On the Success of Walking Football...
I've never really been into football massively, but I appreciate how much people get out of the game, and I've always had a soft-spot for the inclusivity of walking football, so I'm very glad to hear it's having something of a growth spurt in recent times!
Walking football has its origins in the small town of Chesterfield back in 2011, with the intentions being a gentle way of encouraging older men to take part in exercise. The game’s concept is quite simple, verging on the side of ridiculous: “Football, but no running, no contact, and at least one foot on the ground at all times.”
Fourteen years on, and completely unanticipated, walking football has emerged as the UK's fastest-growing sport, with more than 100,000 participants and over seventy teams taking part in the World Nations Cup in Spain.
Accessibility Without Infantilisation
Walking football to my mind seems like football but without the dirty fouling, and slower.
It is also a real sport, in which players are still capable of passing, tackling (without contact), strategizing, and scoring. And in some of those world cup games the pace can actually be quite fast!
But walking is still walking and so this is no where near as taxing on the body as football, which is pretty high impact with its stop-start nature.
This is especially pertinent for people who may have arthritis, problems with joints, or other types of chronic illnesses, for whom sport becomes unaccessible not because people have ceased to take an interest, but because it’s becoming too expensive in terms of physical cost. W
aWlking Football reduces that cost but does not take away dignity, it still expects you to put in the effort to play, just at a slower pace!
Health, But Also Something More
The obvious health advantage with walking football is that it promotes movement, and gentle cardiovascular activity, but the real benefits may well be social rather than just merely physical...
Camaraderie, banter, rituals, and membership are what really make this sport appealing, which makes sense given the considerable body of research which shows that lack of social connection is what's really harmful when it comes to ageing and early detioration.
The reason why walking football is effective is because exercise is embedded within a social institution. It provides people with a place to be, a commitment to make, as well as a sense of identity that is larger than what happens in the game......
Rethinking Sport Throughout the Life Course
It's interesting to use walking football to maybe think how wrong we;ve got sport -which is usually associated with youth, I mean you're generally thought to be doing very well if you get into your 40s and you're still competing at professional level.
Walking Football reminds that sports need to adapt to remain accessible to the older generations - there are some obvious candidates for sports for olders, besides the stereotypical bowls and golf, cycling is one that springs to mind... so it is VERY possible!
Final Thoughts....
Walking Football is a nice gentle sport with a massively beneficial social impact, more of this sort thing, I say!