Sport and Lifestyle

Journal n°33, by the Think tank Sport and Citizenship

 The gap between the grassroots sport which we all do, and the professional sport we like to watch, has been gradually widening over the last thirty years, and has never been greater.

Doping, corruption, bribery and sextape – the vocabulary associated with sport has worsened during the last few months. The multiplication of extra-sporting affairs concerning “sport as a show” has yet again tarnished sport. These sorts of affair are not new. There have always been corruption and doping. What has changed is the number of ramifications (economic, political, financial…) and the way the news is spread. As in many other areas, the internet and social media have transformed the way the information is dealt with. People make commentaries, condemn and demand explanations. Popular pressure and public opinion have never been more important. This has one very positive effect: it demands greater transparency from those in charge, whoever they are, in the way they carry out their business.

If the finger is pointed at professional sport, grassroots sport, or, to be more exact, physical and sporting activities, are enjoying increasing development. New ways of doing sport are appearing, around the concept of “sport for health”, with the help of new technologies. Every sector and everybody seems to be concerned by this situation. Will companies, towns and retirement homes be tomorrow’s centres for an active life? The real challenge is to get Europeans moving. Despite the accepted trends, and the measures taken by public authorities, the level of participation is still below that of international recommendations. The issue for the coming years will be to offer a framework favoring an active lifestyle. That involves holding reliable data regarding levels of participation, understanding the motivation and expectations of people doing sport, engaging on consideration of the urban landscape and more active ways of getting about, and using developments in digital communication by adapting to the needs of people doing sport. In brief, physical activity needs to be at the heart of public policy.

Table of Contents:

Pespectives- EU News

Bas Verkerk, Committee of Regions.

Special Feature – Sport and Lifestyle

 » Active Lifestyle: what trends in Europe? « 

1. Leblanc & S. Thieule, Sport and Citizenship.

  » Sport: a fundamental aspect of Australia’s cultural identity « 

Laurent Schmutz, Australian Sport Commission.

 » New levers for doing sport « 

Benjamin Carlier, Le Tremplin.

 » Does physical activity bring nothing but benefit? « 

Kern, L. Romo & G. Kotbagi, Université Paris Ouest.

 » Sport is a real remedy « 

Alexandre Feltz, Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg.

 » Health Sport on Prescription: a way to a more active and healthier lifestyle « 

Nicole Barmasse, Council of Europe.

 » The ‘outdoors city’, a new urban paradigm for the 21^st century  « 

Sonia Lavadinho, Bfluid.

Sport and Citizenship in action

Sport and Citizenship partners in a new EU school sport project

SCORE project- National training sessions started

Update on SEDY European Project

The consequences of sedentary lifestyle

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