Seizing the moment

Many have been harping, and rightly so, about the many fall outs which the sporting community has suffered over the last two years.

Lamentations have been deafening about the number of sportsmen and women who have either become disinterested or have dropped through the societal cracks.

Of note too, has been the loss of form among those who have had sporadic engagements in the form of scrimmages, sweats or other unstructured training.

These though, whilst understandable in the circumstances, are not substitutes for the real deal as undoubtedly, competition serves to bring out the best in people, and sports is no exception.

The underlying cause and plausible has been the restrictions associated with hosting national sporting competitions, as well as those at the community level, as fears of greater spread of the coronavirus have taken precedence.

Whilst this is so, when one looks around at some of the playing fields across the country, there seems to be some type of hunger and thirst for sporting activities.

Persons are beginning to venture and fight back, as they have had enough of being stymied.

Additionally, as right on cue ,the authorities within their wisdom, and rightly so, have ordered the resumption of face to face classes.

Instructively, with this decision the protocols have changed, as it immediately states that schools are to be operational in their full capacity and with all activities run as per usual.

In many ways, the reopening of school full time, has sparked or reignited many of our students to get involved in physical activities.

And, with track and field taking place during this term, this is an opportune time for coaches of the various sporting disciplines to seize the moment and bottle up the enthusiasm.

Yes, while we all agree that retrieving lost time in students’ academics is critical, one cannot slight the amount of social skills which have evaded our young people for the better part of the last two years.

This is not to down play the retardation in their psychomotor skills, which have stalled because these students were invariably tucked away, feasting on gadgets, snacking and binge watching of series.

It is without a doubt because of the prolonged lack of physical engagements that our youngsters have become lethargic, sluggish and in some instances either overweight or obese. Hence, it is more than imperative to have them involved in activities which would reactivate them physically.

Unfortunately , though, whilst this column is expressing delight to see that there is some recovery taking place in sports, there are other obstructive elements who want to derail the process.

Therefore, it is more than incongruous for regulations to be placed on schools, as it relates to the hosting of their inter-house track and field events.

Illogical to say the least, why should there now be restrictions when students are mingling with one another for at least seven hours on a daily basis.

Students interact in class, there are school assemblies, house meetings and other gatherings within the school hours.

Furthermore, they have full Physical Education classes, so what is the difference?

Moreso, these students come from different homes, from different communities and often commute in mini-vans which are filled to capacity, so what is the difference?

Night spots and restaurants are jamming still, yet sports must be the fall guy. Supermarkets do not restrict the number of shoppers who must patronize them at any one time.

The list is long and winding of the number of other happenings which are allowed to go scots free and which counter the tenets of physical and social distancing, yet sports is being dealt with a wedge.

Sometimes, it is questionable if persons holding influential positions simply want to weild their hands of authority.

But be that as it may, those who love sports and are impacting the impressionable minds, have to forge ahead with their mandate to have sports continue to play its roles, not only for recreation, but as an avenue to de-stress.

On the other hand, organised sporting competitions are integral to have our populace cast their minds away from the travails of life.

Sports is needed to help alleviate some of the tensions that are weighing us.

The more we delay, we are being left behind in terms of the abilities of our sportsmen and women, and significantly, economic traffic that is generated by sports will be diverted elsewhere.