There’s a time later in life when your body decides to fail you.  Your bladder decides it can’t hold on during the night so, like a baby, you get up 2 or 3 or 4 times not for feeding but emptying. Your mind battles trying to convince your bladder that it can’t possibly be ready to go again. But you know you can’t lay there waiting for your partner to get up to go to the toilet for you.

You are kicking the ball with the kids or maybe chasing them up a little hill or doing that running exercise in the gym you’ve done a million times; but this time your calf decides it can’t or won’t push one more time. The poor thing; it’s tired from all those years of squatting, walking and running who knows how many times a day. Now it decides to go pop! Tricking you into thinking someone’s kicked or punched you in the calf. A funny place for someone to hit you – but then again the body doesn’t care. The calf has sent its message, and it’s not a kick starter into needing to have a conversation with the brain; it just hurts and needs treatment.

The mind tells your body that it can go one more time just like you used to go, you can push harder just once more, chase that ball and relive the glory of your younger years, lift that weight like when you were a prime physical specimen.  The dastardly mind, like a mate that knows how to wind you up, tricks the body into one more effort.

Sometimes that trick is one trick too many when the body decides that it can’t keep up and fails you; Occasionally with devastating consequences. With the autumn taking over and training starting for the winter season of footy (whatever the flavour), it’s time to take stock before you decide you can keep pushing your body.

My brother had that moment 2 seasons ago when he backed up for his second game of football (soccer) in the over 35 competition. Despite the best efforts of spectators, his friends, his teammates, opposition players, anyone who was there; his life-long love affair with the game came to an abrupt halt. His heart failed him after his mind convinced him he could play another game that afternoon.

So before you decide you’re ready to play: to compete for that ball, to make that tackle, to chase harder than you have in years,  Get yourself checked out, see your GP, make sure that you get to enjoy your game and the after game.  You are probably carrying more than a few kilos and the good and not-so-good life has taken a toll on your.  Don’t just look in the mirror, slap your belly and suck it in then congratulate yourself because you don’t look too bad for someone of x years old. Even if you’ve played for years take stock and have a check on how your body is holding up!

This season ask your club about the Heartbeat of Football campaign and similar campaigns around the country to have defibrillators at sporting grounds. Heartbeat of football  was kick started by Andy Paschalidis who played alongside his mate, my brother, to try to avoid what is becoming an all too often occurrence, as masters competitions grow in popularity, at sporting grounds,.

If my brother had listened to his body or  had a recent check up and a defibrillator had been at his ground, maybe he would still be here today. Without either he’s not around to back-up again this season.