Some sports types use down time creatively
Home projects, grilling … ukulele?
With sports still largely on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, athletes and coaches have been looking for ways to pass all that unexpected free time.
We’ve heard plenty of familiar pursuits. Binge-watching a television series. Hunkering down with video games. Play time with the kids.
Some have gotten more creative. Olympic swimmer Hali Flickinger has taken up gardening and home renovations. Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia is strumming his ukulele. Atlanta Falcons lineman Jake Mathews hopes to get as proficient on the grill as he is at protecting Matt Ryan.
“When I’m full time into swimming, I’m not going outside to plant a plant,” Flickinger, who competed at the 2016 Rio Games and hopes to make it to Tokyo next summer, said with a chuckle. “This is such a great opportunity to do those things we wouldn’t normally be able to do.”
Flickinger, a 25-year-old Pennsylvania native who now lives and trains in sweltering Arizona, sulked on the sofa for a couple of days after the entire nation essentially locked down in an attempt to contain the virus, which has claimed more than 70,000 American lives and a quarter-million around the world.
Then, she decided to start living again.
Flickinger and her husband began with the outdoors.
“I’m learning how to garden,” Flickinger said proudly in a telephone interview. “I’m planting plants. I’ve never planted a plant in my life, but we’ve done that.”
How did the young couple suddenly acquire all this useful household knowledge?
“YouTube has been very helpful for us,” Flickinger replied. Patricia, heading into his third season as the Lions coach, normally adheres to the lessons learned in Bill Belichick’s advanced class, “Tight-Lipped 101: Making Sure You Never Divulge Anything The Least Bit Interesting To The Media.”
That’s what made it so surprising when he revealed during a recent video session with Detroitarea reporters that he dabbles with the small, four-stringed guitar of Hawaiian descent.
“I can’t say I don’t have things that I always like to try to mess around with here,” Patricia said, suddenly turning to grab his musical instrument. “There, I don’t know if you can see it, but that’s a ukulele. So, there you go. I gave you a little tidbit.”
Of course, it didn’t take long for that Belichick training to kick in again. When asked it he could regale everyone with a tune, Patricia clammed up.
“I may call them songs,” he quipped. “You would call them noise.”
Mathews, who has spent the past six seasons as Ryan’s primary protector at left tackle, was hunkering down at his offseason home in Texas.
While the Falcons have been holding remote meetings almost every day and urging their players to stay in condition through a regular workout plan, Mathews still found time to dig out a forgotten gift from his quarterback.
“After the 2017 season, Matt
Ryan got all the linemen a Big Green Egg,” Mathews recalled. “I put it together and had all these great ambitions to do stuff and become a master smoker, but I have not touched it since then.”
Strange, coming from a guy who checks in at more than 300 pounds. Now, at least, he’s putting it to good use.
“Oh man, I’ve done some salmon and a few steaks,” Mathews said proudly, while also stirring a few hunger pangs. “I may venture into some chicken soon.”
Flickinger, meanwhile, is considering an even more elaborate home renovation plan.
A complete gutting of the master bathroom.
“I’m a little of an amateur,” she said, a tinge of doubt creeping into her voice. “But I hope to get better with each project.”
She’s got plenty of time to learn. The Olympics are still more than 14 months away.