THE Covid-19 enforced lockdown has cast a gloomy picture on the future of schools’ sports in the country.
If the suspension of sport seasons can cause significant grief, stress and sadness to a professional athlete, what more for a primary or secondary student athlete.
The country’s future sportspersons are rusting at home with some likely to even ditch sport altogether when the lockdown is lifted and life returns to normal.
The closure of education institutions around the world due to Covid-19 has negatively impacted on the sports education sector and young athletes.
Schools’ sport plays a huge role as a talent nurturing ground and feeder system for the country’s professional sporting disciplines.
National schools’ completions have over the years been a good ground for talent identification and some have ended up in professional ranks locally and abroad.
However, most budding sportspersons’ dreams have been shuttered by the pandemic this year, as schools have been closed since March.
National competitions such as the Copa Coca Cola, Nash and Naph athletics competitions have been a stepping stone for a number of successful sportspersons in the country. Missing out in such events may have frustrated some young talent to give up sport.
“There are some disadvantages that are going to arise now because when you look at Nash we have got age groups so if one was legible for a particular age group this year, next year they may not qualify. Right now l don’t know what they are going to do about that situation. A perfect example will be the Copa Coca Cola competition.
Some who were in the required age group this year won’t make it next year even if they are still in school so it’s an opportunity missed.
“Are we not disadvantaging some of these talented youngsters who might have excelled in the country and beyond this year? So Nash might need to consider how it will handle this situation,” said SRC technical board member James Rugwevera, who is also a teacher at Mpopoma High School.
In developed countries, school coaches are working to keep their isolated players motivated and busy using virtual platforms.
Many schools are sending workouts weekly and meeting with their players through Zoom to keep athletes motivated. On the other hand, schools’ athletes in Zimbabwe do not have the same privileges.
There has little or no talk about what young athletes stuck at home are doing during the lockdown.
A learner Sean Dubewho, plays football in high school, said he hadn’t kicked a ball in months.
“Since the lockdown began, l have been mostly focusing on reading and just watching movies here and there.
Sometimes l go out to exercise, but it’s not something that l do on a daily basis. I was hoping to do well for my school this year, but unfortunately we have this virus that stopped everything,” said Dube.
Collin Nyabadza, a former teacher at Tjewondo Primary School in Maphisa, said says those in charge of schools’ sport have a huge challenge post Covid-19.
“Emotionally the children may not be in the best frame of mind. This Covid-19 and the lockdown will leave a permanent physiological mark on the children. The first days are crucial. The children will struggle to adjust to the new normal as it is being referred to.
“They won’t know how to behave during sporting activities. The same goes for their trainers the teachers. There will be a lot of fear and anxiety. The children may therefore not give their best in sport because of that,” Nyabadza said.
Nyabadza is now based in Canada and runs the Children’s Voice Charitable Trust, which seeks to create an enabling environment for children to learn and realise their full potential.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has included Physical Education and Sport as main subjects that must be included in the curriculum.
Another physical education teacher Nkazimulo Nkomo said: “Obviously a huge task lies ahead post covid-19 in terms of motivating pupils. Physical education does not only teach children about a healthy body, but to maintain a healthy state of mind.
“There’s is a lot of work to be done post Covid-19 because the children have been at home for very long period. The hope is that they are staying away from drugs and alcohol and staying fit by following exercises they were taught in class.”
