28 Family’s, children’s and youth facilities

As well as sports clubs, facilities for children and youth play a
major role in the municipalities. They should become involved
in the local network within their sphere of influence and use
the interest of children and young people in physical activity
to focus on encouraging exercise. They should provide attractive
and reasonably priced facilities and offers. Municipalities
should consider those institutions and integrate them into their
conception and communication.

Some children and families need special attention. Facilities for
families, children and youths can be settings where children and
families can be reached. Sport and exercise can be the right
medium to address these.

Family centres
Family centres can take on an important function when it comes
to addressing socially underprivileged families. Sport can offer a
positive relief if there is no steady family life at home, and it is
difficult for the children to have a structured and active life. With
attractive, activity-oriented offers children can gain their first
experience in movement (toddlers’ groups) and the parents can get
to know exercise as a medium to be active themselves or a possibility
for social exchange.

Children’s and youth facilities
The age of the target group addressed at children’s or youth centres
almost always means that there is already a keen interest in movement.
The facilities should offer the children and adolescents
attractive opportunities for both unstructured physical activities and
supervised exercise. Children’s and youth centres have a particular
responsibility: Along with the family (Guideline 24), peer groups are
the second non-institutional factor that enables children and
adolescents to find contact to a physically active life. If a child
belongs to a physically active peer group there is a greater likelihood
that he himself will also be active (social pressure aspect). Children’s
and youth centres are the only places where peer groups can be
institutionally reached.

Children’s and youth centres can also make an important contribution
during the transition from childhood to adolescence. Here the
children often develop new interests which – provided there are
attractive and target-group specific offers – can also mean being
physically active.