Sports in time of crisis: Is it really that important?

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to sweep nation after nation with devastating consequences, the world has been essentially left paralyzed on multiple sectors of society, especially those who have no business being out on the streets. 

The sports world is one of those sectors, and the negative consequences that this health emergency has brought upon it are crystal clear. 

All major sports leagues, including the NBA, have been shut down until further notice. Larger-than-life superstars have been reduced to being TikTok sensations, leaving fans nostalgic of normal times and reporters wondering how to earn a living. 

The COVID-19 pandemic really just shed light on how important – or unimportant – sports really are in the bigger picture. 

The presence of sports right now is a Schrodinger’s paradox: it exists simultaneously as significant and insignificant depending on which perspective you would take. 

While athletes are paid millions of dollars to provide entertainment and inspiration, medical workers are given a whole lot less while being expected to literally save lives. 

Although this is indeed a direct comparison between two different sets of individuals, this is by no means a knock on people who would pay for entertainment more than anything else, which in turn skyrockets athletes’ values. 

Some will just argue that the price to pay for a good escape is just that high, while others will say that others need that money way more for way bigger causes. 

Dealing with the grimness of real life is just not fun, plain and simple. But now, it seems that the dark clouds of reality have caught up, and people are left with nowhere to hide in the ensuing rains. 

Going back on the issue of sports being a Schrodinger’s paradox, now is the time to make sure it stays significant in the present context of the world. 

Although you can no longer attend any sporting event, the values the world of sports have taught you are still applicable, arguably even more than ever. 

While sports has taught us that there’s more to life than our problems, its absence has taught us that we should also take nothing for granted. Its whole existence is insignificant unless you decide that its values can be used in real life. 

Yes, we can no longer watch our favorite sports, but its value of teamwork tells us that we should keep on working together to beat this new and seemingly unbeatable foe. 

You can no longer watch superstar guards dish dimes on the court, but you can still assist your frontliners in this ongoing battle by donating masks and food. 

You can no longer watch your volleyball heroes block a kill spike, but you can still reject fake news peddlers by keeping your eyes open and acting quickly. 

Your favorite martial artists are no longer competing in the ring, but you can still help knock out this virus pandemic as long as you practice discipline both at home and on the road. 

Sports taught us the value of knowing our role, but at the same time, it also taught us to voice out our concerns with constant communication.

We must remember that what we need is a leader, not a dictator. A team is only as strong as its weakest member, so we must never forget those who are the most vulnerable and hold those who lead us accountable for their actions. 

And that’s all we are in this time of great crisis: a team. As long as we keep our defense up, stick to our game plan and remember to keep one another in check, we will beat this opponent sooner rather than later. 

Right now, there is no enemy greater than ourselves. – Rappler.com