Back in the Game: Exploring the Athlete-Mother Journey in Gaelic Games

My academic career began with a BSc. in Sport Science and Health at Dublin City University (DCU), followed by an MSc. in Exercise Physiology under the supervision of Dr. Donal O’Gorman.  Shortly after completing my MSc., I began working as a lecturer in Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT).  As a former Gaelic football player, current coach, and mother of three, including two young girls – my personal and professional experiences have fuelled my interest in the intersection of sport and female health.  In 2024, I wanted to gain the professional qualifications to match my passions and returned to DCU to study for the part-time Graduate Certificate in Women’s Health.  I am now currently completing a part-time PhD under the supervision of Dr. Bronagh McGrane and Prof. Siobhán O’Conner. My research is focused on exploring how female athletes navigate pregnancy, motherhood and returning to sport, with the aim of improving the support systems available for women in sport.   

Research Project

Many female athletes train and compete at a high level during their reproductive years.  Traditionally, women planned pregnancy to coincide with a break in, or the end of, their competitive careers (Viana-Meireles et al., 2024). Increasingly, female athletes are navigating all aspects of motherhood while continuing their athletic careers (Hassan et al., 2025). While some research exists exploring the athlete-mother journey in professional sport, and guidelines have been recently updated (Brockwell et al., 2026; Donnelly et al., 2021; Titova et al., 2025a) there is a paucity of research in ladies Gaelic football and Camogie concerning all facets of motherhood – from pre-conception and pregnancy through to the postpartum period and into parenthood. 

Back in the Game is a collaborative research project between DCU, the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) and the Camogie Association, with support from Sport Ireland and DkIT.  This project aims to develop the first Gaelic Games-specific guidelines for women returning to sport postpartum. 

Childbirth and the postpartum period represent a profound physiological and psychological transition in a woman’s life, yet have been largely overlooked within the sporting context to date.  In addition to recovery from childbirth, postpartum players may be navigating changes in pelvic health, strength, fitness, body confidence, sleep, mental wellbeing and identity, while simultaneously managing the practical realities of caring for a new baby. Yet, unlike injury-related return-to-play, where established models and measures of readiness are widely available, there is currently no equivalent, structured pathway specifically designed for postpartum Gaelic Games athletes. For these athletes, there are also specific physical demands. Gaelic football and Camogie require acceleration, deceleration, change of direction, high-speed running and physical contact. A gradual return to general exercise or running does not necessarily address all of the demands involved in returning to competitive Gaelic Games. As a result, players are often left to navigate these challenges independently, sometimes without access to adequate, research-informed resources.  

Coaches in turn, are often faced with more questions than answers when it comes to supporting a postpartum player; 

How much training is appropriate? When is a player ready to return to contact? How can you support her without putting pressure on her? Should expectations change? And how can you balance her individual needs with the needs of the team?

These are challenges that many coaches may encounter, yet there is currently limited research or guidance specific to Ladies Gaelic Football and Camogie to help navigate them effectively.

Coaches are central to a player’s sporting experience. They influence the training environment, communication, expectations and opportunities available to players. Their knowledge and experiences can therefore provide an important insight into what currently happens when players return following childbirth—and what support could make that process better; for both players and coaches.

The knowledge and evidence gap presented highlights the necessity of research that draws directly on the voices of Gaelic games players and coaches, along with the integration of current best-practice, ensuring the creation of sport-specific, evidence-led resources that can equip athletes for a sustainable return to sport and coaches with the tools required to guide them.  Understanding the experiences of players and coaches is crucial. Without an evidence base that reflects the realities of Gaelic Games, players and coaches can be left to rely on postpartum return-to-play guidelines that are not best fit for their sport.

The Back in the Game project incorporates a mixed-methods research design to capture the voices and lived experiences of both players and coaches through quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews.

The findings from this research will contribute to the co-creation of a postpartum return-to-play toolkit that will aim to translate this sport-specific research, coupled with international best-practice, into practical, accessible resources that can help everyone involved understand the postpartum journey and support a safe and sustainable return to Gaelic Games. For players, this means greater access to information and support when making decisions about returning to sport. For coaches and clubs, it means having clearer guidance to help them support players more confidently. Most importantly, it represents a move towards recognising motherhood as a normal part of the female athlete journey—not as an endpoint to an athletic career.

Supporting women through pregnancy and postpartum recovery is about more than facilitating a return to competition. It is about creating a sporting environment in which women can remain connected to their sport throughout their reproductive years. Better support has the potential to enhance health and wellbeing, strengthen athlete retention and promote career longevity. It can also contribute to a broader cultural shift in how pregnancy and motherhood are understood within sport.

Take-Homes and Applications 

Preliminary findings from our survey of current and former ladies Gaelic football and Camogie players demonstrates:

1. An overwhelming support for Gaelic Games-specific postpartum return-to-play guidelines.
2. A current disconnect and lack of communication between players and coaches when it comes to returning-to-play.

Our aim is to bridge this support gap and provide players, coaches and clubs with evidence-based guidance, resources and education.
Crucial to this, is understanding coaches’ perspectives of supporting players in the postpartum period.

Our survey of coaches, Female Liaison Officers and other coaching support personnel is still recruiting participants and can be found, along with more information about this research, on our social media page @backinthegameresearch or by following this link: https://dcusurveys.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0CIZRErsZQRuXau

 Fiona Hackett | LinkedIn