https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/sport/nrl/cowboys/weighed-down-former-cowboys-20s-michael-parker-walshe-star-reveals-toll-of-expectations/news-story/289c6d5abe17ff0aedc7b3dcbd48eeb2 Striving to live up to expectations has become an unfortunate by-product of succeeding in professional sport. As Michael Parker-Walshe can attest to, those pressures can often be the undoing of the would-be stars of tomorrow. The former North Queensland Cowboys U20s halfback was tipped for big things, steering the side around the park with Michael Morgan in the club’s 2011 grand final campaign. But it was at training one day, having been elevated to the senior squad, he realised he was done. “We were getting flogged at training one day and I said ‘you know what I’ve had a gutful’,” Parker-Walshe said.
“That was pretty much it, it was an overnight decision. I left training that afternoon and didn’t come back the next day. “It was pretty sudden, but Morgo will tell you he was next to me that day on the bike and he looked at me and just knew. “We’ve spoken about it since a couple of times, he could just see the look on my face and in my eyes I was done.” Inevitably Parker-Walshe returned to the field, however thoughts of making another crack at the NRL never crossed his mind. At one stage, he even had a contract tabled by the Parramatta Eels, but instead opted to line up for Townsville Brothers in the local competition, before featuring in the inaugural Blackhawks Intrust Super Cup outfit. He was back playing football for the reasons he began in the first place — the enjoyment factor, released of the burdens that come with the professional levels of the sport. “I think probably expectations played a factor in it; going from the under 20s back up into the NRL squad where you just assume everything will continue on as per the previous year,” Parker-Walshe said. “As you’re going through the 20s, your expectations doesn’t play a part at all – you’re sort of riding a wave, going out there and having fun with your mates on the weekend. “We had a lot of good times on and of the field in my three years there, and transitioning into it (NRL) I thought I was going better than I was. “I got to a point where it was either do I continue on and try and deal with those pressures internally or do I give it away completely and do something else?” While there had been the infrequent thoughts of whether he made the right call swarm his mind, Parker Walshe said hindsight has shown him he did. Now he has found a passion for business as a commercial air conditioning sales distributor with Northern Air Conditioning, with further career advancements imminent. Parker Walshe credits his support networks in helping him accept his decision and move forward, and that was where other young players in a similar boat needed to look towards. The likes of Jake Clifford and Ashley Taylor have been inundated with calls they are ‘The Next Johnathan Thurston’, comparisons which may have been meant as flattery which have instead demanded constant success from players just launching their NRL careers. Instead of being focused on becoming the best version of themselves, they are stacked up against the greats of the game before finding their feet, and Parker Walshe said it was an issue that needed addressing. “I actually feel for them to be honest, from the outside looking in these are just young kids, they’re all human, their career isn’t going to take off overnight” he said. “There’s a lot of hard work that has to go into it, people sit on the outside and say he’s going to be the next this or that, but a lot goes into being the next Johnathan Thurston or Michael Morgan. “I feel sorry for Cliffo and blokes like Ash Taylor who have a lot of pressure put on them from the age of 17 — at that stage of their careers it’s unfair. “They have to feel like they can stand up and talk about it, and I think clubs have to be more lenient these days as well. “The game is built around being mentality tough and physically strong, so as soon as someone has mental health problems they think they have to sweep it under the carpet. “That needs to be addressed.” The longer a player is exposed to the heavily scrutinised nature of the NRL, the better prepared they become to tune out the white noise. However former Cowboy Ashton Sims knows first-hand that in the beginning, it is far easier said than done. Sims rode the highs and lows of a 16 year career at the elite level, and now advocates for greater awareness of psychological support with The Mental Health Movement. There is a multitude of contributing factors Sims identified as to how expectations can weigh down a young athlete — from the financial incentives thrown at them to perform, to the constant media presence surrounding them. Sims knew early in his career that whatever type of player he amounted to would come off the back of his own efforts, and he became accustom to ignoring any outside rumblings which threatened to hinder his mindset. In an era for rugby league where mistakes are pinpointed far more than successes, he said up and coming players needed to reframe their mindset to hone in on what they could control, not what they could not — such as how external forces were judging them. “We used to say I don’t read the newspapers, but it’s easier said than done,” Sims said. “Every time you pick up your phone or go on social media there’s always something coming up, especially with NRL being one of the biggest sports in Australia. “It’s hard to get away from it, but it’s one of those things where don’t analyse and take in all the information as well. “The media is brilliant, it’s elevated our game over the years, but you just can’t believe everything you read and hear. “For all other young up and comers coming through, (the talk of) the next Johnathan Thurston, the next Jason Taumalolo – those guys have been taken. “You control what you control, and that’s your performances and actions day to day.”
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorFeature stories with the Townsville Bulletin. ArchivesCategories |