Thought for the Day for Black Cat Radio – 6th July 2019

So, England are out of the Women’s World Cup. But our team did well and lost to what is generally seen as the best team in the world today, so we can be proud of our team and their sporting ability.

Women’s football has come a long way. 7.6 million people watched the England team beat Norway, which was a new record. Pubs have been busy with people coming in to see the matches, and parks have been filled with people wanting to watch the game.

Girls often get put off sport at a young age, because they start to worry about how they look or lose confidence compared to boys or because they think that sports are for boys. But boys can be put off as well if they feel that they aren’t “manly” enough or don’t enjoy team sports.

And I find this very sad. Running, climbing, swimming, cycling, or whatever else we enjoy doing, helps us be healthy and happy, and gives us confidence as we push ourselves to get faster and stronger and fitter. I sometimes go running myself. I’m pretty slow and not in great shape, and sometimes I have to dodge overexcited dogs, but I always come back feeling better for it because it clears my head, helps me appreciate the world around me, and gives me the feeling that I’m doing something positive to look after myself. And I think this is something God wants for us – that we be healthy, happy and free to do things that we enjoy and are good for us, whether we’re male or female, a professional footballer or just a slow jogger.

So, let’s just get out there and have some fun this summer.