27 Sports clubs

As major providers of sport, the sports clubs in any municipality
should be well aware of their importance in encouraging
physical activity among children. They should become involved
in the local network within their sphere of influence and work
in conjunction with municipalities and associations. Municipalities
and sports associations should provide attractive work
opportunities in addition to the voluntary work. Sport clubs
should play an important role in imparting their know how on
physical activity to schools and sports clubs. By cooperating
together, sports clubs have a greater capacity to act with
regard to encouraging physical activity among children.

The targeted physical education of children has become significant
for society as a whole and for instance sports clubs with their socially
oriented pricing they also reach particular target groups. In
most European countries sports clubs are the major providers of
sport opportunities for children in towns. Sports clubs play a very
important role in promoting physical activity among children. Children
who are members of a sports club fulfill the recommendations
of minimum time for exercise. Both the frequency and intensity of
physical activity increase in a sports club.

To increase the number of children organised in clubs municipalities
should know the effectiveness of the clubs’ measures. Successful
measures should be exchanged within the municipality. However,
the capacities and opportunities of the sports clubs are limited because
of the mostly voluntary staff. Therefore sports clubs cannot
always fulfil the requirements of society.

In connection with children’s physical activity promotion the following
elements could be relevant for (big) sports clubs:

Sports clubs should focus on attractive offers for children (1) in
their neighbourhood. Sports clubs should participate in networks
on a municipal level or initiate them (2). Coaches should be trained
as central mediators of pleasure in physical activity (3). Sports clubs
should be the local motors of physical activity promotion (4).

Perspectives through cooperation
In Stuttgart every sports club has an average of 150 members,
in Copenhagen only 75. This shows that the sports club landscape
in some EU countries is characterised by many small organisations.
This means a wide diversity and a high degree of identification. In
the promotion of physical activity among children it is necessary
that the sports clubs are as closely involved in the network as the
other municipal institutions. One objective of sports clubs in promoting
physical activity among children could be to hire staff together.
With the increasing institutionalisation of (early) childhood
sports clubs have to find new avenues of cooperation. Only a fraction
of the active help in children’s day-care facilities and schools
can be covered by volunteers.

Best Practice Germany (DE)

FT of 1844 Freiburg

The ‘Freiburger Turnerschaft’ (Freiburger Gymnastics Association’)
is a sports club with 6.500 members in the southwest
of Germany. The club operates a full-time primary
school which offers a wide range of sports and activities
during the school day without neglecting the children’s
basic education. By emphasizing “exercise” the FT primary
school ties up to the success of its sports kindergarten -
which was established 35 years ago - and builds upon established
scientific findings.

More information:
www.citiesforsports.eu/best-practice