We’re building the future of sport together
I want to believe that we have the opportunity to build a sports system in which children don’t have to choose a single sport too early, in which participating in multiple sports is genuinely possible, and in which clubs support one another’s activities. This requires both new operating models and the courage to change entrenched attitudes.
We should view every child and young person as someone we all have a responsibility to support, whose journey in physical activity and sport we help shape together. When we succeed in this, we not only make it possible for children and young people to participate in a wider range of activities, but we also create better conditions for children and young people to stay involved in physical activity and sport throughout their lives.
In discussions about children’s and young people’s hobbies, there is a lot of talk about the costs of these activities, the availability of facilities, and the decline in children’s physical activity. However, there is too little discussion about how the structures supporting children’s participation in sport and physical activity should be reformed so that as many children as possible can find a meaningful way to engage in physical activity and remain involved in club activities for as long as possible.
Currently, demographic trends, shrinking age cohorts, and the cost of participating in sport are posing particular challenges for sports clubs in smaller communities. If we respond to these challenges by competing ever more fiercely for the same children, there is a risk that everyone will lose out. Instead, we should view cooperation between different sports and clubs as a resource that will help us safeguard opportunities for children to take part in sport and physical activity in the future. Ultimately, the most important question is not which club or sport a child belongs to, but whether they are still physically active and participating in organised activities.
Participating in multiple sports benefits both the child and the club
Participating in multiple sports enables well-rounded physical development and can reduce the strain and risk of injury associated with repetitive training. The skills and physical abilities learned in different sports support a child’s development even later in life, regardless of which sport they ultimately choose to pursue.
Participating in multiple sports also gives children the opportunity to encounter different people, situations, and challenges. They may succeed in one sport and face setbacks in another. Through these experiences, children can learn to manage a range of emotions and develop a sense of self that extends beyond a single hobby. Participating in multiple sports also allows children to develop at their own pace, since not everyone discovers their strengths or their favorite sport at the same age.
However, enabling participation in multiple sports requires cooperation among clubs. Currently, a child may have to choose between sports at an early stage because practice times overlap or because the clubs’ operating models do not allow for participation in multiple sports. We should be able to develop models in which different sports support one another and children have the opportunity to participate in multiple sports for as long as possible.
Collaboration can even be vital in communities where the number of children in each age group is declining. Another sport and another club can be important partners in creating more varied opportunities for children to participate in sport. When children stay involved in sport and club activities for longer, all sports and clubs ultimately benefit.
We need new structures and operating models
If we truly want to enable participation in multiple sports and increase cooperation between clubs, we also need new structures within the Finnish sport system. Alongside current operating models, we must develop a system that encourages and facilitates cooperation among clubs, sports, sports federations, and other stakeholders.
The role of schools could also be utilized more effectively than it is now. Since schools reach nearly all children, they provide a natural setting for introducing and trying out different sports. Through collaboration between sports clubs and schools, we could make it easier for children to start participating in sport and offer children opportunities to explore different sports without a major commitment or high costs.
In addition to structural reforms, what we need above all is a change in mindset. Clubs and sports should be able to view cooperation as an opportunity rather than a threat to their own operations. This requires that we dare to view children and youth sport as a whole, rather than from the perspective of a single sport or organisation. The first question should be: What is the best way to help a child develop a physically active lifestyle? When this goal is shared, the opportunities for collaboration are also significantly greater.
Sara Säkkinen
Chair of the Finnish Olympic Committee’s Youth Commission