Is the situation of sport more critical now, with restrictions, than during the first confinement?
Now there is more freedom, even if it is to exercise in the individual sphere. Before you couldn’t leave the house. Now you can go for a bike ride or play outdoors. But the problem is that despite having more freedom we have been 10 months without being able to train or compete. The kids have been able to train a bit in the fall, but compete, in no time. They have accumulated many months without being able to do good sports. The WHO recommends that young people between the ages of 5 and 17 do one hour of exercise a day and that 3 days a week be with higher activity to strengthen bones and musculature. Aside from the physical education class at school, it is now very little else.
Is abandoning sports the main risk of prolonging the break?
Exactly. The critical age is usually between 12-13 years. For different reasons. Because you change sports, and that’s good, because you try other disciplines. Or maybe because it costs you at school and you leave it out of responsibility, with the intention of going back there later. The serious thing is total abandonment. Of course you can have other hobbies, but playing sports is never too much. Society is moving towards an increasingly sedentary path where well-being seems to be materialism and not caring for the body. You have to educate the kids in the sport, to create the habit.
Is television or video games a very dangerous temptation now?
Yes. And I say that, I collaborate with an e-sports team but we also have a physical trainer. If the dwarf is only playing in the play with friends or watching too much television it is difficult for him to reach the recommended minimums for burning and exercising.
How can young people who have folded be convinced?
We cannot force anyone to do what does not interest them. That is why it is important from the beginning to educate with sport. Create the habit where boys and girls want to play sports and have an interest in it. Then let everyone choose what they want to do, the discipline they like best. The important thing is to exercise. We have to be the adults who educate the children in the sport and now, in the meantime, it is time to improvise and solve it by going out on a bike, playing on the track, but keeping them active.
Are children and young people fed up with the now yes now no, and the telematic sessions?
It depends on the club and the number of sessions. We at Vilafant haven’t done much. To the restrictions that sport already has in addition is the municipal confinement, which means that you can’t change town to go and train. And studies reveal that only 0.28% of infections have occurred in sport. In Madrid with a federal license you can go to train and compete. And in Galicia, the Basque Country or Andalusia is also allowed.
Is allowing elite sport and stopping grassroots sport incongruous? Is the government unaware of the reality of grassroots and amateur sport?
Elite and grassroots sports cannot be compared. How many PCRs must Messi have passed? Dozens or maybe hundreds. In the elite they are very marked. The money they move is nonsense.
What benefits does sport bring to children and young people?
It improves attention, concentration and memory and this helps academic and work performance. It reduces stress and anxiety and helps you sleep, and all of that is good. These are things to keep in mind and this part, who puts the restrictions, does not see it.
Would doing sports without competition be a solution?
Everyone likes to compete. It’s a bit like the exam, which puts you to the test. The youngest children do not play to win games or leagues, what they want is to have fun, improve their skills and learn. Because of a pandemic you can’t compete but if you could at least keep playing and doing physical activity it would be something. Now, with the pavilions closed and the municipal confinement, it is almost impossible.
How can a current situation be explained to a child?
He needs to be made to understand that the situation is exceptional, that the coronavirus pandemic will happen, and that sooner or later he will be able to train and compete again, and be with friends. In the meantime, alternatives should be sought within the physical activity that children and young people can do without forgetting their team or their sport. And when you can re-train, they will make the most of it. In the meantime, going for a run, cycling, going to the track for a few shots in the basket or kicking in the goal can help you stay active knowing that you will soon be able to compete again, and that you should not despair of that.
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