Covid-19 has had an everlasting impact on many individuals, organisations, and businesses. The sports industry has highlighted these changes more than others due to the publicity surrounding sport.
This article will examine these changes to determine whether the pandemic has provided a positive or negative impact on sport. In addition, each factor will be judged on how they have changed sport forever.
Decreased Activity Levels
Multiple lockdowns over the course of the year has made achieving a sufficient level of exercise exceedingly difficult for most. Restrictions to time outdoors and the closure of gyms and leisure centres has forced people to either alter or disregard their usual activity schedules.
As a result, the activity levels of the general population has decreased significantly over the past year. Studies conducted by Sport England found that the number of inactive adults (less than 30 minutes a week) has increased by approximately 1.2 million.
This number was even greater during the initial lockdown phase, with roughly 3 million people becoming inactive. Credit: https://www.sportengland.org/news/impact-coronavirus-activity-levels-revealed
As previously mentioned, many have began using alternatives methods of exercising. Some examples include purchasing equipment to use at home, increasing walking for leisure, and participating in online fitness sessions.
Although the decreased activity levels is ultimately a negative consequence of the pandemic, there has been a few positive outcomes. These positives can mainly be found in the emerging alternatives to the gym. The altered routines and use of home equipment has exposed methods of increasing accessibility, making it easier to exercise frequently and efficiently.
The majority of the population is likely to return to their regular exercise routine and therefore restoring activity levels. The main changes that are likely to remain after the pandemic is the use of alternative exercise strategies such as home workouts and online fitness sessions.
Cancellations, Postponements, and Restructures
Perhaps the most obvious change during the pandemic is the cancellations, postponements, and restructuring of elite sporting competitions. The majority of the events that were meant to occur during the initial lockdown phase were either cancelled or postponed.
These announcements rocked the world with many referring to this stage as ‘The Day Sports Stood still’. This moment acted as a turning for point for many, emphasising how the world was not returning to normal anytime soon.
The eventual return of some sport came during the middle of the first lockdown, but competitions were now behind closed doors and adhered with strict procedures to comply with Covid-19 regulations. This allowed for some competitions such as UFC, NBA, and the Champions League to be completed as well as offering a form of live entertainment for those stuck at home to enjoy.
Not all sporting events were as lucky. Two of the biggest summer events that were planned for 2020, the Tokyo Olympics and the European Football Championships, were postponed until the summer of 2021. In worse cases, competitions were cancelled entirely. For example, the Ligue 1 and many semi-professional competitions.
From a business perspective, the disruptions to the sports industry has also led to job losses, reduced income, and financial issues.
Halting sporting competitions during the pandemic has been essential to controlling the spread of the virus. However, the stoppages has caused a lot of disruption and complications that are still having an effect on the industry. Furthermore, disruptions are likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
Sporting competitions will eventually return to a normal structure. However, there will be important lessons that sporting clubs, organisations, and associations will learn and improve from during this experience.
Harm to Grassroots
The unforeseen stoppages due to the emersion of Covid-19 caused lots of complications within many sporting establishments. However, grassroots has arguably suffered the most as many competitions are still not active to this day.
Lots of grassroots clubs and organisations were already struggling to acquire facilities and funds before the pandemic. Adding the impacts of Covid-19 to the mix, the reduced income, extra protocols, and the efforts needed to restore competitions creates demands that may be too much to handle.
Estimates suggest that 25% of grassroots clubs in the UK are unlikely to return after lockdowns. If this is correct, there could be major long-term impacts for the development of talent, the physical activity levels and well-being of the general population and disrupting the foundations of many sporting competitions. Credit: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/mar/02/fears-that-25-of-grassroots-sports-clubs-may-not-return-after-lockdown
For many individuals, like myself, playing grassroots sport provides the opportunity to stay active and socialise with others. The removal of these activities has therefore created difficulties in maintaining both physical and social interactions which has led to a reduced level of physical activity and well-being.
The struggles for grassroots will continue for a while after the pandemic. Clubs will need time and support to recover from the effects of Covid-19. Unfortunately, some clubs won’t survive but hopefully these losses will encourage more elite clubs and organisations to provide support to the clubs that need it the most.
Importance of the Fans
It is important to note that the impact of Covid-19 on sport has not been completely negative. Like most changes, there are both positives and negatives. Although the pandemic has damaged the sports industry, it has also enlightened many to the aspects that has made sport so great for centuries.
