Kildare forward Lara Curran hails importance of switching off and relaxing off the field
Milltown player Lara Curran, a Post Primary School Teacher, is like the rest of the Kildare squad hoping to add to her Leinster IFC medals of 2022 and 2023, along with her NFL winning medal earlier this year when she lines out in Croke Park on Sunday against Clare.
“We have had a very good season to date” said the star forward, adding “winning Division 3 was our first goal this season, retaining the Leinster title and now we are where we want to be in the All-Ireland final, so there is a great buzz around the camp; great feeling at training; everyone is really looking forward to the big day.”
Competition
Not surprising talking to the girls when asked what is the difference between this year and former years, Lara insists that “there is such competition for places, that is driving on the training; the backs throughout the year have been so good; I think we have just got our positioning right and we now just work as a whole team which is something that we probably have not done in other years; the depth off the bench is simply unreal so that really defines every training session and every match we have played throughout the entire season.”
Unfortunately a few of the girls picked up knee injuries earlier in the season but apart from those the rest of us are all healthy and flying fit and hopefully that will continue from now to the big game on Sunday.
Lara admits, “while the last week or two has been all about football, all about training etc but I do believe that it is very important to have time away from football; come to training the days and evenings we have training; maybe do a small bit extra outside of that but also trying to switch off as much as possible when we are not training I think is very important; you can get too caught too up in it; come to training everyone concentrates on that but outside of that switching off and trying to relax is very important also.”
Toughest game this year?
They have all been tough admits Lara, “I suppose the last day just to get over the line in the semi-final because we have been there before against Westmeath two years ago, a game we could have won but beating Wexford in the semi-final, a game that could have gone either way; weather conditions were not great and we did not play as well as we are capable but I think that was the most important game of all this year.”
Old rivals Clare, you know them well and they likewise know Kildare?
“It's always a tough battle when we play Clare; the league final went to extra-time before we won by a point; played them in Clare in the League and again there was very little between us so we know we are going to have put in our best performance to date to try and get over the line; but yes, we know each other well they are a very, very strong team and we just have to be our best.”
It was at the Meet & Greet morning in Manguard Park where we met Lara and other players and management and the Milltown girl admitted that that morning “meant the world to us.”
Lara admitted that the the past couple of years we have seen the attendance grow and even this years the little girls and the clubs have come from far and wide and it is really just amazing.
“It helps to drive us on and talking to them (kids) today and hearing they are all going to Croke Park, bus loads from their various clubs it is just amazing and great to be some kind of role model and it really does mean the world to us to see so many young people turning out even in a poor morning that we had today.”