Chapter 2

Last but not least, we should definitely explore a little bit the obstacles and hardships that sports clubs and sport organizations may face while implanting FFS activities at a regular basis. Of course, the challenges may be plenty, though now we will dive a little bit more in those which appear to affect the majority of the clubs:

• Lack of knowledge and training: Normally sports activities refer to a certain target group with a certain limited age range: it can be children, young people, adults or seniors. But what happens when we try to combine more of them, exactly as FFS does (children and adults)? Is the sports staff prepared to facilitate such activities in a quality manner that does not abolish the very core of sports? It is totally clear that the majority of sports staff members has received certain education and has raised their skills and capacities for a specific sports field (or even multiple) and has gained their experience in dealing with one age group at a time. However, it is totally understandable that this knowledge or skills are not enough to support the specificities of more complex forms of practicing sports, such as FFS. How do we cover this void?

The magic antidote – KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE: As in all life chapters, there is one panacea for such gaps: sharing is caring! Try to exploit the capacities, knowledge and experience of your network, focusing in sports clubs and organizations which already have some experience in FFS activities and can share their know-how and support you in your first steps. You can even seek for cooperation opportunities, where they can invest their knowledge and you will be the new comers to learn by doing. Anyway, you don’t need to jump deep right from the start, as a more gradual introduction to the field of FFS activities would be preferable in order to ensure certain quality levels. Finally, make sure you receive feedback by your participants, you self-evaluate, and at the end you integrate this information to your future efforts.

• Inadequate resources: Well, for sure FFS is not the only field that the lack of appropriate facilities, the insufficient equipment and the financial constraints in general create serious problems in the functioning of sports clubs and organizations. Let alone in this case of FFS, where everything is new, plus there is need for additional equipment, more space, better trained staff and more financial resources, in order to support activities with more people and (inevitably) more challenges. And the well expected question comes up: how are clubs and organizations supposed to fulfill these explicit FFS requirements since they hardly survive with their regular sports programs?

The magic antidote – ADJUST: Good news! The solution is far easier than anticipated! A D J U S T ! Yes! You don’t need to invent the wheel all over again! We don’t have to double our expenses, run an errand or make any other fundamental changes. You already have enough and you only need to adapt to the new circumstances and your mixed group’s needs. Be creative, use your imagination and the imagination of your participants, be innovative and think out of the box. Plan your activities ahead and make the best possible use of the resources you already have. It’s not about money; it’s about flexibility and wild imagination! However, you are not alone in this! There are certain resources you can use to financially support your FFS reform, such as:

1. local sponsors – luckily, the importance of sports and its benefits are generally acknowledged by everyone, including the relevant stakeholders, who are usually more willing to invest in innovative initiatives that will support and benefit the local community. This can involve your municipality, your sports federation, a local sports union etc. Don’t hesitate to approach them, present your idea and the expected outcomes for the community and persuade them to come along in this journey and make a change!
2. crowdfunding – your power is your people! Improve your public profile by sharing your idea and explaining to the general crowd WHY this initiative is important for you and your target group. The biggest things in life happen when simple individuals join their forces and why not go after this for your FFS plan? Organize an event to collect some support, launch an online crowdfunding initiative and make this dream come through by letting your community support you!
3. EU projects – EU is a great supporter of innovative and well-promising initiatives and your FFS transformation can definitely be one of them! Search for EU funding opportunities, develop your own small or big project and make it come true!

• Methodologies: Let’s agree that you managed to figure out a way to resolve the previous two challenges: you received some knowledge and you found the resources you need to finally start your FFS programs. Now, what? How can you break the barriers of conventional sport activities and switch to family friendly sports ideas? How can you make them interesting and attractive to your target groups and how will you manage to engage them in the process? Are there any guidelines or concrete methodologies, any best practices or specific examples to use in your work?

The magic antidote – THIS IS US! Well, you are in the right place at the right time as THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS CURRICULUM IS ALL ABOUT! You have already been introduced to some aspects of FFS, you have learned some important tips and tricks and you are totally ready to go deeper and explore this new idea in depth.

Let’s do this together!