Vrushali Patil
Student

When the idea of cricket first came up in early England, it wasn’t a grand event. Believe it or not, it was two boys finding ways to pass time while they fed sheep in the farms.

The point of sports, since the early days, hasn’t always been tournaments or heavy competition. It is the joy and the sportsman spirit, the satisfaction of having done something, using your efforts and energy. The soul of sports and games lies in the way they help people feel fit, both physically and mentally.

Sure, the essence also lies in the results or the process of these competitions, but this goes way deeper than we realise. It starts at home when a father teaches his daughter how to kick the ball the right way, or his son how to throw it through the hoop. It starts when we teach kids that sports aren’t just about the competition, but also about the joy that being fit brings you.

This isn’t just limited to children or the youth, but also to the working class and the elderly of the society. We’re often led to believe that taking fitness or interest in sports seriously at these ages isn’t good. Or that the older women grow the lesser they have a shot at being good at sports. They have other responsibilities and hence it’s okay to overlook their overall fitness. But no. It’s not okay. Especially in times like these, when everyone’s fitness should be their primary priority.

A big granted advantage that comes with following a lifestyle of fitness is that it promotes and encourages a society that gives better performers in terms of sports. Take RadhaiNagari society for example, it has always promoted the importance of fitness in its residents, no matter their age group. The results are also evident as a lot residents gained confidence to compete in professional competitions, and won laureates for themselves and the society’s spirit as well.

At the end of the day, what matters is that sports aren’t just about winning and losing. A mind-set oriented towards overall fitness obviously prepares everyone to be sharper and more competitive, but at the same time hons them with a mind-set that if they lose, it isn’t the end of the world and what matters is the bigger picture, the lessons they learn and the experience they gain.