Engaging With Sport Well
Nyiki is where you go to engage with judo on your own terms, and enjoy the informed aspects. We have a lot of thoughts on what it means to engage with elite athletics and, specifically, the fan experience in a healthy way, and we want to share those thoughts openly.
Our Outlook
We created Nyiki because we really love judo — its technical depth, its international reach, the stories that come out of competition at all levels. But we also know that for some people and in other circumstances, the following of competitive sport can become less enjoyable and more compulsive than it needs to be.
Nyiki is a dataviz analytical/informational platform, and we don’t really have any skin in the game on how you consume our content aside from wanting it to be useful — and fun. All that said, we think it is worth taking a moment to consider what balanced, responsible engagement with competitive sport truly looks like — because the question matters more than it gets credit for.
What does balanced sport consumption look like?
Heathy engagement with sport — whether that’s watching judo competitions, reading up on match analysis or connecting with the wider sports entertainment ecosystem — tends to have a few characteristics in common. It adds to your pleasure without emerging as the central organising principle of your day. It nestles comfortably alongside other interests and obligations. And it continues to be something you can walk away from, without angst or difficulty.”
If any of those conditions seem less true than they ought to be, it is worth noticing. Not because caring a lot about anything should carry with it an element of shame but because the best relationship you can have with any form of entertainment is one where you are setting the 20 and thinking whether this is worth pursuing.
If You’re Worried About Your Relationship With Sport
For some, engagement with sports platforms — whether for analytical, social or entertainment purposes — can be hard to navigate. If you suspect the way you use sports content may be hurting your wellbeing, your relationships or your ability to control its influence upon you, there are organisations that are experts and have resources available to help.
The following are all reputable, free and confidential support services based in the UK: We believe that access to support should be simple, and we care about those engaging with our platform, which is why we’re sharing them here.
GambleAware
One of the UK’s largest charities that offers free support, treatment referral and guidance to anyone who is concerned about their relationship in regard to sports or entertainment platforms.
GamCare
Provides a helpline, live chat and online support for people suffering from detrimental involvement with sports or gaming environments.
Gambling Therapy
An international service with free online support groups and individual therapy sessions in the UK, available any time.
Gamblers Anonymous
A fellowship model of peer meetings and community support for those traversing their difficulties with any category of competitive entertainment.
- Determine how much time you want to dedicate to following sport before you engage with it, not afterwards. It’s easier to stick to a limit you set in advance.
- The outcome matters, but no sporting result is worth serious agony. Judo is engaging, in part, because of its unpredictability — hold on to that framing.
- Sporting fans who are the healthiest tend to lead full lives outside sport. If Judo analysis is pushing out other things that matter to you, it may be a good idea to re-calibrate.
- If stress related to sport is impacting on your mood or relationships then it’s always worth discussing with a trusted person or a professional organisation.
Nyiki exists to make judo more fun and more comprehensible. That pretty much sums up our mission. We hope it achieves that purpose for each individual who reads our platform.