Handbook for sport clubs on the move

Abstract

The benefits of physical activity for health have been widely acknowledged, namely by the World Health Organization (WHO) and by the European Union. In view of that, worldwide policies and initiatives for the promotion of physical activity have been launched from different sectors of society, namely from organizations whose core is on health, education, sports, youth, old age, or on social inclusion. Sports clubs are important players in this arena because, besides the physical activity, through socio-cultural processes, they encourage social interaction, reinforce a sense of place and community, and the range of physical and mental health benefits contribute significantly to well-being. There is evidence of better psychological and physical health outcomes in club-based (team) sports’ participants compared to the lonely ones. Moreover, especially in small communities, sport events are likely to be an important tool in promoting cultural exchange and social networks and to have a non-neglectable economic impact on the local economy due to tourism expenses. Hence, especially in the most remote rural areas, the work of small sports clubs is valuable from different perspectives. Nevertheless, opening a new sports club or promoting the continuity of the pre-existing ones in rural, depopulated settings, might be challenging. Sports clubs require facilities, equipment, funding and, probably, above all, people. People courageous enough to take the risk of starting something new (the entrepreneurs), managers, coaches, members (old ones and new ones to progressively renew the bases), participants, volunteers (at non-profit context), and leaders. Informal leaders, who follow a collective purpose and work hard to involve the community are key people. They are particularly important in helping overcome fears and resistances, either associated with the start of a disruptive sport activity, or from disabled people and/or of their families. This handbook is an output of Erasmus + Project Villages on the Move GO (VOMGO)1 and is organised in two parts. The first part offers twenty-seven case studies (three from each of the nine project partners), from seven European countries, where initiatives for the promotion of health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) have been supported by rural sports clubs and/or are associated with grassroots sports. The case studies selected cover those topics offering inspiring examples of how successful sports clubs, schools or initiatives respond to challenges that arise daily, regardless of the country or sport. Throughout the document, case studies are grouped by project partner, sorted alphabetically. The second part of this handbook presents a group of informal leaders - the fire souls - who had a key role in the endeavours of the rural sports clubs directly involved in the VOMGO project. Fire souls are sorted alphabetically.