Children of foreign origin and sports – join in!
The ISI and UMFÍ would like to draw attention to a booklet that was published in 2019 and republished in 2021. The aim of the booklet is to better reach parents of children and young people of foreign origin and to educate them on the benefits of their children and young people participating in organised sports in Iceland.
The Icelandic Sports and Olympic Association (ÍSÍ) and The Icelandic Youth Federation (UMFÍ) We would like to draw attention to a booklet, published in 2019 and republished in 2021, about the benefits of taking part in sports with a sports club. The aim of the booklet is to better reach parents of children and young people of foreign origin and to inform them about the benefits of their children and young people participating in organised sports in Iceland. Research has shown that the participation of these children is about half that of children from Icelandic-speaking households.
All the material is available in electronic form. – in Icelandic, English, Polish, Thai, Lithuanian, Filipino, Arabic and Vietnamese.
The booklet contains practical information about the activities of the country's sports and youth organisations. It includes information on sports club training fees, local authority leisure grants, the benefits of regular exercise in a structured setting, and emphasises the importance of parents taking part in their children's sporting activities and club life.
Research findings show that participation in organised sports and youth activities has various positive effects on the well-being and behaviour of young people, including:
- They are more likely to be healthier and feel better mentally, physically and socially than children who do not take part in the activities.
- They get an outlet for their need to be active and are less likely to use tobacco, alcohol or other drugs.
- They learn to cope with winning and losing, set goals, show diligence and consideration, work as part of a team, respect the opinions of others and follow rules.
- Playing sports promotes important values such as team spirit, unity and tolerance.
The benefits of participating in organised sports and leisure activities are numerous.
The Satisfaction Scale is produced by Rannsóknir og greining (R&G) for the ISÍ and UMFÍ. It examines, among other things, how satisfied students who play sports are with their coach, the facilities, the sports club and the coach's main priorities in their work. The survey also examines the relationship between sports participation and other factors such as substance use, academic achievement, mental and physical health, and self-esteem, as well as the participation of young people of foreign origin in the activities. Results from recent years show that children from households where Icelandic is not spoken are half as likely to take part in organised sports and leisure activities than those from households where only Icelandic is spoken. The benefits of increasing the participation of children and young people of foreign origin in organised sports and youth activities are numerous, for the participants themselves, their families, and society as a whole, and it is therefore important to better engage this group.
Further information about the project is provided by Ragnhildur Skúladóttir, Director of the Development and Education Department at the Icelandic Sports Confederation (ÍSÍ). Email: ragnhildur@isi.is and Ragnheiður Sigurðardóttir, national representative of UMFÍ. Email address: ragnheidur@umfi.is