Lockdown Remedies Part 2

Right, I’m not the first person to say this, nor will I be the last, 2020 was difficult. There was; Covid-19, the Pandemic, Social Distancing, Lockdown 1, Lockdown 2 and 3. As a result of this, I thought it would be prudent to jot down my various Lockdown Remedies. Remedies for boredom, replacing the activities I could no longer partake in, etc etc. I’ll do this a blog post at a time, with each post focussing on a different topic.

The topic in today’s blog post is Sport and Leisure.

Again I feel it is worth noting that my Lockdown experience doesn’t compare to others and I am definitely covering 1st World Problems. Perhaps I should include this as a regular disclaimer?

Anyway, back to the topic at hand and that topic is Sport and Leisure. I believe it has been universally agreed how important exercise is, be it for ones physical or mental well-being. I’ve found this to be true, especially the latter when you regard the boxed-in nature of Lockdown. Having an engaging outlet to roam outdoors when almost every other avenue is no longer an option is worth its weight in gold. So, how did I engage in the wonderful outdoors I hear you ask?

Well, first off It is worth noting that over the past couple of years I’ve grown to become obsessed with Basketball (thanks to my friend Kai for inspiring me, also he is a Firefighter so thanks for your service good sir)! My obsession merely began with watching the Boston Celtics in the NBA and playing NBA 2K on Playstation. As well as keeping up with the American side of the game, I’ve turned my eye to the British Basketball League. The BBL is growing by the day and is a wonderful showcase of homegrown talent and it all comes to head with the wonderful BBL Finals at the O2 in London, an event I’ve had the pleasure of attending. Anywho, I like Basketball (I’m getting to the point one segway at a time bare with me) and my passion grew so much that it lifted me off the sofa and into a rec centre with a basketball in my hands. On one such occasion shooting some hoops with a friend a group of guys on the court next to us were involved in a pick-up game and invited us to join. At first, we declined, frightened we were far too rubbish to engage in some sort of actual game, but they persisted with their invitation and we joined in. It was great fun and it turns out it was a group of friends who meet every Wednesday to play, my friend and I were invited back. From then on, every Wednesday evening I took part in these pick-up games, it became a regular part of my week and something I really looked forward to. That all changed in March 2020 (I’m finally getting to the point) and due to Lockdown restrictions and so and so forth, my Wednesday Basketball group has been unable to return to action.

Little did I know that almost a year would go by without my weekly fix of Basketball, but I was aware that I’d be without it for a lengthy period when Lockdown 1 was announced. So, I did what any rational person would do and bought a free-standing Basketball Hoop. At this point it is worth clarifying that my Mum is an avid gardener, flowers and plants adorn the perimeter of my back garden. The garden also isn’t quite level. Combine these factors with a Basketball hoop and you have a recipe for chaos. Strangely enough, whenever my Mother wasn’t observing my Basketball antics, the flowers and plants were unharmed. However, the minute I was under her watchful eye, the Basketball seemed to take on a mind of its own akin to a bewitched Quaffle (Harry Potter reference to those paying attention) and would destroy all plant life in its path. This led to some moments of tension.

When the summer of 2020 came and lockdown restrictions were lifted I made the executive decision to move my hoop to my Girlfriend’s family home. They have a decent bit of space free of plant life that was perfect for the hoop. When the sun came out and restrictions permitted it I was able to partake in all sort of Basketball shooting games with my Girlfriend and her siblings. On occasion, I would even practice on my own. So, while I may still miss my Wednesday Basketball meets, my hoop has provided me with an outlet. It has been a great source of fun, a great excuse to get outdoors and there is something surprisingly therapeutic about throwing a ball at a hoop. I advise any and everyone to take it up.

I know seldom few people who own a hoop, but you’ll be happy to know almost every local park has one. So get yourself a Basketball and roll-up. It is a fun and alternative way to get your daily permitted exercise. Get a friend to join in with their ball for some socially distanced shooting games (take hand gel too), you can get competitive and break a sweat or just catch up and casually shoot, both are great fun. I’ve waffled on quite a bit about Basketball, but it has really helped me through Lockdown to be able to engage in something I love doing. I’ve got a few more Sport and Leisure experiences of Lockdown, but I’ll save those for another time. In the meantime, I hope that this read has added some levity to whatever it is you may be doing or going through.

Until the next time…

Dan