The joy sport brings during uncertain times
A wonderful day at Lord's with my son is the perfect antidote to strange times
I took my son to a cricket match for the first time since before this internal pandemic struck.
It was a wonderful day out. Hopefully for the both of us.
I certainly loved every minute spending the day with my lad at magical Lord’s.
To be able to do such a simple thing we had all taken for granted prior to Covid made it a lovely afternoon and evening.
Even if, as newly-minted London Spirit fans (well, they’re north of the river and play at Lord’s) the results followed a familiar pattern for the teams I support.
Meaning, the women won and the men lost.
Double, double headers
You wait for ages then two double headers come along at once.
On Tuesday I took my teenage son to Lord’s to watch London Spirit take on Northern Superchargers in the women’s and the men’s Hundred.
The day followed me being at the Emirates 48 hours previously, covering the men’s and the women’s sides. Where the women won. And the men lost.
A wonderful day
It’s been a rum old 18 months for us all during the pandemic, and we’ve all endured and suffered in so many ways on so many levels.
Even as someone who lives for sport, it means nothing compared to the challenges we face in our every day lives.
Which is why many of us love sport so much, because it is a release from the travails of our daily lives - even as someone who spends a lot of time covering it as a job.
Which is why it was so special to take my son to a cricket match yesterday.
One of the things I really missed during Covid has been the chance to take my kids to sporting events. Of course, I’ve missed going to games with pals as well, but there is something special about taking your child to a game as parent.
I know how lucky I am as a journalist
I know how lucky I am to cover sport for as a journalist, and I savoured every single minute of the 75+ football matches I covered during the tortuous 2020-21 season.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the fact I was able to cover Arsenal, as well as plenty of lower league action, kept my spirits up at times during lockdown.
For someone who has always loved being out and about, and who absolutely hates being stuck inside, being able to move around the country during those shutdowns boosted my spirits no end.
Whether it was interviewing Joey Barton at Bristol Rovers, reporting on the West London derby between Brentford and QPR, writing features from Shrewsbury and Burton, or Arsenal beating Spurs from the Emirates press box, to name a few examples, the fact I was allowed out helped me no end.
(If you’re interested, for a full list of all my sports pieces for the Morning Star newspaper, click here)
However, the majority of people up and down the country have not been so lucky.
Including my son.
Stuck indoors
He was always a lively youngster, who lived for playing sport prior to the pandemic.
But with three lockdowns effectively halting grassroots and school and club sport, he found himself stuck indoors. With schools closed for a spell too, he and hundreds of thousands of kids like him were forced to stay at home.
Imagine that
Imagine being told we weren’t allowed to go out when we were youngsters?
For more than a year. It beggars belief if you think about it. (And yes, as someone who is double jabbed and tries to follow the guidelines at all times, none of us have had any other choice but to stay in and stay safe.)
But I do believe we will look back on this time with genuine incredulity that such a thing happened. (And yes, I do acknowledge Covid restrictions had to happen, of course they did).
But, even now, as lockdown eases, I still struggle to comprehend what that must have been like for kids.
With constant news bulletins showing the world to be a dangerous place, potentially a fatal one too, no wonder so many youngsters dived into social media and gaming on their phones and computers as a way out.
I probably would have done too, if it had been me.
But it can’t be good for you. Certainly not as a replacement for sport and life, socialising and playing outdoors.
Which is why it was so special to take my son to a cricket match yesterday.
No wonder so many kids are struggling with anxiety issues and mental health problems.
I imagine the issues relating to children will get worse over the coming weeks, months and years, when the events of the last 18 months fully sink in.
It is our duty as parents and adults to help make the world a safer place for our children once again.
We can do that simply by normalising trips, visiting places we once took for granted.
Which is why it was so special to take my son to a cricket match yesterday.
If you’re constantly told the world is a dangerous place, you will retreat into yourself.
The Joy of Sport in uncertain times
But once we’d spent an uplifting afternoon and evening together in an increasingly busy London once again, my boy, my dear son, who has been so wary of life outdoors during this gruelling year, suddenly - and excitedly - told me he was going to organise a trip with his schoolfriends back to London, because he’d really enjoyed our day out.
And on the back of our trip to Lord’s he also suggested that we go to the first Test in Trent Bridge. (Like me he loves longer forms of the game).
So, I’ve managed to get us a pair for the second day in Nottingham tomorrow.
I can’t wait. And thankfully, I don’t think he can either.
Which is why it will be so special to take my son to a cricket match tomorrow.
Results:
Women: Northern Superchargers 126-5 (100 balls): Rodrigues 57 (44); Munro 2-20 London Spirit 129-3 (98 balls): Dottin 50* (34) Spirit win by seven wickets
Men: Northern Superchargers 155-3 (100 balls): Willey 81* (40), Brook 28 (24); Crane 1-19, Nabi 1-19 London Spirit 92-9 (100 balls): Morgan 27 (22); Raine 3-20, Willey 2-9 Superchargers win by 63 runs