By Joyce Lee
For Joy Pott, sports is the common language she shares with her husband, Ron, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2011.
The couple, who live in Malvern, PA, spend much of their time every day in front of the TV together, watching soccer matches, golf championships, and college basketball games. Far from being just an idle pastime, watching sports evokes fond memories for Mr. Pott, who had been a basketball star in high school and soccer MVP in college and was an avid golfer, skier, tennis player, and sports fan throughout his career as a corporate lawyer.
“He has no problem following the present, the game, giving his opinions, calling fouls, and calling referees stupid,” Mrs. Pott told The Philadelphia Inquirer. As her husband’s “TV color girl,” she often sits by his side, explaining what’s happening on TV and prompting him to unlock those hard-to-grasp memories.