SUPPORTING sporting teams is simultaneously the greatest and worst thing in the world, and can raise some moral quandaries.
For your own sanity, wellbeing and endorphin levels to be dictated by a group of people who nearly 100 per cent of the time wouldn’t know you from a bar of soap, chasing a ball or running around is a ludicrous situation when all is said and done.
There are myriad moments when the self-doubt seeps in and you wonder why you do this to yourself. But there’s something special about being in that environment and community that gives you a feeling unlike almost anything in the world.
It’s a hell of a place to bring your own flesh and blood but I have to ask you out there, my friends, how soon is too soon to force your sports team onto your child?
My amazing wife and I are expecting our first-born in May and I’m all for him joining me in this crazy sports-mad world as soon as possible.
Is it appropriate to ensure your little one dons the same colours as you from the get go? Or do you let them pick one out for themselves when they have the ability?
Sure, they may not head down the sporting supporter path, but when the question ‘who do you go for?’ arises they’ll have an answer at least.
It is interesting to see the origination of how people begin to follow their respective clubs as well. Typically it’s dads who are the major sports team influence, but personally, it was mum’s side of the family who were (mostly all) raging Geelong fans. For those who know me, it explains a lot.
The little one’s nan has already supplied us with plenty of Cats attire to deck them out in. I was also keen on purchasing a nice Everton EPL number for the young ‘un, but honestly, no one should have to suffer through that kind of misery and I should know better.
Most of this section has been written tongue firmly planted in cheek, but it is an interesting topic for discussion.
Do you have an opinion on this question? I’d be keen to hear your answers via mrodd@sunraysiadaily.com.au.
Get that felling
YOU can feel it, can’t you?
That little twitch in the back of your mind. The impending excitement starts to build, and you keep checking the calendars as if we magically may have moved forward a few days.
For sports fans, it’s that anticipation for the start of a new season and immersing yourself in everything it has to offer.
That’s the way I’m feeling about the Sunraysia Football and Netball League season. One that has the potential to be the best in recent history.
Only time will tell if that excitement is accurate or misplaced, but it’s better than the alternative.
Maybe it was the impact of the previous couple of years but I struggled to get up and going for 2022.
Once the wheels started turning, it was fantastic again, but that flutter of excitement wasn’t there early on.
This year, however, it’s hovering.
On the footy side of things, there’s the headline inclusions of Sam Kerridge (Mildura), Matt Dea (Imperials) and Jarrod Brander (Wentworth), but there are plenty of interesting moves that I, and the Daily team are keen to witness.
As always, everyone talks themselves up during pre-season and you never know how things will play out until a ball is bounced.
But it feels like every team and has generally improved and that can only be good for the competition.
Netball also raises many questions ahead of the new campaign and we’re likely to some more quality A Grade action.
You only need to think back to the stellar 2022 grand final between Wentworth and Ouyen United played out before a raucous crowd at the MSP to know just how good this competition is.
The Roos have been the benchmark for a few seasons now and last tasted defeat in 2019. Can anybody knock them off?
And with so many sides pushing the youth and building from the ground up with young talent, can they sustain a finals push?
Whatever the answer is, I know that both myself and many others can’t wait to watch it all unfold.
It’s not reserved just for locally. The AFL season is well and truly building on me as well.
I was always a self-confessed “footy nerd” from a child into adulthood. There wasn’t an article I wouldn’t consume, no update from a club I wouldn’t miss.
While my fandom has always been there and taken note of all that as going, it lost a bit of its lustre for a while, at last until early 2022.
No doubt it helps when your team wins the premiership and with the pressure being off the ‘senior citizens’ in Geelong you can relax a bit more.
It’s a new dawn and I can’t wait to bask in the glow of that sunrise.
Honourable thanks
IT’S nice to be thanked for the work you put in.
Validation isn’t always necessary but as we all know, if someone appreciates what you do it can make a world of difference.
This has been the case for the sports crew at the Daily as we were humbled to receive a media award from Wakeboard Victoria at their end-of-season celebrations for the coverage of the Mildura and Mallee Masters events at the Ouyen Lake this summer.
We say a huge thanks to president Wade Jeffreys and the entire crew for thinking of us in that light. I have to say it here because unfortunately, we couldn’t do so in person, but it’s truly appreciated.
It’s been a lot of fun to cover a unique sport, and if you have drawn your eyes to some of the red hot photos our own Louise Barker has managed to come out with, you can see how spectacular it is.
Now with the Wakeboard Australian National Titles scheduled to come to Mildura next month, we can’t wait to do it again!
