Bray Walking Wanderers - Young at Heart

 

Bray Walking Wanderers celebrated their first anniversary today. 

Team member Matt Cahill penned the piece which describes what it means to be part of the Seagulls most Senior squad. 

 

YOUNG AT HEART 

 

“Wow, what a load of old people!” a schoolboy gasped, as his class made their way to swimming at the Shoreline Leisure Centre. 

 

His path was on a height overlooking the caged football court and not the backyard of a nursing home, or a set for Father Ted, I hasten to add. 

 

Bray Wanderers' Walking football group was warming up for a weekly game of ball in their ‘Theatre Of Dreams’. 

 

Smiling to myself, I thought “Out of the mouths of babes”. 

 

Once upon a time, I too was that child and one day he will be me. Old people indeed we were, or more correctly - older people. But we are very much young at heart too. 

 

As the song goes “Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you, if you are young at heart”. 

 

Indeed, and here we are still kicking ball! 

 

Creaky bones were producing grunts and groans aplenty. Our coach Paul Massey exhorted us with the mantras “control and pass” and “make the passes crisp”. 

 

Flashbacks of countless training sessions over a lifetime came flooding back fast and furious. 

 

The remnants of the skill we may once have had tried gamely to show themselves - if the quickness and agility were a minute or two late in arriving. But we are all having great fun in striving, and most of all having a laugh or two. 

 

“Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí” is an old Irish seanfhocail/proverb. Praise the young and they will flourish it means. 

 

My old under-age GAA coach used to shout “Sound Man Brendan” at us if we did something good. That catchphrase was from the well-known Beamish beer TV ad of the ‘60’s, the 1960’s, that is. 

 

When you heard that, you felt ten feet tall. The words still ring in my ears a lifetime later. We can all do with encouragement throughout our lives even older stagers like ourselves. You do not have to be young to be inspired and to have esteem elevated by a kindly word. 

 

An ounce of praise always goes a long way. 

 

Walking football provides a wonderful service - both physically and mentally. 

 

Bray Wanderers FC is implementing its social inclusion commitment very well led by its officer Dermot O' Brien, and we are very grateful to the club for that. 

 

Yes, we are indeed a crew of older people playing football to our hearts' content. In our minds we are still as young as that kid. 

 

Let's all stay ‘YOUNG AT HEART’.