Elections: Running for Sports
It’s that time of the year again. The COC’s have been filed and they’re off and running. Running in a race for political power. Running to lead the country, cities or towns. Running to make a difference. Or just simply running. Pardon the bias but amidst all the promises that political candidates always make (and rarely meet), sports seems to take a back seat. Sports doesn’t seem to be seen as something that can actually help in nation-building.
Someone said, “I hate drugs.” Another said, “Crime rate drops when a big sports event takes place such as Pacquiao fights.” And yet another said “The country comes together as one to cheer for Gilas or Pacquiao or any national icon or team competing overseas.” But despite all these realities, we have yet to see a concrete and comprehensive program that can actually maximize the value of sports. I hope and pray that all those running for the various local and national positions take a second look at how sports can actually build a nation.
It actually starts at the bottom. Sports can be a program for local government units with the simple goal of encouraging the citizenry to take on a healthy and active lifestyle. We’re not even talking about competitions and tournaments here. This is just basic fitness 101. A program of activities for the masses is the way to go here. Just a thought: If we can get all barangays of an entire town to do/dance the zumba or jog around the barangay on a regular schedule, we would’ve helped the town already. If you think about it, it’s also an excellent way for politicians to gain support from the masses and to bond with them. I can already imagine a local mayor leading the front row of a zumba session at the town plaza or jogging along with others around town. He not only leads the town to work out. He also gets tons of “pogi points” that he direly needs if he wants to be re-elected.
Another sports program should also target the youth. The campaign? “Start ‘em young. Get your kids into sports.” This can be a grassroots based program that invites young kids to get into sports. Only the basics are taught with a fun environment as a must. Fun games are played; the more fun, the better. Fact: Kids have fun by getting into sports. I have yet to see or hear a kid say that he or she didn’t have fun while playing. Another fact: Many times, it’s the adults (coaches, trainers and parents) who take away the fun from the kids who get into sports when they take things too seriously. Agree? As the fun spreads, competitive sports is a natural next step when teen-agers compete against each other in various tournaments, leagues or sports events. Teamwork and unity play a big role here as local communities unite to support a local team. Again, from the bottom it starts. From barangays up to the town/city level, the regional and the national level. We actually have this set-up already in place in the school network. The only thing missing is a consistent program where sports is practiced and played in all schools all year-round, and not just in time for competitions. And when some don’t make it to the next level, they shouldn’t stop practicing and playing.
Everything levels up when the country supports the big sports competitions at the collegiate and later the semi-professional and professional ranks. And the climax is when the country competes in the international sports scene. A united nation is always tough to topple down. When Gilas Pilipinas won a game at the FIBA World Cup of 2014, the whole nation was there cheering from another part of the globe. When Manny Pacquiao fights, the entire country is behind him. While viewership figures of his fights may have slipped, he can still magnet a nation each time he fights.
Amidst all this, sports as a nation-builder is evident when it also becomes a developer of values and virtues among everyone. Discipline, teamwork, hard work, patience, generosity, self-sacrifice, respect for others. If we can a build a nation with these, how can a country go wrong? This is sport’s role as an aid to help develop one’s personality and character. Just compare people into sports against people who stay in their homes all the time and who live idle lives doing “nothing.” I think the answer is quite obvious. Sports can develop a more disciplined and responsible citizenry, something that we Pinoys really lack when compared to other countries.
There’s more to sports than what we normally see. Sports isn’t just a case of sweating it out, playing against others and winning games. It can build responsible citizens who in turn can help build a nation. Are you running? Sports anyone?
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