A footballer's life in lockdown: Why I've had to take up tennis

I’ve taken up tennis... to help me when football returns.
James Ferry has been reflecting on what life had been like in lockdown for a footballerJames Ferry has been reflecting on what life had been like in lockdown for a footballer
James Ferry has been reflecting on what life had been like in lockdown for a footballer

With the physical element of training and matches being taken away, rather than playing a game I love with my teammates every week to keep fit, I have had to put myself through regular 5-10k runs on my own.

I’ve also begun hill running – while watching my diet and the weighing scales.

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Unfortunately, though, this does not keep you match-fit. Nothing compares to physically playing and training.

The short sharp fitness you need for matches cannot be replicated with long distance running and, as a result, during this period I have also started playing tennis to try to emulate some of the high intensity movements that are used in football.

For me, life before lockdown rarely involved much free time, if any.

A typical week included working every day at a school in London and commuting to Priory Lane for training on Tuesday and Thursday evenings in preparation for Saturday matches.

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Sundays, and any spare time I could find on weekday evenings, would be spent studying for a BA hons in professional sports writing and broadcasting, a degree I undertook two years ago that is designed for members of the Professional Footballers’ Association.

To have such a sudden change to that routine has been a huge difference and a real eye-opener. It has made me realise that as a National League footballer, I have taken many things for granted.

Training is one, but I have also missed the feeling of three points on a Saturday and celebrating with the fans.

Our last game was at home to Maidstone on March 14, we beat them 3-0 and it was a great feeling to do it for the fans and our manager. What has happened since has highlighted the fact that you never really know what you have until it is taken away.

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As well as trying to keep fit during lockdown, I have been focusing on my degree. Every day I have been studying to try to maintain a routine. Without it, I would have struggled, like many other players I have been speaking to throughout this period. The general consensus from players in League Two and the National League is that without football they have no routine or focus and, like many people at this time, they have found it hard to adjust.

Everyone I have spoken to is desperate for a return to football, along with some normality in life.

Personally, I believe if we are to return the answer is to cap the number of fans entering a stadium so there is enough room for supporters to socially distance.

Fans are imperative to non-league football and the National League have stated it is not practical or sustainable to start the new season if matches are to be played behind closed doors, which is the right decision.

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If there can be a way to allow a certain number of fans to enter a ground by adhering to social distancing guidelines, then hopefully we will be back playing sooner rather than later, getting the football fix we all miss.

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