Change the Game: Sport and Leisure Responses to COVID-19

ABSTRACT

At a global scale COVID-19 has impacted virtually every single one of us. For many people one of the most significant impacts has been the changes to the way we use our leisure time;both for our own personal exercise and how we interact with professional sport. This chapter will explore these changes by drawing on three case studies. First, at a local scale it will consider the changing everyday geographies of sport and leisure as a consequence of the restrictions imposed on parks, gyms and recreational sports facilities. Second, nationally, golf provides an insightful case study as it was one of the first sports to be deemed viable again post-lockdown, both recreationally and professionally. Third, at the global scale, Formula 1 has been required to adapt, turning initially to e-sport racing as an alternative to conventional motor racing. Through these case studies this chapter will discuss how the spaces that are used for sport have evolved in response to COVID-19, how new spaces have emerged and how previously minor sports cultures have come to the fore. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.