Rugby is done for now, but that doesn't mean social connection has to be.
The Axemen Rugby Club recently put out a video on Dec. 15 espousing the importance of staying in touch in these socially distanced times.
But the video's message hasn't been limited to just Squamish's rugby club. It's been viewed about 13,000 as of Dec. 16, catching traction in sports club social media pages beyond town.
Blake Mahovic, the video's creator, said that practices and games have been put on hold thanks to the latest provincial health order.
As a result, he thought it would be a good idea to produce a video to remind people to keep in touch, as he believes it's an important issue.
"Loneliness is more detrimental to your health than being overweight and smoking, but it's also the easiest thing to turn around," said Mahovic.
"It actually has an effect on your biology in a sense where you're feeling not-well socially connected, then it affects your immune system, and it affects your stress and anxiety levels, so it's actually like a physiological response."
Loneliness is a way of your body telling you that it needs something, the same way you feel hunger and fatigue, he said.
Mahovic is a registered safe-talk trainer, which means he provides instruction for suicide prevention workshops. He also works with vulnerable youth.
He said he's brought up the topic of mental health during club gatherings, and over time, it's caused people to open up.
So when the club had to shut down recently, he figured a reminder to keep in touch was in order.
Mahovic said the Squamish rugby club has been a way for "lost souls" to find a home away from home.
This means many expats in town flock to the club, looking to find fellow enthusiasts for the popular European sport, he said.
There's also an appeal for many people raised locally who don't feel they fit into Squamish's outdoor adventure sports culture, Mahovic added.
"I think it's just people who are looking for a community. It's just people who maybe don't feel particularly connected to other avenues on the Sea to Sky, like, we're very heavily performance-driven in a lot of our sports here," he said.
"We like to provide that service to people who maybe don't feel they fit in other places in the Sea to Sky."
And it's more than just a sport, he said. The Axemen play rugby, but they're also a social club, and being cut off from a community has consequences.
"Loneliness can really cause people to pull away and not want to interact and give you a real skewed view of social interactions," said Mahovic.
"But that reach now is really important and it's quite a simple step. And we need to reconnect for our own health."
And making a connection need not be a complicated affair.
"It doesn't have to be an in-depth conversation about the meaning of life, or whatever. It could just be talking about the weather or whatever," said Mahovic. "People will start feeling better once they connect."
