Many of us play sport as children but seem to lose interest. Photo / Michael Craig
Many of us play sport as children but seem to lose interest. Photo / Michael Craig
Opinion:
I found myself jittering about in my seat and yelling at my computer screen yesterday morning watching the Euro 2020 semifinal between England and Denmark.
Football isn't a sport I particularly care about and I found myself needing clarification on rules and regulations as the match drew towards itsconclusion.
Should the referee awarded England a penalty in the first half of extra time which would see captain Harry Kane give England a 2-1 lead? I don't know and don't really care. What I do care about is that it was an enjoyable match to watch.
However, while my football knowledge may be limited, I can confirm that I'm now hooked on the sport — at least until the Euro 2020 final on Monday.
Even though I'm one of the few who doesn't love football, I'd call myself a sports nut but I've been missing an attention-grabbing event.
Super Rugby was pretty good viewing, as is the National Rugby League and NBA as well but the atmosphere surrounding those events dwarf in comparison to the Euros.
England captain Harry Kane. Photo / Getty Images
That atmosphere is helped by the achievements of England and its boisterous fans, who will face Italy in the final of the tournament on Monday.
The past few decades have been tough as an English football fan I imagine, with the team yet to add to its trophy cabinet since winning the Football World Cup in 1966.
As New Zealanders, we can attest to the struggles of putting faith into a team — I'm not talking about the All Blacks here — which often struggles to soar over the last hurdle.
However, as we've learnt following the recent rise of our Black Caps, the tough times make the sweet times sweeter and for England, the sweet times mightn't be so far away.
Sport is a fickle thing, creating much public divide and providing bucketloads of entertainment, and there's more to it than meets the eye.
Sport can teach us a number of things, from teamwork to discipline, tenacity to patience and respect to leadership.
It's great for meeting like-minded people, with some of my fondest memories with my friends away on sports exchanges and tournaments.
However, despite the known benefits of sport, it's something many of us don't prioritise or follow on with, especially as we age.
It's not hard to find data that shows sports rapid participation decline in New Zealand.
That's particularly alarming when you consider the rates at which obesity is increasing within New Zealand.
According to a University of Otago report from 2018, it's estimated two million Kiwis will be obese by 2038.
Even though we're a nation of armchair sports experts, when it comes to getting off the sofa and kicking a ball around, we're less inclined — opting for the recline instead.
My hope is when people see amazing feats, like England making their first final in over 50 years, it inspires them to give any sport a crack for themselves.
And you don't need to participate in a sport per se, with activities such as running, walking or even gardening of great benefit to our health — not only physically but mentally too.
