Playing football is the best
As you get older, the opportunities to play casual football become more and more scarce. No longer can you simply spend an entire Saturday at your local park, having a kickabout with whoever is around. Well, you can, but you've probably got more important stuff to do. Basically, I miss my childhood and the dawning realisation that I can't do that anymore is making me sad.
Thanks to the invention of 3G pitches, and legal regulations on working hours, I'm at least able to spend the occasional lunch break playing 5-a-side with colleagues, which is tremendous fun. Not so much when you lose, but still, it's often the highlight of the week - especially when the weather's banging.
So, without further ado, here's a list of the best five things about playing 5-a-side with your workmates.
1. It breaks up the day
Sitting at the same desk, looking at the same screen for 40 hours a week is not good for you, regardless of how much you enjoy your job. Getting out of the office for an hour to do some competitive exercise is the most rewarding and enjoyable way to break up the working day and has huge benefits for both your mental and physical health. It also means you're re-energised when you return to the office, ready to crack on with the rest of the day.
2. You get to embarrass your colleagues
While you'll spend most of the week pulling together in the same direction, it can make a nice change to face your colleagues in a competitive environment. And let me tell you, there is nothing better than nutmegging your friend - or foe - on the football field. Of course, being on the receiving end of a nutmeg can leave you taking pelters from your workmates for the rest of the week.
3. It's a social exercise as well as a physical one
You'll often be close to the people working in your particular department, but how much time do you spend with the rest of your colleagues throughout the company? Take that guy from HR, for example, whose name you forgot long ago and now it's too awkward to ask. Playing work 5-a-side gives you the perfect chance to get to know the wider workforce, meaning you won't have to make as much small talk in the lift or at the Christmas party.
4. There is nothing like a win to lift your mood
As much as we play sport for the reasons mentioned above, ultimately we all want to win. We should all be gracious in defeat, and the result is by no means the most important thing when it comes to casual football, but it feels great, doesn't it? If you've had a bad morning, snowed under with emails, and you're desperately in need of something to lift your mood, there is nothing - nothing - more effective than winning a game of football. Stick Ramenez la Coupe à la Maison on the speakers when you get back and you'll be beaming for the rest of the day.
5. You can feel like a superstar for an hour
There's a reason you're playing football during your lunch break and not on a Saturday in the Premier League, and that is because your dreams of ever becoming a professional were shattered at the age of 12 when you realised that even the best footballer in your year was levels off where you need to be. But that shouldn't stop you living your dreams. Pull on that Barcelona shirt with Messi printed on the back, get those Copa 19 boots on and for an hour, you can be him. Even if it's in your head. It's the perfect time to realise your younger self's dreams.
Once you’ve honed your skills with your colleagues why not enter the Corporate 5’s Cup. It’s a unique series of Corporate 5-a-side tournaments which allow you to compete against and network with your industry rivals while raising money for good causes. For more info, check out: https://www.corporate5scup.com/
