Monday Massacres: Man & Sports
"You can best teach character on playing field, using Sports to teach life lesson."
-Jim Thompson
And we think Sports is all about physical fitness.
Honestly, I have hardly played one sport dedicatedly throughout my life. But today, I feel I should have stick to one and played it religiously - not to represent my country at Olympics, not to win medals and awards but to understand life in a better way. A sport is one such activity that teaches you something beyond the classroom academics. It makes you a Man. Recently, I started to dedicate myself and my schedule’s one hour to play Squash. Not because it’s a classy game but because with a limited circle of friends I have it becomes easy to hunt down one friend and convince him/her to accompany me.
At 30, you often find it hard to play a sport which requires a group of people as players and participants. For instance, football –you will actually need a lot of co-ordination and time management to bring all of them together and play the game. One thing you learn in doing this is time and people management but it becomes a task at certain point and difficult to make the sport your regime.
So, SQUASH. What this game teaches me personally: perseverance, concentration, judgement, speed and most importantly to be in a box but still be smart enough to score. Health-wise, it helps me burn more calories than I would at a gym and gives my body enough stretching than I would get at aerobics. So practically it saves time.
Squash-facts:
Over 20 million squash players participate in the sport regularly worldwide in over 185 countries.
The number 1 ranked female player is from Malaysia and the number 1 ranked male player is from Egypt.
A Forbes study announced that squash is the best sport for getting and staying fit. On average, a player burns about 750 calories per hour.
It is ideal for urban lifestyles, of the kind that have generated increases in child obesity and other metabolic health issues.
The fact that both players share the same court space means that in competition, they have to co-exist. This unique feature of our game teaches valuable lessons of friendship and friendly rivalry.
It is an all-weather activity – as it’s an indoor sport, weather conditions don’t prevent you from playing.
Few other similar sports to give a try at 30:
Kick Boxing:
Kickboxing is a group of stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai, Taekwondo and Western boxing.
Benefits:
Patience
Self-confidence
Discipline
Self-defense
General fitness
Stamina Building
Concentration
Reflex - Accuracy
Badminton:
A sport played with rackets in which a shuttlecock is hit back and forth across a net.
Benefits:
Team work
Self-confidence
Physical fitness
Fighting obesity
Flexibility
Reflex-Accuracy
Mental health
Billiards/ Snooker:
A game for two people played on a billiard/ Snooker table, in which the balls are struck with cues into pockets round the edge of the table. Not technically a sport-sport, but serves with benefits. Primarily played for improving mental health.
Benefits:
Patience
Perseverance
Self-confidence
Helps build focus
Burns calories
Stretching and balancing
Sharpens hand-eye coordination
Roller-Skating:
It is skating on a hard surface other than ice with roller skates. It is a form of recreational activity as well as a sport.
Benefits:
Self-confidence
Endurance
Tolerance
Low-impact exercise for joints
High caloric burn
Aerobically as good as jogging or cycling
Involves all the major muscle groups, hence good for weight control
Mentally uplifting
SO ALL YOU MEN OUT THERE, GET UP, SELECT A SPORT & DEDICATE YOURSELF TOWARDS IT.
ALL THE BEST.
Do share with me your stories about sports and how has it helped you grow as a man. Or just tell us if you loved reading this article.