Sports for mental health;The DATRC experience

Last Wednesday at the Drug Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre(DATRC),a white woman who is one of group of folks visiting the Vom Christian Hospital on vacation from the UK came into the unit with some sport equipments. She came with the sole purpose of teaching the patients or clients some of these games as well as to donate these equipments to the centre so that the patients may be playing it in their recreation time.

That day we all went out, both the patients as well as the staff, to learn what she called Quick Cricket. I had always watched with amazement when Cricket is played on the TV and I used to wonder what it was all about.Well,that day, I leant about the wicket, the bowler and the baton. I learnt how the game is counted i.e. the run. It is rather very interesting I must say, and I am now looking forward to watching a game of cricket on the T.V.Incidentally,Nigeria is not a cricket playing nation. I must sat that before now I never saw a game of cricket played live before. The same cannot be said of other games like Volley ball, Basket ball,Handball,Hockey and a host of other games which though not as popular as Football in Nigeria, nevertheless we are not totally ignorant of.

In order to consolidate on what we have learnt,we also had another round of games two days ago. This time there were two groups, with each group playing cricket and volley ball respectedly.As you must have guessed, I opted for cricket and this time discovered that I was rather better at bowling. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I am really thinking now of how I can be playing the game on a regular basis in order to keep in shape and lose weight. It is rather more interesting and motivating than just jogging.

Apart from the above sentiments, the import of what these white folks did those days should not be lost on us. These people had left the comfort of their home and country to try and touch the lives of people in other lands. They are Christians who know that there are a whole lot of ways by which one can spread the love of Jesus. They have chosen to spread this love simply by teaching these patients how to play games and donating sporting equipments to the centre to promote the regular playing of the game. This surely is a way to touch peoples’ lives and leave an indelible mark in the heart.