Sports can help young people develop physical skills, improve intellectual and cognitive abilities, make friends, have fun and socialize, learn to work in groups, acquire values linked to solidarity, honesty, and effort, and improve their self-esteem. Today we remember this empowerment because July 15 is World Youth Skills Day, a United Nations (UN) General Assembly initiative.
The World Youth Skills Day
Since 2014, July 15 has been marked as World Youth Skills Day, an initiative of the United Nations (UN).
According to the UN, people between the ages of 15 and 24 have been more affected by the impacts of the pandemic than adults.
The UN Secretary-General highlighted that one in five young people is not working or receiving adequate education or training, with women being the most affected by this.
António Guterres recalled that the pandemic "has made the situation even worse" and that "distance learning has created challenges", especially for marginalized youth.
This year’s World Youth Skill Day theme is “Transforming Youth Skills for the Future” and is about the concerted efforts toward socio-economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. These efforts are interconnected with the known challenges such as persisting poverty, rising inequality, demographic transition, rapid technological and climate change, and conflict, among others.
The celebrations will highlight the Transforming Education Summit that will take place in September at the United Nations Headquarters, in New York, and contribute to the work being done under its Thematic Action Track “Learning and skills for life, work, and sustainable development”. The Summit will be prepared by, with, and for youth.
The "Transforming youth skills for the future" global event is being co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Portugal and Sri Lanka to the United Nations, together with UNESCO, ILO, and the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth.
Young people in the EU
International organizations recognize that fostering the acquisition of skills by young people increases their ability to make informed choices regarding life and work.
In this matter, the European Union invites all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, and other international and regional organizations, as well as civil society, including youth-led organizations, to celebrate this day appropriately, following national priorities (among other things), through education, campaigns, volunteering, and public awareness activities.
Although, in general, younger citizens have more excellent educational opportunities than in the past, it is estimated that around 75 million teenagers in the EU are out of school, without access to quality education, and therefore unable to acquire the skills needed.
The benefits in practice
Studies and authors in this area suggest that physical activity and sports practice, besides benefiting physical, mental, and social health and well-being, and favouring the development of life skills among young people, also seem to contribute to the prevention and reduction of psychosocial problems.
Some authors also point out potentialities not only in promoting human values and skills, both moral and psychosocial, but their transfer and application in other contexts of individuals' lives as well.
This transfer of learning from sports to life is fundamental for everything to make more sense in the daily lives of children and young people. An example of this transfer is the solidification of values such as friendship, altruism, and sportsmanship.
Young people who play sports can learn to better control the 'inner dialogue' that can influence their concentration and focus on goals, self-confidence, and ability to handle difficult situations, thus perceiving better competence in their daily lives. To all this, we can add the importance of a favourable psychological climate, always trying to understand the tastes and preferences of each person.
Move Sports has solutions for young people
One of the strategies to maintain group cohesion, fight the inevitable daily stress and school and professional challenges, isolation, and sedentarism, is inspired by sports and its team 'combat' spirit.
Therefore, one of Move Sports' areas of expertise is sports tournaments for young people.
Every year, we organize the Portugal Rugby Youth Festival, the most significant European rugby tournament for youth teams. Likewise, we have the Lisbon Basketball Youth Cup, an opportunity for teams worldwide to compete in mixed competitions.
Also, in 2022, on October 29th and 30th, we will have the Lisbon Football Youth Cup, our big youth soccer tournament, open to clubs, schools, and academies. The participating teams will have the opportunity to play against international opponents and experience the spirit of multiculturalism and fair play. The passion for soccer is also part of the Portuguese culture. We usually say that on the field of this tournament, you win the team spirit, but outside of it, you make friendships for life.
Registration for the 2022 Lisbon Football Youth Cup is now open. As in the rugby tournaments we organise, here you will have the best standard of play, besides the accommodation and the excellence of the event itself. So, check our tournament packages, and don't miss the opportunity to get to know Portugal and witness the most prominent youth soccer tournament of the year.
Give your youngsters more and better skills and bring them to play football with us!
