The day before B.C. shut down due to the COVID 19 outbreak in mid-March 2020, my family and I were supposed to be on a flight to Palm Springs to watch some of the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament.
We were able to extricate ourselves from the flight just in time as the tournament was cancelled and the borders were in effect shut down.
Since then, our whole world has been turned upside down, including the world of sports. Postponed events include the Olympics, Wimbledon, and last year’s CFL season to name a few. Many others, such as the NHL and NBA, have been played in bubbles with few or no live spectators. Some fans have greatly missed their favourite team, while others couldn’t care less.
The question is: exactly how much have we missed sports during the COVID pandemic? The answer is complex.
From a physical activity point of view, I think it is fair to say that most of us have gained a greater appreciation for sport. Being on lockdown poses real challenges to maintaining a good fitness level, and being in poor physical condition can lead to lower mental wellbeing. There have been increased levels of anxiety for many during COVID and this may be why so many are desperate for their favourite activities to resume, even if only within cohorts.
Our regular physical activities usually have social aspects to them (with teammates, fellow club members, partners) and losing these connections has been painful. But when I go for my daily walks now I have a great deal of company on every block, many of them husbands and wives. That’s not the way it used to be.
Tennis has seen a significant jump in participants since it’s an easy sport to maintain social distancing and can be played outdoors.
Golf has been a beneficiary of COVID as well. I’m told the courses are very busy even in absolutely miserable weather.
Coaches have had to learn how to deliver their messages in new ways, and rule changes have been implemented to help sports navigate the pandemic. Some of these have proven useful (no linespeople at the Australian Open, fewer pitching changes in baseball) and will likely stay long term.
For those who have not been able to fully return to their favourite sport, I sense they have an increased love for it compared with pre-COVID days.
On the spectator side of sports there have been varied responses that resulted in a more balanced outlook toward life. I know of many sports fans, especially men (including myself), who have found other things to do than sports viewing. This may include hobbies, working on the house, or simply spending more time at the dinner table with family. I have heard many encouraging stories about improved family bonding during COVID.
Many of these can be seen as silver linings. I have said before that at times we as a society are too addicted to watching sports at the expense of time spent in prayer with God, building relationships within the family, and serving others. COVID happened just as some fans were turning away from sports because of the heavy political and social justice elements now involved. For all these reasons we may never see a return to the same viewership levels as before.
Sadly, as a result of COVID, many high school and university athletes have lost their final year of sports, which is certainly rough on those boys and girls who had worked so hard for the opportunity. But when so many are suffering in so many ways, what alternative was there?
Of course there is also a segment of the population that has been intensely waiting for a full return to sports. They identify so much with their sport that their joy depends on having their Sunday football back, even without a live crowd. (To the degree that I watch sports now I find the lack of a crowd makes the viewing experience less interesting.)
However you look at sports, things won’t be the same moving forward.
When sports fully return, hopefully we will truly appreciate how wonderful these experiences are in our life. In the meantime, we continue to pray for those suffering from COVID and those who have lost loved ones in the last year.