The Defining Line

Cricket, football, tennis, squash, athletics, rugby etc etc etc... All great sports which have been in existence for a very very long time. 

I remember growing up Chatsworth, Kharwastan and spending hours playing sport in our streets' cul de sac. We had a cricket season, football season and played tennis around July with "strawberries and cream" not to far away.

During these seasonal games, we had to prepare for our opposition.  Preparation in this sense meant, drawing "LINES" on the street to make a cricket pitch ( the crease and wide lines), the goal line and the tennis court.  Why did we need "LINES"? Why has sports for generations require this most important piece of "equipment".  That is, the white chalk or paint, which allowed the game to commence and end? If we really think about, without chalk or paint, sport may not actually exist. How would we have winners or losers? 

The "LINE", defines sport.  This four letter word, has more meaning to sport than exactly the games itself.  

Today, a "no ball" in cricket can change the momentum of a game massively.  It can dictate a batsman's length of time at the crease or in the limited format, mean a "free hit", which can swing the momentum of the game and the confidence of a batsmen.

In football, there are now goal line referees.  This is to guard against incorrect goal line calls which could mean the difference between a World Cup winners medal or not.  The famous Sir Geoff Hurst, from England, scored a goal in the 1966 World Cup Final against West Germany, which had some controversy about it. 

"Hawk eye" technology has advanced the game of tennis.  This by limiting human error and promoting correct decisions.  The importance of taking care of the "LINE".  It is inexpensive but defining.

Recently I came across a very profound picture which also defines the importance of sport. And a strong philosophy which I try to inculcate in the training of sportspeople. "GET TO THE LINE".  

Here the LINE is important during the conditioning of players.  Creating an environment which breeds excellence by not turning short and taking shortcuts defines an individual.

Again the LINE has defining meanings. A simple aspect in sports that is so defining and profound, that it can dictate an outcome of a game.  It brings an emotional part to sport as players are either positively or negatively inclined due to a LINE call or it can show people within my industry, the true mental make up of an individual. In this case, turning short and looking for shortcuts will poorly define an individual.  The LINE is there for a very specific reason and has been there for many generations and will continue to be there for eternity.  No one individual can defy the LINE.  

Take care of the LINE, your sport and your team mates and the LINE will take care of you.  In my eyes the LINE has a very philosophical meaning. 

@Craig_gov

Instagram : 911Govie

    

Steven Gerrard

This Saturday, concludes one of sports greatest love stories.  I've been a Liverpool Football Club supporter for as long as I can remember and I clearly remember making a brown cardboard poster, supporting my team against Nottingham Forest in the 1988/89 FA Cup.  Playing sports and football at a young age, was due to my dad, who began an Under 10 football team, in our neighbour.  We played the game for hours on end and loved every moment of it.

Being at home, with my folks over the last few weeks, have evoked many precious memories from my youth, growing up in Kharwastan, Durban. Life was simple and the strong family values instilled in me were immeasurable.  

Similar to Steven Gerrard's 17 year love affair, with Liverpool Football Club, it seems that many values have been instilled into him by various role models along his chosen path.  He is a sporting legend to me and someone I have lots of admiration for.  Apart from his ability with the football at his feet, he is a "FAMILY MAN" and epitomizes "PROFESSIONALISM".  Having read he latest media release, "Stevie G", was apologetic to his "TEAM", as he feels he is taking away all the attention from the game against Crystal Palace. 

Apart from being a family man, he respects his parents massively and he praises the coaches, who have walked the path with him.  From Liverpool youth coaches, Steve Heighway, Dave Shannon and Huge McAuley, to his former manager Gerard Houllier, whom he saw as a father figure and the manager who gave him the club captaincy at the age of 23.  To his current coach, in Brendon Rogers, whom he feels is a great man manager.

Steven Gerrard, may not be seen as the greatest footballer in the world.  But he is a great to the many millions of Liverpool fans around the world.  He is a team man.  He is passionate about Liverpool, the club and the city and has stayed with the team through thick and thin and was not lured into chasing the power of the pound.  He is a humble man, who tries to live a life under the radar.  

This brings me to, the power of a role models. By definition, A role model is a person whose behaviour, example or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by the younger people.  The term " role model" is credited to sociologist Robert K Merton, who coined the phrase during his career.  Merton hypothesized that individuals compare themselves with reference groups of people who occupy the social role to which the individual aspires.  An example being the way fans will idolize and imitate professional athletes or entertainment artists.  

It is important to have role models but it's even more important develop your own philosophies and build your own legacy and not live in the shadow of others.  This hence, brings about dreams, goals and responsibility for those aspirations. 

Steven Gerrard's legacy will remain strong and loud for a very long time to come, due to his loyalty, passion and professionalism to the LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB.  

YOU WILL NEVER WALK ALONE  

@Craig_gov

Why do so many batsman suffer from neck stiffness?

The medical term for a stiff and painful neck is called, an Acute Wry Neck.  This is often accompanied by spasm of the surrounding neck muscles, neck pain and an inability to turn your neck through its full range of motion. 

