The Singapore Gaelic Lions often train in the peak heat of the day (late morning to early afternoon). Temperatures and humidity reach over 30 degrees Celsius and 80% respectively, at times. For anyone unsure, this is extremely hot. Drink a lot of water the day before and the day of training to keep hydrated. We also recommend having some hydration salts to hand also. If at any stage of training, you feel dizzy or light headed – take a break immediately, get into shade and hydrate.
Suncream is also a must for daytime training, it only takes a few minutes in direct sunlight to get burnt here. Cover all exposed skin with minimum factor 50 suncream at least 10 to 15 minutes before you start training, otherwise you’ll just sweat it off. You can get sunburnt through cloud cover – don’t take the risk.
Gum shields are compulsory at all tournaments. It’s worth getting used to wearing them at training, dental work in Singapore can be pretty expensive. You can pick up a gum shield at any good sports shop, or we recommend getting a custom made one for a better fit.
Defibrillators are on hand at each session, and several members of the club are trained to provide first aid, should it be needed.
Common sense applies to all of our sessions too. If anything feels off, take a break. Particularly coming to the end of a session, if you’ve taken a knock, or even if you’ve just had a big one the night before, don’t overdo it. Symptoms might be mild at the beginning or even delayed. If you’ve had a head collision, sit it out. No one wants a concussion to happen to any of our clubmates.
The club yearly membership does not provide insurance, you should have your own that covers amateur sports (you may be covered under a work policy). Travel insurance is also mandatory for any of the club tours – you will not be allowed to play without it. Short term travel insurance is available from most providers and comes at pretty reasonable costs.
Lastly, Singapore and the club both have very vibrant social scenes. While we’re all for players turning up to training the morning after a big night out – sometimes it’s better for you to stay in bed and have that full Irish breakfast instead. When you’re hungover, you are already dehydrated and it’s much harder for your body to take on the heat, humidity and training. Listen to your body, sometimes it’s just not worth the risk.