Sport is cool!

Nowadays fewer and fewer young people regard sport as an interesting way of passing their leisure time. Instead, they choose to be inactive playing computer games or watching TV. In order to counteract this tendency, the UBC Commission on Sport has launched the "Sport is cool" Campaign addressed atyoung people from UBC member cities as well as at adults who are professionally in charge of organising sports activities for young people.

The Campaign's main objective is to promote sport as an interesting alternative to regular pastime, and consequently to stimulate them to actively spend their free time. Additionally, the Campaign focuses on raising youngsters'awareness of the physical activity as an important element of healthy lifestyle.The Campaign also serves to promote water sports so closely connected with the Baltic Sea, in particular sailing, canoeing and swimming, etc.

The Campaign was launched in April 2010 at the Commission's Annual Meeting in Tallinn, and the idea of promoting sport activities among children and young people was the main subject of the meeting. The Commission members looked for the measures of encouraging young generation to be physically active and fit as well as of promoting to them sport as an interesting way of passing their free time, and in this way discovering the tourist potential of the BSR.

As the first initiative realised within the Campaign, the Commission organised the 2010 Grant Session "Sport is cool". The grants of the total amount of 6,500 EUR were allocated for those projects which offered the most original ways of encouraging young people to pass actively their free time and those promoting physical activity. Among the awarded four projects there were: Join Recreation Activities! from Tuku- ms (Latvia), Bergen Rugby Project from Bergen (Norway), Sport for life from Sillamae (Estonia) and Sport is cool - Impossible from Voru (Estonia).

Additionally, the Commission intends:
► to announce another grant session in 2011,
► to organise a multimedia competition in 2010/2011 - young people will be requested to submit computer presentations /films on how to actively spend free time in their hometown. The compe tition will be announced at the end of 2010. Details will be available on the UBC website,
► to organise sports workshops foryoung people in spring/summer 2011 todiscoverthrough sport the beauty of the Baltic Sea Region,
► to hold a conference for sports professionals in spring/summer 2012. It will be addressed at those who organise sports activities for young people and who work in sports departments of city adminis tration, sports clubs and organisations.

While implementing the Campaign, the Commission has been closely cooperating with the UBC Commission on Youth Issues in order to reach young people from UBC member cities. The Commission plans to conclude the Campaign in autumn 2012.