TO the parents of the Donegal team players, thanks for the years you spent driving them to training, prewashing muck out of kits, buying yet another pair of boots, standing on the sidelines in the pouring rain, and wiping tears from little cheeks when the going was tough.

The men who are lining out in Croke Park on Sunday have been kicking that ball for a long time, and the support and dedication of the parents and caregivers who nurtured their skills and also, their love of the game, is something really special.

The level of sacrifice throughout the years is hard to fathom, but it is surely eclipsed by the sense of pride those parents will be feeling on Sunday.

To the players themselves, thank you so much for being wonderful role models for the next generation of little GAA nuts.

My nine year old nephew loves everything about the game.

A few years ago, he saw a big photo of Michael Murphy on a roundabout.

He pointed at it and said, “That’s going to be me some day.”

And he really meant it, his little voice full of steely determination.

It is a fabulous motivation for all the boys and girls of the county to track the achievements of the Donegal team.

To the businesses, schools, and committee members who have decorated the towns and villages with the county colours, thank you for helping to spread the sense of pride and anticipation to us all.

It’s certainly a big deal to be in the final, and the flags and banners act as a wonderful visual reminder of that for the whole community.

To the supporters who are attending the match, have a ball, and roar as loudly as you can!

I can’t even imagine how electric the atmosphere must be in Croke Park on All Ireland Final day.

Those tickets are like hens’ teeth; if you have one, you have the responsibility to be the best possible support to the team!

I doubt anyone would have the audacity to do a ‘Hugh Grant at Wimbledon’ while at the big game.

Make use of every fiber of your being to support the team and justify your ticket! (And while I’m at it, I’ll say, don’t do a ‘CEO at a Coldplay concert’ either. That’s unlikely to end well!)

It’s a real pity for all the die-hard fans who haven’t sourced tickets, particularly the kids who have been to all the matches all year and are now left out in the cold.

They are the future of the sport, after all.

I clearly don’t understand the ins and outs of club allocations of tickets and I suppose there were never going to be enough for everyone.

To the other mere mortals like myself who will be watching the match on the TV, let’s make it a moment to remember for our kids.

I’m thinking bunting, face paints and oodles of treats to add to the sense of occasion.

We are all in this together!

The song ‘Jimmy’s Winning Matches’ has been a timely earworm in our family of late.

My daughter can even strum it on the guitar.

She’s been paying close attention to the lyrics too; “We’ve beaten Kerry, Man.” Her face lit up, “So, we’ve beaten Kerry before then?! Well, we can do it again!” Yes, we sure can.

Wishing Jimmy and all the team the very best for the big match.

His destiny is not just written in the sand – it’s etched deep in the hills of Donegal!

Louise Flanagan is an admin of Letterkenny Babies Facebook page and the author of the children’s book series, Dragonterra and Dream Beasts. www.dragonterra.ie