It is often said that ‘sport is nothing without the fans’, which is something I whole-heartedly agree with. However, it is something that I believe many higher-ups have been slowly neglecting in order to line their own pockets.
As sport has become more professional and business focussed, views on fans have converted from an important aspect of sport to just an extra way of generating money. However, the pandemic has re-established the importance of fans and their influence.
The lack of fans in stadiums has significantly impacted performances of many clubs and athletes, producing more shock results and history-making competitions. However, the greatest example of how fans have influenced sport would be from the failed formation of the European Super League.
Owners of some the biggest Football clubs in the world devised a plan of forming a new league that resembled the formats of the NBA and NFL. This announcement was met by uproar from the fans because the plans would damage the integrity of the sport and it was clear the decision was motivated by money. (For more details, click here: https://www.theallstargamer.com/post/the-european-super-league-will-ruin-football-as-we-know-it)
After the announcement, fans all over the world came together to reject the proposal by voicing their opinions and organising protests outside of the grounds. As a result, the majority of the clubs backed out within 48 hours of the initial announcements and the idea was scrapped. Some clubs went one step further and decided to elect fans as part of their board to prevent a similar situation in the future.
Time will tell as to whether fans voices will remain to be heard. But at the moment, effects of Covid-19 has given some power back to the fans and provided a small step in the right direction.
A Glimpse of Positivity
Although the initial lockdown stopped the industry in its tracks, Sport was one of the first sectors that was re-introduced. The decision to bring back Sports was controversial as many believed that it jeopardised the lockdown and it put sport on an undeserved pedestal.
After much deliberation, it was decided in June 2020 that competitions would continue with new Covid-19 guidelines. The main reason seemed to be because it would provide some positivity for those still at home, bringing the vast majority of the population something to watch and enjoy.
One study conducted in March 2021 asked Americans if watching live sport has had a positive impact on their mental health or not. Results stated that 39% of participants agreed that sport had a positive impact, compared to 25% who disagreed. Credit: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1200875/live-sport-impact-during-covid/
Sport provides spectators with entertainment that they can connect with. By supporting their club or country, it provides an emotional connection which many would have been lacking during the pandemic. Overall, sport has provided a dose of happiness and hope throughout this tough time.
Competitions will continue to provide entertainment both during and after the pandemic.
More shocks and thrills
Finally, the competitions that have gone ahead during the pandemic has provided many interesting results. Sports have always provided plenty of thrilling games and shock results. However, factors that have been introduced during the pandemic have arguably created more shocks and thrills than ever before.
Home advantage has always had a significant presence in sporting competitions. The support and familiarity of a home ground has provided the extra motivation for athletes to perform. However, the lack of fans has removed this advantage. In some cases, like in the end run of the 2019-20 Bundesliga season, playing at home has provided a disadvantage. Credit: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2020.593499/full
For competitions postponed during the middle of the season, the lockdowns would have caused issues when trying to maintain fitness and performance levels. The lack of match sharpness and adequate fitness sessions resulted in a natural drop in performance, levelling the playing field for the majority of sporting competitions.
Some examples of shock and history making results in Football include Liverpool and Lille’s title wins, Switzerland beating France in euro 2020, and Lyon beating Man City in the CL quarter-final.
Shock results and thrilling games will continue to occur in sport long after the absence of Covid-19. However, whether it will be the same quantity is yet to be discovered.
Follower Views
Over on my Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/theallstargameral/), I asked my followers to describe how the pandemic has impacted their relationship with sport and physical activity.
One follower suggested that the pandemic has made them appreciate being able to play with friends more. They also said that they struggled exercising alone as solitary exercise was not as fun for them. This is something that I can sympathise with as I have also struggled with not competing in team sports with friends.
Another follower made the suggestion of eSports having an impact on their relationship with sport during the pandemic. eSports is a great alternative for sport lovers and has definitely grown in popularity during the lockdown phases. Many competitions provided virtual competitions during the initial lockdown with athletes trading the gym for a controller and screen. It was remarkably interesting watching how athletes played the games of their respected sport.
If you would like your response to be in a future post, be sure to follow my Instagram for all the latest updates.
Conclusion
Overall, it’s safe to say that Covid-19 has shook the sports industry and changed it in ways many of us would have never been able to imagine.
Whilst many will should the focus onto the negative impact the pandemic has had on the competitions we love, it is important to remember the positives that have emerged as well.
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