It’s back! Full guide to the return of outdoor grass-roots sport – what you can and can’t do
» huge demand from public on the return of outdoor sports » action to reverse negative impact of lockdown on young
The Government has launched a national push to get children active for at least one hour every day as part of the long-awaited return of outdoor grass-roots sport.
With golfers and tennis players already inundating their clubs with bookings for today’s big reopening, some of the nation’s biggest sports stars joined the Government in urging people to maximise the benefits of sport and physical activity.
The Telegraph’s Keep Kids Active campaign successfully pushed for children’s sport to be prioritised when lockdown restrictions were eased and the Government has also now committed more than £10million to opening up school sport facilities outside of teaching times.
Children’s activity levels have been badly impacted by the three national lockdowns, with more than half of all children failing to reach the recommended daily average of at least 60 minutes of activity.
“The long wait is over – I urge everyone to get their trainers on, get outside and enjoy all of the positive benefits sport can bring,” Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said.
“We want to see children be active 60 minutes a day, and adults 2½ hours a week to help us build back fitter, healthier and happier from this pandemic. Sport and physical activity will be at the heart of our national recovery.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for a “Great British summer of sport” and acknowledged the sacrifices that had been made this past year by children. England men’s World Cup-winning cricket captain Eoin Morgan, British No1 women’s tennis player Johanna Konta, England rugby union prop Kyle Sinckler and England netball player Serena Guthrie joined the call to get active.
Sports facilities including football and cricket pitches, tennis and basketball courts, outdoor swimming pools, golf courses and sailing clubs can reopen today. Organised outdoor team sports can also resume ahead of the Easter holiday break.
The Lawn Tennis Association has already reported surging interest. “We’ve started a new club because of this wave coming in,” said Dan Travis, a coach based in Brighton.
Leeds’s city courts experienced an extraordinary boom last year, with 48,000 bookings made as opposed to only 8,000 in 2019.
The LTA also reports record signups for local tennis leagues in 2021, which already have more confirmations than the whole of last year.
Tim Barnes, who co-owns two courses in Cheshire, highlighted the demand for golf. “I’ve just had a text from one member asking that if he shines his car headlights down the first at 12.01am, could he hit a shot,” he said yesterday.
Other sports, however, face major challenges. With indoor pools shut for so much of the past year and unable to reopen until next month, Swim England has warned that as many as 200 facilities may be lost permanently without bespoke government help. There is particular concern over the knock-on impact on a generation of children who risk missing statutory school lessons.
“There aren’t enough pools in the country as it is, and the impact of Covid has been monumental,” said Olympic medallist Steve Parry. “We weren’t doing particularly well prior to Covid when one in four children left school unable to swim, but the pandemic has heightened the problem.”