Football Cooperative

Backdrop

Sport delivers huge benefits that can accrue over a lifetime, from when we take our first steps through to older age. As people progress through adulthood, whether they participate in regular physical activity is less related to attitudes about the benefits of exercise but rather to other transitions that occur in their lives. For middle aged men, the changing world of work in addition to a multitude of other responsibilities such as family and care have meant that the time available to obtain the World Health Organisation's minimum recommendations for weekly physical activity.

Inspiration

Our motivation for leading the change here has been ignited from our experience of founding the Football Cooperative pick-up-football movement. We have witnessed among the playing pool not only the need for people to have an outlet whereby they can get team based exercise and escape for a brief period of time the pressures and challenges that life can bring but also how football can bring people together to create a community of peers to support one another.

What it does

Through our site model we organise pick-up-football games that are inclusive to adults of all ages, fitness levels and abilities. Through this we open the door to people that would not usually have the network or time to access team sport. Pick-up sport is fast becoming the route people are using to get active. The principle of pick-up games is that there is no sense of obligation or commitment to play.

How we built it

Football Cooperative is structured like no other recreational football operation in Ireland. We are a social enterprise that believes the transparency of structure will provide the governance for our model to flourish. We place considerable emphasis on the ethos of member benefit, member participation with the purpose of enabling stakeholder engagement.

Challenges we ran into

Growing evidence linking low levels of physical activity to poor health means that sports policy has become an important contributor to public health. However, this has not translated into a significant increase in participation rates. While awareness campaigns are critical to educating people on the importance of exercise there is an apparent need to follow this up with programmes to target all people within the community.

What we learned

At the heart of the pick-up-football are site coordinators that will support the coordination of the games. To motivate and retain this voluntary effort recognition beyond the individual site is essential.

What's next for Football Cooperative

A multi-stakeholder-partnership approach would be the most effective way forward in ensuring the potential for change with this idea is realised.

Built With

• community
• dedication
• designthinking
• gamification
• inclusivity
• volunteers