Opportune time for sport overhaul
We have been following with keen interest how society has changed during the past few months and speculated about what it might mean when we move into what people are calling ‘the new normal’.
We’ve seen national, state and regional responses to a crisis that has twisted our expectations in various directions and shown us what it is to lose the many freedoms we have taken for granted.
If there is one glaring, albeit curious observation, it is our society’s love of competitive sport.
News of what’s happening in the AFL has been, amazingly, more important than just about anything to some people – all keen to rekindle their love affair with their beloved teams.
It’s an affair they will resume from tomorrow night when the professional season gets back underway.
This type of response clearly tells us just how important sport, in its various guises, is to a large percentage of the population.
Sport, especially community team-based sport, has always been an integral part of regional communities and the sound of whistles, cheering and shouts floating on the wind on weekends has been notable by its absence.
While much attention has focused on the winter standards of football, netball, hockey and soccer and the wait indoor pastimes such as basketball have had to endure, now is an opportune time for summer sports enthusiasts to start planning new directions.
As people of all ages emerge from restrictions in the coming months, many are likely to have a fresh appreciation of what competitive community team sport has to offer.
Cricket and tennis immediately spring to mind, but there is also lawn bowling and other community-engagement pastimes.
It’s been no secret that traditional summer sports in the Wimmera have struggled to generate the same level of interest than in the past.
Participation numbers have fallen off dramatically – players of all levels who previously would have taken up the challenge have been sitting idle in summer. This was happening well before any sign of COVID-19.
Summer sporting groups need to act quickly to assess evolving social circumstances to develop and promote their competitions, clubs, facilities and services and tap into any renewed participation interest.
We have probably never had a better opportunity to start with a clean slate to rebuild not only our summer sports, but sport in general.
And the thinking should be more than simply ‘getting back on the horse’. It is time for exploring something new and to thrash out ideas and approaches, even new competitions for Wimmera, southern Mallee and Grampians communities to develop stronger connections.
It is time to start moving, so more people can get moving and motivated in the months ahead.