Acute wry neck is an extremely common condition, which can be quite disabling as the sufferer experiences constant severe pain with simple neck movements.   

The most common cause of acute wry neck, is due to a locked facet joint.  Facet joints are located at the back of your spinal column. These facet joints allow, guide and limit the movements of your neck. Your facet joints are intended to allow smooth gliding movements between the adjacent vertebra. Occasionally your facet joints can become either stiff through traumatic injury or arthritis or simply get stuck at at extreme of movement. 

A common reported history for the wry neck patient is to wake with a stiff and painful neck.  Onset of the wry neck is usually sudden. The cause may have included a restless night sleep, uncomfortable pillow, waking suddenly in the night (eg a noise) or simply unknown.   Professional cricketers, travel a great deal, that is, sleeping on long flights to various countries around the world and most importantly, they sleep in different beds and on different pillows.  A pillow is extremely important for a comfortable sleep and a "healthy" neck.  The comfort and moulding of a pillow to a cricketers neck, changes from their own pillow at home, to a pillow in a hotel in Brisbane, London and Colombo.   Apart from this, I feel that batsman are more prone to wry necks because of long periods of batting, in the same side-on position.  They need to keep their head in a side-on position for a repeated time to face a bowler.  Hence, this becomes a repeated movement and an overuse movement.

Wry neck pain is due to the numerous nerve endings that are located in the facet joint itself and in the tissues adjacent to the facet joint. Facet wry neck is most common in younger populations, ranging from young children to people in their thirties. Older facet wry neck sufferers tend to have a more gradual onset with the facet joints becoming "rusty" over time.

Signs and Symptoms of Facet Wry Neck

Pain – generally located in the middle or side of the neck that is affected. The onset of pain is sudden. The pain experienced does not extend beyond the shoulder joint.

Loss of Movement – your neck is generally fixed in an abnormal position – most commonly flexed forward and rotated away from the side of pain. All movements aggravate the pain, as the joint is fixed and movement triggers irritation to the joint and thus pain.

Muscle Spasm – this is a tightening of the associated neck muscles that further limit movement.

Treatment:

Physiotherapists assess your neck and confirms which joint or joints are locked, they will utilise a range of low risk joint treatment techniques and soft tissue massage to normalise your facet joint function. 

While the joint can almost always be immediately unlocked, you will have some residual muscle spasm and swelling in the region due to the trauma. Think how a sprained ankle swells! Neck joints will also swell, but it won't be  as visible.

How Long is Recovery?

Most acute wry necks can be unlocked immediately. However the residual effects may last for up to one week. It is also important to normalise your neck muscle and joint function (eg strength and motion) to prevent a regular recurrence, which unfortunately commonly occurs if your neck injury is poorly rehabilitated.

 @ Craig_gov

Craig Govender Physiotherapy @ The Bullring

The Man in the Stands

I wanted to entitle this blog, the lonely man in the stands but are all these men and woman who spend their time and money supporting teams around the world, really lonely?

I beg to differ on all accounts.  To me, the greatest supporters of sport, love what they do unconditionally.  They have an undying passion for their sport and team.  As a famous author once wrote, they lead without a title.  They are leaders in their on right.  He/she could be a CEO of a major company or someone that just makes ends meet, who are we to know.  Players may not know if he/she is in the stadium. Publicity, fame and fortune has never been on top of their endless list.  Status, power and money does not dictate the life of the man in the stands.

I dedicate this blog to a man that does not seek public fame, a mention in the newspaper or glittering photographs.   He is a man that silently flies, or drives around the country and watches each and every ball with the attention to detail any coach would.  This is a man that bestowed me, with a gift that is worth millions.

The simple things in life allows us to enjoy this beautiful game.  A game that brings so much joy to the man in the stands.  

@Craig_gov

A Comparison of Distances Covered by Athletes from Different Codes of Sports

Cricket may seem like a slow game, but the distances covered by mainly fast bowlers are great.  Fast bowlers cover more distance than half marathon runners at times. Recently during a Boxing Day, Ashes Test Match, Mitchell Johnson was recorded as having covered 23 kilometers on the first day.  He also reached speeds of 33.1kph and this was achieved by chasing a ball to the boundary.  The fastest speed recorded using the Australian GSP monitoring system, was done by Brett Lee, who reached a speed of 36kpm.  This is faster than most wingers, in AFL, rugby league and union.

A fast bowler is generally said to cover about 15km in 50 over cricket (including the walk back to the mark) and more than 20km in a day for a Test match.

 

A Comparison:

SPORT	TIME	DISTANCE
Half Marathon	58:23min – World Record 90min – Competitive 120min – Amateur	21.1km
Cricket (fast bowler)	180min 360min	@ 15km – ODI @ 20km - TEST
Football player (midfielder and wingers cover more distance	90min	@ 8-15km
Field Hockey	70min	@ 7-9km
Tennis	300min  665min (World Record)	@4-5km @9.6km each player