Sporting Memories Therapy

I was listening to the BBC radio last evening and heard a report about the use of a Sporting memories therapy approach being used with people with early onset alzheimer's disease.
It struck a responsive cord with me.
Over the last 12 months I have been meeting regulraly for coffee with a group of mainly retired guys of my own age.
We do a lot of reminiscing.
A lot about how wonderful we were in our youth, school days,sporting exploits and sporting memories.
We also analyse the performance of current teams, mainly football and cricket as if we were all experts.
Most of us did play sport at a reasonably competent level.

I have also on an impromptu basis shared viewing of a friday night footy match  or a cricket telecast from England with a mate of mine.
In that time we also do our share of reminiscing and analysis of past and present teams and sportsmen.
As both of us in the past have had bouts of depression it is I think a significant therapy for us.

Elsewhere on this blog I have posted about many Christian approaches to inner peace etc.
The ones I have posted in depth material about are close to my heart and very valid as far as I am concerned.
However the way to human wholeness is much dependent on human interaction and social contact.

We don't have to have a psycho analytical or super spiritual approach to everything.

The best things in life are free it has been often said.

I think this type of therapy and similar things like men's sheds groups are very valuable.
Below is a link to a recent article I found about such therapy in Leeds.

http://www.sportingmemoriesnetwork.com/latest-smn-news/launch-of-the-leeds-care-homes-project-/

I have also done some reminiscing on this theme on my blog in the past.

http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/search?q=my+generation