Dean Goodison talks to the young pretender to the
camogie crown.
The
world is
saturated by a seemingly unquenchable appetite for sport. It’s a world
in which every superlative in the book is unveiled and holstered to the
back of the ‘next big thing’, yet too often the subject of the
premature adulation is, to put it bluntly, unworthy.
On
occasion the hype is
justified and the young pretender turns into a Lionel Messi or a Tiger
Woods, but it’s more common to see it go the opposite way, the way of
Blackburn Rovers’ El Hadji Diouf or Australian golfer Adam Scott. What
gets lost in the chasm between immortality and mediocrity is the
genuine presence of something different, an over-riding quality that
pierces through the reams of run of the mill performers and begs to be
watched.
Its
significance is
unmistakable, instantly recognisable; people rave about it, analysis
its potential, discuss and counter-discuss. It almost becomes as
integral to chance conversations as the weather.At just 19 years of
age, Wexford
camogie starlet Katrina Parrock is on her way to filling that role of
the ‘star’. Three years ago, at just 16, she was nominated for an
All-Star Award. But what makes her talent luminous in her chosen sport?
“I
have great vision,”
Katrina says. She believes that her awareness is in hyperdrive on the
pitch. “I see when players are around me.”
Her
face becomes a
picture of steely certainty when she talks of this, the only time in
our hour long chat that she breaks ranks from a humble demeanour. But
like so many of her judgments about the game she graces with peerless
style – from what went wrong in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final to
the lack of sufficient media coverage for her sport – the head of the
proverbial nail is well and truly pummelled. The truth is that there
are few, if any, in the sport who can consistently produce the
technical ingenuity that Katrina shows game in, game out, and there
aren’t many that can produce it even fleetingly.
“It
was obvious right
from the start that she was one of the most natural strikers of a ball
that I had ever seen,” says former Wexford star and All-Ireland winning
manager Stellah Sinnott of her former charge.
President
of the Camogie
Association Joan O’Flynn describes her as “an outstanding young player
whose talent and ability promise that she has the potential to make a
great contribution to senior camogie for a long time.” It’s not just by
playing the game that Katrina could make a great contribution to
camogie – as well as herself – as she carries all the attributes needed
to spearhead a much needed promotional assault by the association.
She
rocks back and forward on an engulfing cinnamon coloured tub chair as
we talk. Her position is subconsciously determined by the discomfort,
excitement, or relaxation she feels at that specific point of
conversation. The hackneyed stereotype of the camogie player as
musclebound and unfeminine does not apply. An immaculately toned
athlete, she maintains a healthy diet but doesn’t punish herself.
Indifference towards most women’s guilty pleasure is a help. “I’m not
that fond of chocolate, but I’d ate away on it, I wouldn’t say no!”
Katrina says in the broad accent of her native Our Lady’s Island in
south County Wexford. She comes across as a bright young lady who’s not
afraid to poke fun at herself, “I wouldn’t be the greatest dancer, but
I try (laughs).”
While
some reluctance is
overcome as the interview progresses, her inexperience of similar
situations leaves her wary of saying something that might cause
embarrassment, although occasionally her youthful exuberance gets the
better of her.
“My
Beyonce booty,” a
cheeky chuckle is quickly shafted for the insatiable willingness to
focus and give a politically correct description of her best feature,
“I like my teeth, you know, lots of people have to get braces and all,
but I’ve never had to do that, I like my teeth and my smile.”
Katrina
is studying in
Waterford, in the first year of a degree course chunkily entitled
‘Bachelor of Business in Recreation and Sports Management’. Just this
year she was named ‘Player of the Tournament’ while playing for a
victorious WIT side in the Ashbourne Cup, the biggest tournament in
college camogie. “I didn’t expect it, I played fairly bad in the semi
and in the first half of the final it was all going wrong, so we went
in at half time and a few people had words with me and brought me up a
bit. I came out in the second half all guns blazing and gave a lot
better performance.”
Having
never been sent off, and to her recollection only been booked
once, “I can’t even remember what it was for, probably something
stupid,” it shows a discipline that is also very much evident off the
playing field.
“I’m
the mammy of Róisín
and Rachel (Katrina’s best friends and flatmates) in the house in
Waterford, I’m always doing the cleaning,” says Katrina, “She looks
after me” her friend Róisín concedes, enlivened from the background by
themention of her name.
As
well as being the
responsible one in the house she beams with pride when talking about a
decision that affects all her nights out.
“I’m
a Pioneer. I’ve seen
a lot of things being out in different places, see people going around
drunk and you just kinda wonder ‘that’s not the real person’. I’m just
not into it, I suppose with all the training I do your body wouldn’t be
able for it. I don’t think I’ll ever drink to be honest. I have as much
craic on a night out without it.”
While
camogie is now her
main focus, her love for other sports – seemingly barring “the joys” of
swimming on a Monday morning – while not diminished, has taken a back
seat in recent times.
Katrina
picked up an
Irish cap for the under 17 against Switzerland in soccer, has
represented the south-east on numerous occasions in hockey and would
walk onto the Wexford ladies football team if she had the time and
will, however college and camogie have seenthose efforts curtailed, for
now, “Hopefully I can play under 21 Hockey next year if I have time for
it, I’ll try fit it in.”
So
entrenched is she now
at wingforward for Wexford that a team without her is unimaginable. But
back in the summer of 2007, on the historic day that Wexford claimed
their first All-Ireland senior camogie title for 32 years, she had just
turned 17, wore the number 20, and wondered if she would get to play.
“We
were pucking around
at another pitch before we got to Croke Park and Stellah turned around
to me and said ‘you have a good chance of coming on today, make your
presence felt’.
“As
I was warming up on
the sideline I couldn’t wait. When I came on when we were winning, I
scored a point towards the end and I couldn’t believe it when it went
over, it was amazing.
“It
just hit me then when
the final whistle blew, everything stopped and just looking back at all
the training we did, everything just paid off.”
Despite
last year’s
National League triumph, Wexford had a disappointing season that ended
in All-Ireland semifinal defeat to champions Cork, however it’s that
disappointment that drives her
on.
“I’m
so hungry for
another one [Championship] and this year you know, everything is going
well, motivation, the whole team work is just, you can feel it again,
there is something there, with the whole new management and backroom
team. We have every faith in them getting the best out of us, of all
the players, so hopefully we’ll be there again.”
In
terms of personal targets Katrina’s no different from any other
inter-county player.
“I’ve
had two goals in my
life since I was a youngster, win an All-Ireland in Croke Park and win
an All-Star. I couldn’t believe it when I got nominated in 2006. I had
just turned 16 and was in total shock when the letter came in the door.
To get another one (nomination) in 2009 was just unbelievable like. I
wasn’t expecting it last year after missing the whole league.
“I’ve
been nominated
twice now so I’m looking for one!” Katrina exclaims with another burst
of her infectious giggle, “all I can do is keep at it and hope.” With
her talent it’s unlikely she’ll have to hope for much longer.
deangoodison@yahoo.co.uk
