Sports Unite: Visits with Jordan Olympic Committee, Jordan Football Association and PACES
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”
Sports and fitness can help people of all ages and abilities access programs and facilities where they can be physically active in a welcoming and inclusive environment. For children and adolescents, learning to enjoy physical activity at a young age can set the foundation for a lifetime of healthy habits. I met with 3 organizations that engage in effective strategies that make it easier for everyone in their community, particularly children, to be physically active.
The Jordan Olympic Committee is the governing body for 34 Olympic and non-Olympic sports federations in Jordan, with the objective to develop the state of sports in Jordan. The Jordan Olympic Committee is leading Jordan’s efforts in reshaping and bettering the sports scene both regionally and internationally, and provides a place for all aspiring athletes to better themselves and grow while representing Jordan all around the world. For more information about Jordan Olympic Committee, visit https://www.joc.jo/en/.
The Jordan Football Association is the governing body for football (or soccer) in Jordan. The organization seeks to develop the game of football in Jordan by improving the manifestation of all aspects of the game. It is the governing body for all of football in the country and is committed to educating and inspiring people about the power of sports. For more information about the Jordan Football Association, visit https://www.jfa.jo/.
Palestine Association for Children’s Encouragement of Sports, or PACES, is a charity established with the aim of providing healthy, structured after-school sports programs for Palestinian girls and boys ages 8-16 years living in refugee camps and most marginalized and vulnerable areas in Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon. Through its core sports program, PACES provides children with multiple educational benefits to help them thrive in their own communities. The program also encourages discipline and cooperation, and builds their confidence and self-awareness. For more information about PACES, visit https://www.pacescharity.org/.
“The individual who says it is not possible should move out of the way of those doing it.”
These organizations seek to promote policies that increase equitable access to physical education and youth sports programming in community settings strategically. As opposed to taking broad approaches that may not always be very impactful, they spend time thinking and partnering to allow them to be laser-focused on developing strategies for how to meaningfully offer inclusive programs for young people that meet the needs of the community, programs that are designed to address issues and barriers (such as safety concerns, cultural preferences, costs, and the lack of opportunities for people with disabilities), and programs that are free so all families can participate.
One key strategy to effective sports programming is providing education to people about the benefits of safe physical activity. This may involve:
Engaging in the establishment and ongoing review of national physical activity guidelines
Disseminating information about ways to add more physical activity to one’s day in practice ways that are not cost-prohibitive
Providing evidence-based information that promote the physical and mental health benefits of regular physical activity
Publicizing available community programs that offer social support for physical activity, like group classes and buddy systems
Another key strategy is promoting the design and use of programs in community spaces that support safe and convenient ways for people to be physically active. This may involve:
Promoting partnerships with professionals, like architects, planners, and developers, to design and build accessible fitness and sport facilities that include equipment that people of all ages and abilities can use
Offering sports, walking groups, fitness classes, and programs in places that are accessible to public transportation or within walkable or bikeable distances of homes, worksites, businesses, parks, recreational facilities, and other places where people regularly gather
Ensuring that sports programs are conducted in a way that is both fun and safe during timing that is generally convenient
Supporting transportation and land use policies and plans that create safe streets, sidewalks, and places to go to that encourage physical activity
Encouraging equitable community programs and policies that make it safe and easy for people to be physically active
