How to Enjoy Sports With Friends During a Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has swept through the world in the last few weeks and has affected every facet of life from business to sports. In terms of sports, practically every major sports tournament from the NBA season to the NFL season have been postponed or canceled. For many sports fans around the world, this was a massive blow not just because they would not be able to enjoy seeing their favorite sports teams play but also because sports served as a fun activity between them and their friends. Even in social distancing, it is possible to enjoy some sports-related activity with friends in the following ways:
1. Sports trivia and discussion: Even though you may not be able to watch live sports, you can certainly talk about it. Consider having a video or audio conference with friends and having discussions about sports. This could be past games, players, predictions and so on. Create a list of topics you wish to discuss and have the conference calls on the days you would have watched sports together. This will allow you and your friends to not only spend time talking to each other but will also get you in the spirit of sports. You may also incorporate trivia, quizzes and so on to make the experience more memorable. There are a number of sports trivia and quiz games online and one friend could be designated as the game leader to keep things organized and prevent heated debates or arguments.
2. Re-watch past games: While there will not be any games happening live, there are always games that have already taken place that you can watch. Each week or so, have you and your friends vote on which game you would like to watch and do so remotely, with each of you giving commentary as the game progresses. This will give the feel of watching a ‘live’ game and can also help you relive some of your favorite moments from legendary games. Should you and your friends find this enjoyable, you could very well spark a tradition that will last even beyond the social distancing period.
3. E-Sports: Even if you cannot watch sports games being played by others with your friends, you can all step into the drivers’ seat and play e-sports against each other. There is a very wide variety of e-sports games over the internet that cut across both major sports as well as the less popular ones. Have your friends decide on which game they would like to play and choose a time and date. Compete among yourselves and if possible, choose a prize for the winner such as a free dinner when social distancing comes to an end. This way, you not only have a good time but have something to look forward to once you see each other again.
Social distancing might mean that live sporting events are impossible but you cans till enjoy sports with your friends, whether it be through quizzes, watching live games or e-sports.