EWoS BEAST (Building an Empowered, Active, and Strong Team)

ended

On the launch of the new European Week of Sport (EWoS) agenda 2022-2023 for the Agency of youth and sports in the Republic of North Macedonia, much emphasis was placed on the importance of sport to people’s lives and the positive effect that a physically active lifestyle has for physical and mental health and the quality of life, especially for the youth. It’s been almost two years since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. It has presented economic challenges and caused suffering and hardship to so many. Yet at the same time, it has also confirmed the realness of the EWoS initiative as a part of an overall policy aiming at increasing the level of participation in sport and physical activity, an important benefit associated with a physically active lifestyle. Physical activity can take place in diverse settings, during leisure-time activities, at school, at the workplace, and at home during daily activities. However, maintaining sufficient levels of physical activity is becoming more difficult as most daily environments have become more sedentary. Lockdowns and limited access to public and indoor spaces had a negative impact on levels of physical activity that were already at very low levels before the pandemic. EWoS BEAST has an objective to provide the opportunity for all to be active through sports and recreational activities. Barriers exist, these include lack of recreational spaces, inadequate coaching, rising costs, cultural norms, etc. Childhood is the ideal time to prevent inactivity, provide after-school physical activity programs which is especially true for low-income families, for through EWoS BEAST we will find new ways to support young people to enjoy being active every day, no matter where they live or how much money their families make. It is critical that all young people can find and play sports they love. EWoS BEAST will reimagine organized youth sports, prioritizing health, and inclusion, while recognizing the benefits of unstructured play.