A little more than a month ago the Sportive Working Group was introduced to the Network at Agora Enschede. A nervous introduction by AEGEE-Koebenhavn member Patricia Anthony, a suggestion of name change to Sports Working Group and some abstentions were part of the scenario that took place before this working group eventually was approved by the Agora Enschede delegates.
Hard work in progress
Creating a Working Group may seem easy, but it is not. However, there is plenty of help to find around the Network. The SWG noticed this receiving help from the Juridical Commision with the name change as well as with the recent board elections, and with step by step information about creating a Working Group that has been provided by CD member Guillermo Garcia Tabares.
Big plans for the future
So the current work for the SWG is mostly related to internal communication. However, one of the questions that the candidates for the board were asked, was how he/she was planning to integrate sports in AEGEE events. The ideas ranged from AEGEE olympiads to affecting Summer Universities with sports, to volunteering at international sport events and much more.
Already out there
In April 2012 three Danish AEGEE members (yes, true Danish) volunteered at the Danish tennis tournament “E-Boks Open”. How does stuff like this help AEGEE? Many have wondered, it was one of the main questions at the Agora, and the answer is not that simple. Volunteering in huge sport events gives members the opportunity to 1) Learn about how it is to help out at a big event with many people and plenty of sponsors. 2) Improve their English. 3) Make new friends. 4) Learn about working with different cultures. 5) Have fun!
In the end it is more about the experience than the sport, some do it because of their country, others for their city and some “just” to be part of the event.
Euro 2012
The AEGEEan editor and Sports Working Group secretary Patricia Anthony is in these days in Gdansk, Poland, volunteering for one of the biggest sport events in the world: Euro 2012 (football). Why? For the love of travelling, sports and volunteering. Funny thing is that she is not the only AEGEE representative in this Polish sea-side city. In a peculiar conversation on the beach, relaxing with the other volunteers, Patricia discovered that a fellow volunteer Fabio from Torino is enthusiastic about our students organisation as well, as he is the vice-president of AEGEE-Torino.
Not only for football freaks
Besides Fabio and Patricia there are two other AEGEEans taking part of the organisation of this big tournament. Ana Stamenkovic is currently undertaking a job with UEFA and she is reporting live from the EURO 2012, whereas another girl, Marta Troc, began working for the tournament already last year: “Last year I joined UEFA EURO 2012 as one of the volunteers helping to recruit other volunteers. Finally, I got a paid-job there, so now my life goes around the Tournament. Working in a Volunteers Management team is a great challenge for me even though I am not so keen on football,” she says about taking part in the tournament.
And the winner is…
At Agora Enschede Patricia was screaming out loud the various winners of The AEGEEans Choice Awards but she is having trouble to predict the team that will leave Ukraine in the beginning of July with the Euro 2012 trophy. “Being a member of AEGEE has made me even more patriotic about Denmark and of course it made me happy to see the Danish team beat the popular AEGEE country Holland, but then sad to see them leave after the loss to our neighbours from Germany. Actually, Spain owns my heart and I really want them to do it again, make history, but all eyes are on them. The only team that I dont like is Italy. I am sorry to say it, but Italian football for me is not interesting. I am more interested in the way that teams like Portugal play and would love to see them make it far, but they will most probably meet Spain in the semi-final – which would be an interesting match for sure. However, in football anything can happen both on the pitch and off the pitch,” Patricia gives her view on the tournament.
That was definitely not an answer to who is going to win, but it will probably make it even more fun to follow an event like this.
Written by the Sports Working Group