Judo connecting Older and Younger generations (JOY)

ongoing

Intergenerational sports have become increasingly popular in recent years, offering opportunities for people of all ages to participate in physical activity to bridge the generation gap and bring different age groups together through shared experiences and interests. In considering that the benefits of intergenerational sports have been partially explored, some challenges need to be addressed, such as the lack of trained personnel capable to design and administer adapted intergenerational training programmes to be delivered in a safe and effective manner. The Collaborative Partnership “Judo connecting Older and Younger generations” (JOY) encompasses partners from academic institutions and sport organizations aiming to enhance the participation of young and older individuals in intergenerational judo activities for their holistic development and successful aging, respectively. The academic partners will be responsible of summarizing the scientific literature regarding the age-related effects of intergenerational activities on physical, social, and psychological wellbeing of practitioners. The sport partners will contribute by reporting their experiences deriving from the administration of pilot intergenerational judo programmes. This sound evidence-and eminence-based knowledge will be the foundation for the development of the JOY methodological approach to intergenerational judo, which will be delivered by means of an online judo educational platform. The educational content targeted to judo coaches aiming to plan and to administer intergenerational judo programmes will be considered a starting point for other sports federations. Through their solid experience in judo networks at national, European, and International levels, the partners of the JOY consortium will disseminate the project outcomes in and beyond Europe, directly contributing to empower the European community of active sportspersons in the lifespan.