You’ve had too much turkey, you’ve consumed too much eggnog and the freezing snow has made the thought of leaving the house less than desirable, but with a new year comes the chance to start fresh.
2019 represents the opportunity to get everything back on track, and it turns out Australian football – also known as footy – could be just the thing to help.
Here’s why footy should be your New Year’s resolution.
1. You’ll get fit
Footy is one of the most active sports in the world. Professional players often run more than 20 kilometres in a game, but there are positions for all fitness levels. An average training session is essentially a boot camp with ball skills. There will be running, burpees and push ups. If you’re not fit when you join up, you will be fit by the end of the season.
2. Make friends
Was being more social on your list? Footy is an incredibly social sport. While camaraderie is important on the field, the real friendships are forged off the field. Joining a team equals 20 new friends instantly. Even if you can’t play, the social factors alone are worth joining a team.
3. You’ll have fun
From a completely objective view, footy is the most fun sport on the planet to play. It’s fast and it’s tough, but more importantly for Canadians, it’s different. There is unique ball with skills that translate from other sports, but in the end all Canadians learning the sport come from a level playing field. And learning the sport is half the fun.
4. It’s cheap
Sport in Canada can get a little expensive. Helmets, pads, skates, sticks. It’s not cheap. But the simplicity of footy means it’s cheap to play. All you need to bring are cleats and a mouth guard. That’s it.
5. Travel
To travel more is always a part of everybody's New Year's resolutions. Because the playing base is still relatively small, there are great opportunities to represent your region/country and travel to play. Recently national players travelled to Melbourne, Australia, to represent Canada, while players in the development squad went to London, England to play against European teams. The best players in each province travelled to Toronto for the provincial championships and individual clubs travelled to Wisconsin for the US Nationals.
Who knows what 2019 will bring, but it brings with it a strong chance of travel. And we didn't even mention the week-long social event that is the footy trip.
6. There are clubs right across Canada
There are currently Canadians playing footy, both men's and women's, in six provinces – and the number of teams is always growing. There is most likely a team near you, so there is no excuse not to join a club today! Find a team now:
Last Modified on 13/12/2018 15:07