Chapter 1

So…thinking of FFS, an early question that comes to one’s mind is…who might benefit from it, after all? Of course, the name is quite-explanatory: FAMILIES stand proudly on one side of the scale. And of course, this includes GUARDIANS (parents, relatives, friends, carers or any other guardian of a child) and –who else? – CHILDREN, the main protagonists of the FFS idea!

However, this is not all! The other side of the scale welcomes the most important actors in the sports fields, the primary service providers, those who offer facilities, those who have the required knowledge and skills, those who are leading the process of learning and practicing any kind of sport: sports clubs and their staff! Trainers, coaches, facilitators, educators – any individual involved in the process under the capacity of the knowledge provider and the capacities trainer.

But how could sports clubs and sports organizations be actually benefitted by such an idea? How could FFS be of their interest and what kind of advantages could appear there?

Let’s take a closer look!

(a) FFS – F for FAMILIES

In FFS, families have the chance to access a more flexible in regards of time, and thus more sustainable form of training. Via overcoming the barrier of having to attend trainings in different times and venues, FFS becomes more accessible and attractive. By training together as a team, family members have opportunity to bond and improve their collaboration capacities, while at the same time they are offered the opportunity to jointly improve their emotional stability and growth. In fact, practicing sports under a safe family environment brings together family members through their common goal and in a spirit of good mood, joy and satisfaction. This environment per se, provides space to express emotions, release tension, resolve misunderstanding and improve their family relations in the long term. Additionally, the basic concept of FFS is the combination of sports with learning and awareness raising; as athletism has to do primarily with ethos and values, FFS shall also be a mean of nurturing healthy competition and improving social behavior, through raising awareness for a series of sociopolitical matters also reflected to sports: hooliganism, violence, fanaticism, doping etc. All in all, FFS is the creation of an ideal environment for families to evolve physically, mentally and socially.

(b) FFS – S for SPORTS CLUBS

Sports clubs and sports organizations are far from left out of this game! On the contrary, the decision to become “family friendly” gives access to a vast range of advantages. To start with, this new, fresh and modern profile immediately increases the club’s recognition and popularity among families, as it creates a brand-new perspective, a new way to look through and into sports targeting multiple interlinked groups: children (who are already active in sports) and their guardians (who probably aren’t). This adds extra value to their profile, as they appear more attractive and interesting to the public and they win over the competition against other clubs and organizations who do not involve such activities in their regular programs. This holistic and well-rounded approach to sport immediately raises the quality standards of their services and also improve their educational character. Of course, the more people they involve from different target groups (here – age groups) the merrier people they attract in the long term: athletes, spectators etc., let alone the variety of opportunities they provide to those target groups, which consequently lead to high reputation and acknowledgement. Last but not least, the wide social impact they bring to their community may create space for relevant stakeholders, including authorities relevant to sport, to express more interest in supporting these initiatives.

For sure the list can grow long, but let’s hold for a moment and see how all of this is reflected in numbers!