Sports Club for Health (SCforH) – updated guidelines for health-enhancing sports activities in a club setting Pasi Koski Tanja Matarma Zeljko Pedisic Sami Kokko Aoife Lane Herbert Hartmann Susanna Geidne Timo Hämäläinen Ulla Nykänen Marija Rakovac Matleena Livson Jorma Savola 1 Sports Club for Health (SCforH) – updated guidelines for health-enhancing sports activities in a club setting This book was prepared and published as part of the “Promoting Nation- al Implementation for Sports Club for Health (SCforH) Programmes in EU Member States” (‘SCforH 2015-17’) project, funded by the Erasmus+ Col- laborative Partnerships grant (ref: 556953-EPP-1-2014-1-FI-SPO-SCP). Copyright© 2017 by the authors and Finnish Olympic Committee. Except where otherwise noted, content of this report is copyrighted in accordance with the provisions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommer- cial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence. ISBN: 978-952-5794-51-9 (print) ISBN: 978-952-5794-52-6 (eBook) Enquiries regarding this book may be directed to: Professor Pasi Koski Department of Teacher Education, Rauma Unit, University of Turku PL 175, 26101 Rauma, Finland Phone: +358 50 339 0373 E-mail: [email protected] Publisher: Finnish Olympic Committee Radiokatu 20 00240 Helsinki, Finland E-mail: [email protected] Suggested citation: Koski, P., Matarma, T., Pedisic, Z., Kokko, S., Lane, A., Hartmann, H., Geidne, S., Hämäläinen, T., Nykänen, U., Rakovac, M., Livson, M. & Sa- vola, J. (2017). Sports Club for Health (SCforH) – updated guidelines for health-enhancing sports activities in a club setting. Helsinki, FI: Finnish Olympic Committee. The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. 2 3 Contents Background ............................................................................................. 6 Sports Club for Health (SCforH) What is the SCforH approach? ................................................................. 8 – updated guidelines for health-enhancing sports For whom are the SCforH approach and guidelines intended? ............... 10 activities in a club setting Why implement the SCforH approach? .................................................. 11 Improving health through physical activity and sports ....................... 12 The sports club as a setting for health promotion ............................. 20 How should the SCforH approach be applied? .................................. 22 Guiding principles ............................................................................ 23 Application Model ............................................................................ 25 Special considerations for different age groups ................................. 37 Conceptual framework .......................................................................... 42 Acknowledgments .................................................................................. 45 References .............................................................................................. 47 Pasi Koski, Tanja Matarma, Zeljko Pedisic, Sami Kokko, Aoife Lane, Herbert Hartmann, Susanna Geidne, Timo Hämäläinen, Ulla Nykänen, Marija Rakovac, Matleena Livson & Jorma Savola 4 5 Background intensity physical activity. Participation in sports club activities can help adult and The core business of sports clubs public health potential of sports clubs. elderly members of society meet these is to organise sporting activities in The SCforH approach was officially recommendations. Although children a given sport or sports. These club initiated and the first guidelines were and youths who participate in organised activities commonly place a strong published in 20091, and these guidelines sports often have higher levels of physical focus on competitive sports and were updated in 20112. activity as compared to their peers7,8, emphasise athletic development and studies indicate that not all of them meet sports performance, with a lesser The idea of SCforH approach was the physical activity recommendations.9-13 focus on recreational sports and conceived in 2007 in Finland. At that increasing physical activity through time, the potential of sports to promote A strong wish to advance the SCforH sports. A plethora of evidence exists on health-enhancing physical activity had concept has been expressed by members the manifold health benefits of physical been recognised at the political level of the European research, policy and activity and participation in sports. Due in Europe. Initially, the White Paper sports communities. The widespread to its many health benefits, physical on Sport by European Commission adoption of the SCforH approach may activity has been conceptualised as (2007) introduced the promotion of increase participation in sports and, and termed health-enhancing physical health-enhancing physical activity as a at the same time, help improve the activity (HEPA). This term is usually used key objective of the EU sports policy3. health of sports club members. This is to describe aerobic physical activities of Thereafter, in 2013, the Council of the expected to result in greater recognition moderate- to vigorous-intensity, such as European Union suggested SCforH of the significance and stronger social walking, jogging, skiing, and swimming. implementation as one of the 23 and public health implications of sports. The findings of recent research have indicators that should be used to evaluate indicated that vigorous-intensity physical health-enhancing physical activity levels This book of guidelines is activity may produce even greater health and policies in EU member states4. In primarily targeted toward the sports benefits than moderate-intensity physical addition, representatives of the World clubs located in EU member states. activity. Given that high intensity levels Health Organization (WHO) and the We acknowledge that the contexts, characterize many sports disciplines, it is International Olympic Committee organisational structures, and practices reasonable to suggest that by performing (IOC) have expressed their interest in of sports clubs may vary substantially in their core duties, sports clubs may make a SCforH approach. The mission of the the different countries14. This book of valuable contribution to health promotion International Olympic Movement is stated guidelines offers a standardised approach and public health. in the Olympic Charter5 and, among that may be used in any country and other things, this states that its aims are which can subsequently be adapted Health promotion is usually not to educate youth through sports and to fit specific circumstances in a among the main activities pursued at encourage and support incentives to given country or in an individual a sports club. However, good health is improve the medical care for and health sports club. In this book, the principles indisputably beneficial for all sport club of athletes. Accordingly, the current of SCforH are described along with an members, who range in skill level from Agenda of the International Olympic application model that can be applied amateurs to top athletes and in age from Committee, Agenda 2020, also refers to help sports clubs integrate health- children to seniors. With millions of to the educational and health values of enhancing physical activity and a broader members, sports clubs are the largest sports6. health perspective into their routine setting at which an opportunity exists activities. This publication represents to promote health-enhancing physical Physical activity recommendations an updated version of the previously- activity and health in general through issued by the EU, US, Australia, published SCforH guidelines1,2 and places the conduit of sports. Therefore, the WHO, and many other countries and a special focus on specific age groups – Sports Club for Health (SCforH) approach organisations have highlighted the from childhood to old age. was developed to help utilize the great value of both vigorous- and moderate- 6 7 What is the SCforH approach? The SCforH approach is based on the SCforH is a large international initiative following ideas: supported by the European Commission, • The SCforH approach is intended European network for the promotion of SCforH is an expert-based for use in all sports clubs. It can be health-enhancing physical activity – HEPA approach that supports clubs as implemented in any type of sports Europe, European Non-Governmental well as national and regional sport club, from the small, purely voluntary Sports Organisation (ENGSO), European organisations to recognise the health club to the large club staffed by paid Federation for Company Sports potential of their sports disciplines professionals. (EFCS), International Sport and Culture and organise health-enhancing sports • Clubs also differ in terms of their Association (ISCA), and The Association activities in the sports club setting. sporting aims and programmes. The for International Sport for All (TAFISA). SCforH approach can be applied in any More than 30 partner, associate, and The purpose of SCforH is to kind of sports club, regardless of its supporting institutions from 12 European encourage sports clubs and national sport aims and the sport disciplines offered. countries have been involved in two organizations to invest