeling right now with the TG4 LGFA All-Ireland Intermediate Final just a matter of days away.

Because, right now, the Leitrim players are caught in that limbo between day and night; between the big occasion and the ordinary mundane tasks of life that still have to be carried out before the big day; preparing for the biggest game of their lives while treating it as just another day and just another game - how would you cope with the dichotomy?

For us media and fans, it is relatively simple - we're counting down the days with increasing excitement, evident in the buses being organised by clubs all around the county for fans to travel to Croke Park on Sunday August 4 and the bunting, flags and messages of support that are popping up all over the county.

For some players, that can sometimes feel like a growing burden and the instinct is to hide away from it, insulate yourself from the hype and concentrate on the performance - that certainly appears to be the go-to mantra for managers these days with players told to confine themselves to their own bubbles, family and friends told not to enquire anything about the camp while newspapers, podcasts, TV and radio are to be shunned with total and complete concentration on the task in hand.

THE LAST POINT: ROMAN WONDERS A REAL INSPIRATION

Others prefer to immerse themselves in the entire experience  - enjoying the culmination of the hard work they've dedicated to their sporting ambitions, relishing the all too rare moment in the limelight. Think of all the sacrifices and heartbreak each and every player has endured, and they all have, and you can understand why you've got to live in and enjoy the moment.

These moments pass quickly - I'm sure if you told Leitrim's heroes back in  1994 that the County would only appear in one more Connacht Final, let alone lift the Nestor Cup, in the 30 years since that famous July day, they'd have looked at you if you were a raving lunatic but the harsh reality is that we truly don't know how often these days will  come around.

Over the years, I've witnessed both approaches - the stoical refusal to see anything but the big match to a carefree enjoyment before a big game, be it  County or club, but one thing I've learned is that the teams who are relaxed and enjoy the whole rigmarole that surrounds a major sporting occasion are the ones who tend to, in my experience anyway, come out on top in the end.

It is what Dean Clancy of Sean McDermott Boxing Club is going through right now - he flew out to Paris this week and Boxing at the Olympics starts next Saturday July 27. The culmination of all his dreams is right in front of him as Dean is now surrounded by the absolute best of the best of the planet's sports people and while the pageantry and colour of the French capital must be dizzying and overwhelming, there is still a fight to be fought and you can bet your bottom dollar that the Sligo man is zeroing in on that.

I'm sure Dean had what must have seemed like millions of people coming up to him over the past few weeks and months, wishing him well and wanting to shoot the breeze about his Olympic adventure, a scenario I'm sure that the Leitrim players are becoming familiar with  - people  mean well and showing their pride and joy in the achievement of the ladies team is not just important, it is something the players will remember for years to come but it also has to be managed.

There is another factor that adds to mental and physical engagement that comes with major sporting events - the shadow of injury. We've read in the days since Sunday's epic All-Ireland Hurling Final how both Shane O'Donnell and Patrick Horgan went into the Croke Park decider carrying debilitating injuries that left them in tatters, mentally and physically, in the days before the decider. 

Any niggle now is magnified and you wouldn't be human if you weren't tempted to ease back a little bit but pushing and driving is what got you to the mountaintop and now isn't a time to play it safe. That's got to play on the mind too - we're too far out from the final for players to start  tapering their preparations but anybody minding a niggle right now is facing a tough few days.

That's what I mean by quoting Tenet's “We live in a twilight world” and even the heading on the top of this page, The quiet before the storm, reflects that the Ladies team are in strange limbo this week - the final is within touching distance but there is still work to be done. The build-up is to be enjoyed but the mind must be focused on the task in hand - that's a tough balancing act in anyone's language.

THE LAST POINT: BORING CONSISTENCY THE KEY TO PROGRESS

It has been 17 years since Leitrim won the Mary Quinn Cup meaning generations of players haven't experienced what Jonny Garrity's troops are enjoying right now - the build up to an All-Ireland Final so you want them to be soak it all in and remember it because these days are so rare - the example I always quote is Dublin's jet-heeled  Jack McCaffrey who spent the pre-match parade on All Ireland Final days  smiling broadly and taking it all before delivering a tour de force on the field of play.

The truth is that there is a balance between to be struck between enjoying the build-up and preparing for the match and Jonny Garrity certainly seems to have it covered, urging his Leitrim players to enjoy the excitement before hunkering down and concentrating on the task in hand - winning an All-Ireland title.

My advice is to enjoy the journey, be it an All-Ireland Final, the Olympic Games or a County Final because these moments pass all too swiftly. You'll remember the build-up, the kindness and warmth of family, friends and strangers long into the future and it won't take away from a performance, it may even add to it and that is why these weeks are so important!