Yet another loss

Yet another loss due to recession is the luxery of participation in sports. This saddens me as I think of all the benefits children get from sports. The article suggests the family fills the void by increasing games of catch in the yard, for example, but really nothing can take the place of healthy competition in a social context. Are sports really descretionary spending? Since they are not necessary for survival, I suppose they are. Already swimming, my passion, is an expensive sport. I imagine participation is way down, but I haven't seen numbers.

The very end of the article quotes a psychologist whose opinion is that the most affected may be those who use sports as the main form of family interaction. The adjustment to life without sports may be difficult for the family. Individually, for those children who have their identities strongly associated with athletics, the forced loss may be hard to deal with. They may feel lost and struggle to find who they are without sports. These difficulties, added to the financial strain, can be quite a lot to bear.

Is the club team you are involved in or coaching experiencing a recession of your own due the inability to pay? Are you affected yourself? What are you doing, if anything, in response?

Tip #6: Even if you are unable to exercise with your club, there are inexpensive ways to exercise - running outdoors, spontaneous community games, abs. Find a way to get your exercise in even if you don't have the added incentive of competition. Research has shown it can help beat the blues. You owe it to yourself.