Big Week in Spanish Sport

It has been a big week (or so) for sport in Spain. Just over a week ago Rafa Nadal won the US Open tennis tournament. Last Sunday Spain won basketball’s World Cup by convincingly beating Argentina in the final.

Last weekend also saw Dani start his swimming classes again.

Really more of a social event where he can chat with his swimming teacher. When she is trying to shout instructions from the poolside he has also taken to floating with his face out of the water but his ears submerged. Almost daring her to jump in and slap him. Well she has my permission. Despite all this messing about he is getting there, slowly but surely, and I cannot complain. He is way ahead of where I was in the swimming pool at his age.

We watched the basketball final and it was a good win for Spain. The team you would have expected to win the world cup – USA – were eliminated in the quarter finals. Apparently the top 25 players in the USA refused to go. Were not interested. Work that one out! Although I suspect it has as much to do with that NFL (American Football) national anthem nonsense as anything else. Look it up online.

As for the tennis…

I don’t like Nadal. I really can’t put my finger on it. I just don’t like him. But I do quite like tennis as a sport. It must have something to do with it being a lot like boxing…. Yes, really.

On that subject: Dani has recently expressed a slight interest in boxing so I may find him some gloves so he can try out a little bag work. It is probably just a passing interest. A very short-term thing. I do believe that at this age he should try any and every sport that they want to. Then hopefully he will find where their real interests lie. Then it will be the right time for parental encouragement.

Fireman Sam – Update…

If you read the previous post you will know about this one… Over the weekend I read a newspaper article which discussed this madness.

Some years ago in an effort to increase the number of females enlisting in the fire service, the government greatly reduced the requirements for height and strength. Still it did not work. Not only did that idea fail spectacularly but it had an unforeseen yet natural knock-on effect. It has reduced the number of big and burly men who manage to get in. In other words it has increased the number of weaker, more feeble men now fighting fires. Who thinks that is a good idea?