WORKING together while apart is the challenge we all face just now and perhaps for some time to come, particularly where sport is concerned, as a participant or a supporter.
Yet many people feel we are more together now than ever and our togetherness extends right around the world.
Recently, I wrote about some great innovative work by our sporting organisations here in Scotland, keeping their supporters active and involved through the power of social media. I am now aware of some of further initiatives extending out to other countries battling the coronavirus.
One that really caught my eye was Netfit, an online resource for netballers in Australia which has just notched up one million views. It includes netball-specific workouts, skills, fitness, nutrition and cooking tips, wellbeing and recovery workshops as well as appearances from some of the country’s elite players.
There are sessions every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, which have a full schedule covering the day from 8am-5pm. Check it out at netfitnetball.com.au/netfit-clinic We are really fortunate in Scotland as the issue of mental health in sport is supported extremely well by the Scottish Association for Mental Health.
It has dedicated worker in Robert Nesbitt – head of physical activity and sport – who has working in mental health for more than 20 years. When you read that Sir Chris Hoy is patron of SAMH you begin to realise that the correlation between sport and good mental health is now strong.
During lockdown, many people find it hard to get motivated and for those people who play sport as a hobby with no specific goal in sight apart from meeting friends and keeping active, it can be a challenge. That’s when we need strong mental health to get us through the day. If you need support have a look on the SAMH website – www.samh.org.uk/about-us
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Callum Baird, Editor of The National
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