Having been involved in youth sports my entire life, as we continue to clamp down to fight the CV virus and I continue to see empty fields, courts, gyms, rec centres, pools closing down it has my head spinning as have been a long term advocate for us all to get out and PLAY.

We have already started sharing various ways that people across the globe are improvising, adapting and overcoming so they can be active to adhere to mandated stay at home protocols.

I am glad to start seeing others reference what I feel should be the correct term, in lieu of “social” distancing, the term that we all should be using is “physical” distancing to ensure we stay 6’ or more away from others. Now more than ever we need to come together as one to fight the spread of COVID-19 but need to find creative ways to ensure not only do we maintain our social and work networks, but finding ways to be physically and mentally active (sound mind = sound body).

Although we are all being forced to limit interaction with friends, work colleagues, work and study from home (if companies are able to do so) now more than ever we have to ensure we find creative means to stay socially connected although we have to practice physical distance protocols.

Below are just a few examples we have shared out thus far, keep checking our daily shares

Zumba in Utah Backyards

Kudos to all the ladies for participating in what I suspect will not be the first, nor the last, Zumba Backyard Party in the coming weeks.

Germans Singing Bella Ciao from rooftops in solidarity with Italy

 

Practicing physical distancing but at the same time supporting another country who has been hit hard by the COVID-19 virus just shows how the world is coming together in this fight.

Students sing “somewhere over the rainbow” together from home after concert canceled

 

I suspect Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (Bruddah Iz or IZ) would have had tears in his eyes while holding his infamous ukulele as he heard all these amazing voices come together while practicing physical distancing at their respective homes to ensure that the show must go on.

Kudos to all of the students and their school staff for improvising, adapting and overcoming.

What is ironic is for years we have been advocating the importance for kids who replaced their former active playtime with inactive screen time is the only means that many people can remain socially connected now by using those very same screens.

As more and more of us shift to working from home, universities and potentially schools going to online education, as well as all other sectors doing same, we need to adapt, improvise so we can overcome.

With all sports on hold until such time that we are given the green light to return back to fields, courts, rinks as are beaches, parks until we get the green light puts more stress on parents to figure out how we can keep kids active as all public places are closed.

Here are some tips on how to do so;

#1 Set up your backyard for multi-sport sampling … put soccer balls, whiffle balls, footballs, frisbees, tennis balls, basketballs, badminton nets, volleyballs on the grass and see what happens.

My backyard, while my kids were growing up even, included a small basketball hoop, a pitching net for my daughter to pitch to and bounce back, street hockey net, golf whiffle balls

Fortunately, both were ones that loved to be outside and playing and still are now, just this weekend we dug up our badminton net and played followed by playing catch with a frisbee, football, and softball.

We also have a 14’ cedar hedge on one side of our house so we were able to get in some hits of various whiffle balls (golf and softball size)

#2 If you have a basement, have a mini stick game, rollerblade, setup a mini-basketball hoop, nets

#3 If you have a stationary bike, check out various spin classes that are now being offered online for free via Youtube

#4 If you have a weight set that has been the infamous go to air out sports equipment while in season, put the sports gear outside and dust off so the whole family can use

#5 Setup a yoga area and can follow instructors who are offering free classes online

#6 Those that are confined to apartments, setup mini obstacle courses, exercise balls, balance boards, chairs and so forth

#7 Play Musical chairs in the dining room or better yet, dance to your favorite music

#8 If you have a balcony and a Bluetooth speaker, host your own neighborhood Zumba parties or “community” band and choirs

#9 Go Old School – Play board games, cards, darts, pool/snooker, Foosball, Air Hockey, Ping Pong while listening to Vinyl records, cassette tapes or CD’s

AND

Just love watching your kids play while they do so

Perhaps when we return back from the post CV outbreak, we will see a shift where more kids play for the sake of playing vs. the adultification and professionalism that has evolved the last 10+ years

Playing games for fun, with their friends, and regardless of the outcome asking two questions after the game is played

1. Coach – What is the snack today?
2. When they all pack up and leave … Coach  – When do we play again?

Hopefully, in addition to their community sports, they head to those parks, beaches and other areas outside and play pickup games or ride bikes, climb trees, skip rocks, swim, run, hopscotch without the adults telling them what to do, how to do it, when and how long, what positions they play, with who or not and so on like we did as kids that were not commonplace pre CV outbreak but were for prior generations.

As communities are showing across the globe and are adapting, improvising and overcoming, we will get thru these tough times…. Together.

Ensure that you stay positive, be there for others, offer to help where you can, and adhere to physical distancing protocols and all other health authority recommendations as we continue to fight this fight together.

 

If you know anyone is a front line medical staff worker (doctors, nurses, paramedics, researchers etc) please thank them daily for all the amazing work they are doing to help us fight this who are doing so selflessly as we all should be doing now to help each other.

 

 

#WeApplaud #OnApplaudit