Community Building Through Sport

Challenge: distrust on two levels: a vertical one (citizens- institutions) and a horizontal one (amongst citizens themselves).

Proposal: sports as a glue for community building

Sports is a transversal means of aggregation, especially for the most disadvantaged and marginalised groups. This proposal is based on the formula “palestre popolari” (“the people’s gyms”) in Italy, promoting sports by the people for the people as a right everyone is entitled to beyond social categories and regardless of sex, age, national origins, and physical abilities. Twofold action:

  1. Stepping in to guarantee accessibility to sports by creating venues, facilities, and courses that are either totally free or reduced fee (you pay as much as you can). Focus on group sports. Creating popular, state-funded sports associations that are not subjected to market volatility and prices.
  2. Foraging grassroot sports associations already in place by providing funding given that these comply with requirements – non-discrimination upon entry, etc.

The proposal interests peripheral, marginalised areas. The target is any and all people in the community (youngsters to elders) wishing to partake in sports, providing an opportunity for different age groups to interact.

Impact: community building, association, physical activity.

Sports as a tool for community building and association is implemented in Sweden. For example, the Gothia Cup, the world’s biggest soccer cup for youth, has community building as a foundational idea. We are taking the best of this and elevating it to achieve the goal of building trust within the community by means of association. The proposal sets out to address a need (for community, a sense of belonging, physical activity) that becomes a state-given right by encouraging civic virtuous behaviours directly and indirectly.

Recognizing major issues

Funding

The money argument is worth mentioning, but it is not a cause to dismiss our proposal. A same argument may be made about prisons, which shelter individuals from all walks of life yet are nonetheless subsidised. Why don’t we reduce criminality before the courtroom and the prison walls by allowing people to participate in various forms of physical activities that will unite people on the axis of passion? In order to make our point, we will use one of the most heinous crimes, war. Back in 1914, at the height of the First World War, the adversaries agreed to a one-day truce on Mount Christmas by playing football. Even the most harsh critic is capable of observing a moment of silence in appreciation of the majesty of the example. Sports is, no doubt, functional towards community building and an area worth investing in for itself and the cascade of positive social effects it generates.