(Lethbridge Sport Council on Facebook)

By Justin Goulet

Studying the impacts of COVID-19 on sport and physical activity

Aug 20, 2020 | 10:59 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted local sports and children’s participation in physical activity?

The Lethbridge Sport Council conducted a survey looking into that, and to find out how active people in the community were before and during COVID-19 restrictions, around the time of the Stage 2 provincial relaunch and what participation could look like post-COVID.

99 surveys were completed, which represented 280 children and their families.

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11 percent of respondents represented children in pre-school, 30 percent in elementary school (grades K to five), 26 percent in middle school (six to eight) and 33 percent in high schools (nine to 12).

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Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, 74 percent of survey respondents’ children were active for more than one hour per day. During COVID restrictions, that figure went down to 17 percent.

Once the Stage 2 relaunch hit, 35 percent participated in more than one hour of activity per day. It’s anticipated that the figure will go up to 68 percent post-COVID.

Executive Director of the council, Susan Eymann, said some recreational programs have returned, but not as many families have enrolled their kids in those programs as the council expected.

“Some of that is [due to] a fear of becoming sick or potentially family members of the children becoming sick. Others are [that] the opportunities haven’t been at the same numbers because those programs that are happening are not able to have the same numbers yet because of the cohorts or because of the social distancing,” she told LNN.

The survey also focused on specific negative and positive impacts of the pandemic.

NEGATIVES

Some of the negative impacts include:

• 94 percent of children are suffering due to a lack of social interaction
• 83 percent are missing development skills
• 64 percent of children have had changes in their sleep patterns and habits

POSITIVES

The LSC did take a look at some positives the shut-down and pandemic has had on children, including:

• More time for parents to spend with their children
• Some parents said they were not nearly as rushed every day
• Some reported savings in expenses

“There are many families that are so excited that programs are happening, and kids can be active, and they can get back into the activities where the children can have fun, feel like they’re doing something that they’re good at,” Eymann commented.

“One [survey] response was that they’re nicer people and able to sleep better when they’re active.”

On the flip side, Eymann said there are some families taking a more cautious approach to enrolling their children back into recreational programs, due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eymann said the council is looking toward the impact the health crisis could have on sport going forward, even as far as five years from now.

The full survey results can be found here.