The price of sending the children to football training, dance practice or other sports offers has become too high for many parents. That worries Sebastian Henriksen, board member of the Norwegian Sports Confederation. Sebastian Henriksen, board member of the Norwegian Sports Confederation, does not like the development that more children are dropping out of sports. Photo: Hanne Wilhelms / news – More groups than before report that it is expensive to take part in sports, and struggle to pay membership fees and training fees. Henriksen believes that why more people are struggling to pay for their children to participate in sports is a combination of the time spent and the generally high level of costs. – There are costs associated with sport, we have to be aware of that. Now we have to put the list as low as possible so that as many children and young people as possible can participate, says Henriksen. Don’t go on trips In order to reduce costs, organizational manager of the Norwegian Sports Confederation in Troms and Finnmark, Sylvi Ofstad, believes that sports teams cannot prioritize trips for training stays or tournaments. – It can create a lot of joy doing sports where you train and live on a daily basis, she says. Head of organization in the Norwegian Sports Association in Troms and Finnmark, Sylvi Ofstad, says sports can do more to reduce costs. Photo: Erik Waagbø / news Ofstad believes that sports themselves must be careful about the level of costs they set up. – Now sports must be run as cheaply as possible in the local environment, says the organisation’s manager. More reasons not to drop trips Despite a meager club coffers, tournaments are worth prioritizing. This is the opinion of Norway Cup general secretary, Pål Trælvik. Secretary General of the Norway Cup, Pål Trælvik, believes that tournaments are important for keeping children and young people in sport. Photo: Bård Nafstad / news – Going to a big tournament is a source of motivation to keep children and young people in sports longer, says Trælvik. The dropout among children in sports is getting younger and younger, he says and points to several reasons why going to tournaments helps to keep children in organized sports, even if it is expensive. The Norway Cup manager believes it is important for teams to test their level against teams from other parts of the country. – The excitement in this is to test yourself against those who are potentially better. When Lyn girls 14 years old meet Alta girls 14 years old, and the girls from Alta win, they will be among Norway’s best teams. The Norway Cup is the world’s largest tournament for children’s football. This year, 2,350 teams from 30 different countries participated. Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB It is not only the sporting aspect that is important when participating in tournaments, believes the general secretary. – Those who come to the Norway Cup do not come because they think they will win. They come for a social event, to connect the team and experience things together. Dropouts for both younger and older players While the Norway Cup leader is concerned that those who drop out are getting younger, the basketball club Tromsø Storm feels that it is mostly older people who have given up recently. – We are experiencing that some older players are giving up now. That’s what the chairman of Tromsø Storm, Ellen Elverland, says. Chairman of the board of Tromsø Storm, Ellen Elverland, states that several older players in the basketball club cannot afford to travel with the team. Photo: Tove Jensen / news She believes that it is precisely the trips that make it too expensive for them to continue at the club, since older players travel more often with the team. – Presumably to get rid of the stigma, they give up completely, to avoid having to explain why they can’t join the trip. Long-term benefit for society Managing to have a motivation that keeps a child in sport for another season can have major positive ripple effects, Trælvik believes. – A 12-year-old who quits sports does not train for the rest of his life. Whereas a 19-year-old who quits trains for the rest of his life. He says that the result of a lack of exercise doesn’t come when you’re 13, but it comes when you’re 43, 53 and 63. Sport brings great physiological benefits to society. The girls at the culture school stay active through dance practice. Here from the Culture School in Tromsø. Photo: Erik Waagbø / news – Sport is an important part of keeping the body moving. In the big picture, it is important to keep children in sports, Trælvik believes. It is a priority Sebastian Henriksen on the board of the Norwegian Sports Confederation stands behind. – The path to everything else, which is often negative, is so much shorter when you are not at cultural school, on the football pitch or the sports arena, he concludes.
ttn-69
The Swedish Sports Confederation asks teams to drop expensive trips – news Troms and Finnmark
