Ambitious future-oriented project 'Exercise and Sport for All’
Many young people’s lives contain a lack of exercise. However, exercise and sport are vital if they are to grow up healthy. Experts have long been warning of the potential health impact and consequences that physical inactivity could have for the psychosocial development of children and young people. These alarm signals have long since reached the political arena and recently resulted in a physical activity summit for the federal government, states, municipalities and organised sport bodies entitled ‘Exercise and Sport for All’, held at the end of 2022. The outcome: the attendees wanted to work together to promote exercise and sport, and improve the framework conditions for these in Germany.
The first step sees five working groups coming up with specific proposals. The ‘Making exercise and sport enjoyable from an early age’ working group is being headed up by Professor Miriam Kehne, director of the Childhood and Youth Research in Sports working group at Paderborn University, and Professor Nils Neuber, Professor of Physical Education and Teaching Research at the University of Münster. The working group team includes representatives of various federal ministries, the conference of German cultural and sports ministers, sports organisations, and various civic stakeholders.
The working group plans to develop short-term, medium-term and long-term objectives and solutions. These are to be as specific as possible, but will also be designed to ensure maximum acceptance within political objectives. The working group members are examining day care centres, schools and civic commitment to sports. ‘As well as raising public awareness of this vital topic, in terms of perspective it is also about developing practical solutions that are easy to implement’, Kehne notes. ‘The ability to reach all children with exercise and sports activities ranging from the formal to the informal is key’, Neuber adds.
For Professor René Fahr, Vice President for Knowledge and Technology Transfer at Paderborn University, this federal project represents knowledge transfer at the highest level. ‘Professor Miriam Kehne’s position as the head of the working group demonstrates her exceptional expertise. She is contributing her skills to ensuring that the vital topic of promoting physical activity in young people is further developed within relevant committees. This is evident not least in the exercise, games and sport laboratory that Miriam Kehne has established at Paderborn University. Knowledge regarding the promotion of physical activity is transferred out from this local level to the federal level.’
The summit declaration from the physical activity summit is leading the way: ‘The federal government, states, municipalities and organised sport bodies want to work together to promote exercise and sport and to improve the framework conditions for these in Germany. The physical activity summit represents the beginning. With it, the attendees are committing to launching specific measures that will make exercise and sport easily accessible to everyone in Germany – regardless of where they live or their origins, gender, age, financial position or any individual physical or mental abilities.’ The team is expecting to have its initial findings in the coming months.
