The impacts of COVID-19 on the sports world
Updated: Feb 17, 2021
Whether it be financially, physically, or mentally the pandemic has affected everyone’s life in some way.
COVID-19 has drastically changed the sports world by postponing the Olympics, cancellations of sports, and travel restrictions keeping players limited. However, even with these limitations, athletes and coaches are finding new ways to stay motivated with the pandemic in Canada.
Lisa Hoffart, a registered psychologist and mental performance consultant with the Sport Medicine and Science Council of Saskatchewan, said to CTV one in five athletes will seek mental health support. However, many athletes struggle to reach out and get the help they need.
For Dave Freeze, a mental performance consultant for athletes at RippleRock Consulting, says his clients have not been negatively affected by COVID-19.
Freeze offers online consulting sessions to help athletes achieve their goals and keep them motivated.
He said most of his clients are highly motivated to train as much as possible to improve their skills.
"This is an awesome opportunity to gain competitive advantage over their competitors because most of their competitors, they've given up on this year... they're not heavily invested," said Freeze.
Although his clients are highly motivated, he said many of his clients have disappeared due to sports cancellations.
"You take the competitive piece out of it and for many athletes, it loses its luster. They're not training to train, they're training to compete."
For Sydney Goudswaard, an athlete and swimming instructor at the YMCA in Grimsby, Ont. has found other motivations to keep herself active during the pandemic.
"Not doing sports and not participating right now, I think my mental health has been a little bit different. I haven't been motivated [as much]. I felt more tired because I haven't been able to do sports and able to go anywhere," said Goudswaard.
To keep herself motivated, she made a homemade gym in her basement. Gyms are currently closed due to Ontario's stay-at-home order. The home gym made physical activity limited for Goudswaard. This past summer, she created a business called "Sydney's Little Swimmers," where she teaches children how to swim in sessions for up to an hour in her pool. She says she hopes to bring back Sydney's Little Swimmers next summer.
"I was getting very bored. A lot of things at that time were still not open. Not a lot of places to go or things to do. I saw some other people on Facebook doing swimming lessons."
Goudswaard teaching(Submitted)
With the stay-at-home-order in Ontario, B.C. restrictions with gyms and recreation facilities are different in the province.
Facilities can remain open if they follow a COVID-19 Safety Plan. This means maintaining social distancing when possible; employees wearing masks and cleaning equipment regularly.
For weightlifting athlete Wayne Kuroda, he is glad gyms opened up again.
When the first lockdown happened in March, he built a weightlifting bench in his backyard to keep him motivated for the time being. Kuroda went to Home Depot and bought cement weights and wood to make his home gym.
“When it’s right in your home, it’s hard to be motivated. There’s something about going to the gym [that] makes you want to train. If it’s at my house, it’s easier to slack off..it was definitely a mental block to work out at home,” said Kuroda.
Kuroda said his advice to those who can't access the gym is to find a park or somewhere to exercise that is not home.
Now, he goes to the gym five to six times a week and feels more motivated.
"During times like this, being at home all the time can be detrimental. It's important to do as much as you can to be active."
Although sports have been restricted or cancelled across the country, the Calgary Wildcats Football team in Alberta was able to have a complete season in the fall.
For coach and player safety director Conor Kopczynski, he says being a part of the football team positively impacted his mental health and kept him motivated during the pandemic.
"It was something I would look forward to. Even if I was having a rough day where I would [not] feel like going because everything else is weighing on me, being there always made me happier."
Kopczynski's role on the Wildcats is to make sure safety protocols are in place and players are healthy.
Coach at practice. (Submitted)
"It's part of the job being a coach. Especially in youth sports...if you show you're invested to your players, their interest outside the sport of football, you just build a culture that's so much more positive. That benefits you frankly in sports too. You build a culture where people want to be around the team and they want to do things for the success of the team," said Kopczynski.
He says he hopes to have the spring season up and running if it's safe to do so with Alberta's current restrictions.
Restrictions include 9v9 instead of usually 12v12, frequent equipment disinfection and a 14 day safety period between games with different teams.
Currently, he runs in his spare time to keep himself motivated and an activity he can do independently.
"It might be easier said than done but just try to focus on the positive areas in your life and try not to dwell on the things that you feel are lacking…I have the utmost confidence there will be activities again. Try to make the most of what you have going for you."
Comments