Depression fears if schools pause sports during third wave

As the government ponders halting school sports during the Covid-19 third wave, experts have warned that keeping kids off the playing fields could increase childhood obesity and contribute to low self-esteem among pupils.

In addition, scores of sports coaches employed by schools could be left penniless by any ban on playing.

With eight schools in Gauteng being affected by Covid-19 infections, which the education department attributed to sports events, the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) will today be deliberating on closing sports events.

While it was likely school sports will be cancelled due to the imminent third wave, children who don’t participate in sports may end up with low-self esteem and depression due to weight gain and not being active, said sports scientist Sean van Staden.

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“My feeling is that they are going to go ahead with [closure]. They can’t segregate rugby because it is a contact sport like netball,” he said.

“During the Covid-19 lockdown, weight gain has gone through the roof. Self-confidence has dropped because of physical appearance and kids have been lethargic and not motivated to move around.

“Obesity is going to be a factor because fast food is rife.

“Kids need to move and the moment they stop moving, the consumption rate of eating outweighs the burning capacity and they put on weight,” he explained.

For those who coach children for a living, the possible shutting down of school sports comes with financial stresses.

Vincent Khoza, who coaches soccer at a primary school in Johannesburg, was left with no form of income for nine months when sporting events were cancelled last year.

“If I can’t coach at a school, it affects me financially because I charge per child, per term. I don’t have another plan.

“I just have to wait until everything opens again if the education department decides to close. That is the unfortunate part about our jobs. We can try to work at indoor facilities but they charge us to use them and I can’t expect parents to cover that charge too,” he told The Citizen.

From a teacher and coach point of view, children seem to be emotionally and physically affected due to the lack of routine, said the head of sports at Sutherland High School, Abraham Brand.

“From the pupils’ side, we see falling behind of emotional and physical well-being and it really did feel that with the relaxation of lockdown rules, we are moving in the right direction again with sports making a huge difference.

“I would say, safety-wise, it’s a better call for a short period of time to stop inter-school activities but, hopefully, not intra-school so we can still keep the [pupils] active and focus on their physical wellness,” said Brand.

The inconsistency in routine could lead to more injuries once schools return as children will be pushed by coaches to catch up without looking at the pupil’s physical development, fitness and sluggishness, said Van Staden.

“They will stop sports, then rush again for kids to play sports and what happens is the coaches push them as they all have a mandate to win. They don’t look at development. They will push them too hard and they will be left with injuries and scars.

“They need physical coaching and participation with their friends. A year lost in talent and development pushes their development space back by a year and a half. They are always playing catch-up,” he said.

While the CEM meeting’s agenda had many items, department spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said deliberations on the reported cases of Covid-19 related to sports events would be concluded today.

“A way forward will be determined there,” he said.

rorisangk@citizen.co.za