What shall we have for dinner? It’s a question that each morning gets thrown around most households across Australia. So much to choose from, yet so hard to think of what to have.
Choice is our ability to make decisions when presented with two or more options. Making choices outwardly displays what motivates us and what needs we want satisfied.
For some it can be overwhelming.
READ MORE: Kyrgios and Nadal clash in fiery encounter
READ MORE: Why Munster couldn’t leave the field if Storm lost
READ MORE: US Olympian, family targeted in China spy operation
The COVID vaccination has been a choice for all in society. For some, it has been an easy one – get it, or don’t get it. For others, it has been a much more difficult decision-making process.
COVID vaccine mandates have sparked rallies around the globe and triggered heated talk around the dining table, in cafes and of course on social media.
Should we be subjected to them? Is it fair?
Wherever you sit on this paradigm, one thing is for certain: governments and health authorities around the world have made it clear that we need high vaccine rates to limit transmission of the virus in order to protect vulnerable people who may be at risk of severe disease…. and also open our borders.
But should opting not to get the vaccine restrict people from earning a living? Should it stop athletes from participating in their chosen profession?
Just as everyday Australians had a date with destiny, sport’s reckoning with the refusal to get the COVID vaccine has come and gone.
The on-again, off-again Novak Djokovic saga at the Australian Open was followed by millions of people around the globe, when the world number one was deported by Australian authorities over vaccination rules.
Closer to home and as the AFL season opened this week, West Coast Eagles star forward Jack Darling ruffled a lot of feathers with his initial decision not to meet the AFL’s vaccine deadline. Darling has only just returned to training after being banned from attending the Eagles’ headquarters or training ground since January 21.
And in one of the world’s most watched sports, a similar situation arose in the National Football League (NFL), when Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rogers controversially endorsed alternative forms of immunization, despite the NFL saying 90 per cent of its players had been double vaccinated.
I’ve heard people saying, ‘Just get the jab, it’s easy.’ Or ‘if I was on that sort of money, I’d get jabbed with whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted to do it.’
This is easy to say, but obviously harder to do for some. And the more someone says no to something, the more likely it is that people will continue to stand their ground – particularly a stubborn athlete.
While I don’t understand these athletes’ decisions, I respect their right to refuse the mandates made by their governing sporting bodies.
The first step to understanding is to listen, and like most things in life, vaccine mandates are context-specific. That context includes health advice, political views and, most importantly, an individual’s own situation.
While I have heard of lots of reasons why you should get vaccinated, maybe these athletes have very strong and valid reasons not to. We just hadn’t really heard them – at least until Djokovic spoke recently with the BBC.
And that’s the point, we want to hear from them. It should help us better comprehend their decisions.
Rather than judge these high-profile athletes (because it is very easy to do so), let’s try to understand their reasons and respect their decisions. You may not agree, but you can choose to appreciate their differences in views.
After all, they aren’t forcing us to stop getting vaccinated, they are just evoking their right not to as a human being.
Sport has endured a tough time, one of contractual obligations, hubs and interstate logistics.
A shift away from biosecure bubbles and strict travel regulations will see interstate visitors and packed stadiums again. A sight for sore eyes!
But while watching your favourite (vaccinated) athletes running around this weekend, spare a thought for those who have chosen a different path. They are back on the couch with all of us. Possibly thinking about what to have for dinner while they watch on, not able to do what they love.
Despite the thousands of fans who love them, they will likely be feeling more alone than ever before.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!