• Make a contribution
  • Get the Print Edition
  • Sign up for our daily newsletter
Friday, May 23, 2025
  • Login
Reading Today Online
  • HOME
  • YOUR AREA
    • All
    • Caversham
    • Central Reading
    • East Reading
    • Katesgrove
    • Reading
    • Southcote & Coley
    • Tilehurst & Norcot
    • Whitley

    Workers ‘optimistic but overwhelmed’ about AI, new research shows

    European Movement in Berkshire welcomes news of a UK/EU ‘relationship reset’

    Council announces fresh wave of cost of living support

    Knife crime in Thames Valley down nearly 10% last year, ONS figures show

    Nearly 100 singers raised their voices for women’s health

    TK Maxx moves to The Oracle, gives customers the chance to win a gift card

    Man wanted for dangerous driving and failing to stop

    Woman in her seventies sexually assaulted on bus in Reading

    Government announces unified parking app rollout

  • COMMUNITY
  • READING FC
  • SPORT
    • All
    • Basketball
    • Football
    • Rugby

    Former Reading FC manager Ruben Selles linked with League One job

    Four in a row for BAPCO

    Reading fans – you can finally dare to dream again

    Rob Couhig reveals new Reading FC CEO following takeover

    It’s a podium streak for Wokingham racing star Bobby with a win at Silverstone

    Rams RFC celebrate at end of season ball

    Lewis hits brilliant century to see Berkshire CCC beat Buckinghamshire

    ‘Without you, there would be no club’: Defender sends farewell message to Reading FC fans

    Style and splendour returns to Newbury

  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • ARTS
    • READING FESTIVAL
    • READING PRIDE
    • WOKINGHAM FESTIVAL
  • PRIDE OF READING
  • OBITUARIES
  • JOBS
  • ADVERTISE
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Reading Today Online
No Result
View All Result
Home Lifestyle

TIME FOR KINDNESS: How kindness runs through sport

Guest Contributor by Guest Contributor
Saturday, July 8, 2023 7:01 am
in Lifestyle
A A
The Women?s Euros Picture: Sarah Browning

The Women?s Euros Picture: Sarah Browning

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Sport is on my mind a lot at the moment.

The Wimbledon Tennis Championship has just started and the Women’s Football World Cup kicks off in New Zealand later in the month. The Netball World Cup, World Athletics Championships and Tour de France are just some of the other events taking place this summer.

Alongside the competitiveness and rivalry, there is a lot of kindness to be seen in the world of sport.

From respect for the opposition, to the joy of teamwork. From superstars signing autographs for fans, to the winner throwing their sweatbands into the crowd. I find it really inspiring to see.

Role models

Women’s football is particularly popular in my house and we can’t wait for the start of the World Cup. We have our England flags at the ready, sticker albums are almost complete and we’ve been watching the team train via social media.

Related posts

Woman in her seventies sexually assaulted on bus in Reading

Boy sexually assaulted in Reading, police release e-fit

Reading man fails to appear in court on charge of burglary

Young man and woman attacked by group of teenagers in Reading robbery

But it’s not just their footballing skills that cause us to admire England’s Lionesses so much. They also demonstrate a lot of kindness, from interacting with their fans as role models, to speaking up on social issues and getting involved with charities.

They are not alone in demonstrating kindness in elite sport.

Here are just a few other examples:

At the Tokyo Olympics, runners Isaiah Jewett of the United States and Nijel Amos of Botswana got tangled and fell during the 800m semi-finals. Rather than get angry, they helped each other to their feet, put their arms around each other and finished together.

Olympic slalom canoeist, Etienne Stott, is involved in campaigning and is currently taking part in a climate relay to highlight action for the climate emergency.

Snooker player Ken Doherty joined the True Athlete Project as a mentor and supported paralympic table tennis player, Jack Hunter-Spivey, by sharing his experiences of the highs and lows of top-level sport.

Kindness at grassroots

There is a lot going on at non-elite sport levels too.

These teams and individuals usually have coaches, referees and club organisers who are volunteers. Some of them are parents of young people who are playing, others are not.

The players themselves can show kindness too.

At my daughter’s recent end-of-season fun day, she took part in a six-a-side football tournament where the teams that play together during the season get mixed up.

Despite not knowing each other well, if at all, the players were great at checking everyone was happy, especially the goalie (that’s not usually a popular spot!). They celebrated with high fives when they scored and were supportive when passes didn’t come off.

Their manager was a parent volunteer in her first experience of ‘managing’ a team. This was also a kind act because she stepped in at the last minute when a more experienced volunteer had to drop out.

All in all, I think it’s safe to say that whatever sport you follow this summer, you will be able to spot kind acts if you look out for them.

Sarah Browning is a Kindness Cheerleader, Communicator and Strategist. For more inspiring stories of kindness, visit: www.timeforkindness.co.uk

Keep up to date by signing up for our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people who have requested it.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Tags: Kindnesslocal newsrdgrdg newsrdgukRdguk borough newsreadingreading berkshirereading newsSport
Previous Post

Berkshire CCC move into NCCA Trophy final four

Next Post

ANOTHER VIEW: The benefits of volunteering

FOLLOW US

POPULAR STORIES

  • Young man and woman attacked by group of teenagers in Reading robbery

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Former Reading FC star to be released as free agent by Championship club

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Former Reading FC star to become free agent following Championship relegation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Thousands experience power outage in Reading, not expected to be fixed for hours

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Reading FC group Sell Before We Dai makes generous donation following end of campaign

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

RDG.Today – which is a Social Enterprise – provides Reading Borough with free, independent news coverage.

If you are able, please support our work

Click Here to Support RDG.Today

ABOUT US

Reading Today is dedicated to providing news online across the whole of the Borough of Reading. It is a Social Enterprise, existing to support the various communities in Reading Borough.

CONTACT US

news@wokinghampaper.co.uk

Reading Today Logo

Keep up to date with our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people that have subscribed

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

The Wokingham Paper Ltd publications are regulated by IPSO – the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
If you have a complaint about a  The Wokingham Paper Ltd  publication in print or online, you should, in the first instance, contact the publication concerned, email: editor@wokingham.today, or telephone: 0118 327 2662. If it is not resolved to your satisfaction, you should contact IPSO by telephone: 0300 123 2220, or visit its website: www.ipso.co.uk. Members of the public are welcome to contact IPSO at any time if they are not sure how to proceed, or need advice on how to frame a complaint.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • MY AREA
    • Central Reading
    • East Reading
    • Bracknell
    • Calcot
    • Caversham
    • Crowthorne
    • Earley
  • COMMUNITY
  • SPORT
    • Reading FC
    • Football
    • Rugby
    • Basketball
  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • ARTS
    • READING FESTIVAL
    • READING PRIDE
    • WOKINGHAM FESTIVAL
  • PRIDE OF READING
  • OBITUARIES
  • JOBS
  • ADVERTISE
  • CONTACT US
  • SUPPORT US
  • SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
  • WHERE TO GET THE PRINT EDITION

© 2021 - The Wokingham Paper Ltd - All Right Reserved.