HAS the soul of community sport been destroyed by the pandemic over the past two years and what are the long-term effects?
No-one knows. It has, and will, have an impact in the short-term. It’s unavoidable. But the long-term effects could take years to emerge.
Across Victoria we are already hearing stories of declining participation numbers with some football and netball clubs struggling to field sides across multiple grades.
Benalla, who are affiliated with the Goulburn Valley, one of Country Victoria’s strongest football competitions, has reportedly had as few as 12 senior players at training each week.
This is a club which is less than two hours’ drive from Melbourne and has a big population to draw from as a one-team town.
Not far down the road, the Kyabram and District Football Netball League is in a similar situation with a lot of clubs struggling to field reserves and junior football sides.
Closer to home, clubs in the Millewa Football League are struggling for numbers, with some doubt over whether the competition will go ahead this season.
The Sunraysia Football Netball League isn’t without its issues. Clubs hope registration numbers will increase in the coming weeks, with the start of the season only a couple of weeks away.
The impact of COVID-19 is certainly biting and players are not returning as league and club officials had hoped, with many finding other interests outside of their chosen sport during the enforced layoff.
It’s a concerning trend and one we need to address quickly to ensure the future of community sport.
Sport is the heart and soul of rural towns. It brings people together, gives them an outlet away from the pressure of day-to-day life and without it, the impact would be immeasurable.
Some will say I’m being dramatic, sensationalising the situation, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
I know the important role sport plays in our society and the pleasure you get from playing and then watching your kids participate and grow.
Nothing brings me more joy than spending a Saturday afternoon watching a game of tennis or the local footy with some mates.
It’s my time, a chance to share a few stories, have a couple of beers and just relax and I feel a real sense of responsibility, as everyone should, to ensure we turn our focus back to getting people out playing sport again.
It might be too late in 12 months and we need to act now. Parents, more than anyone, have an important role to play in this.
The past two years have been tough on us all, but it has been a particularly challenging time for our kids, forced into extended periods of lock-down, their social networks cut off by home schooling and the cancellation of sporting competitions.
Kids spent a lot more time on their electronics and their passion for sport, in some cases, has been lost, but as parents we have a responsibility to re-ignite the spark, get them off their screens and back outdoors.
For senior players thinking about pulling the pin, remember you are a long time retired and if there was ever a time when your club or sporting code needed you, it is now.
