In this topic, you will gain knowledge and understanding of the importance of building a safe and good sports environment.

We know that for many children and young people, the need for belonging is one of the most important reasons to start playing sports. 

"Experience community and feeling included is a fundamental need, and important for children and young people's development, learning and well-being."

The opposite of belonging to a community is what we call being outside. The experience of being outside can be experienced in many different ways. It can be, for example, the experience of being different, not good or clever enough, or that it doesn't matter whether you come or not. 

When we know how important it is to experience belonging in a community, the experience of being excluded is correspondingly difficult. In fact, it is so difficult to experience being excluded that when we check what happens in the brain when you experience being excluded, we can see that the brain reacts in the same way as if you were subjected to a punch, kick or violence. 

Understanding green communities

Security

Firstly, safety is about not being subjected to punches, kicks, bullying and insults. That you feel physically and mentally safe. But it is also about knowing those who are there, knowing what kind of rules apply and what is expected of me. 

Predictability

Predictability is about knowing what is expected of me, knowing what is going to happen, knowing what framework we are supposed to be within. The fact that something is predictable is closely linked to the experience of security. Predictability from a coach/adult perspective can be characterized by, for example:

• The individual athlete knows what happens when they arrive at the training/competition arena.
• There are well-known rules and routines surrounding the start of training and competitions.
• It is known what the consequences of violating the rules are and that they are implemented.

Predictability means I know I'm welcome. 

Affiliation

Belonging means that I am allowed to mean something in the group. I am allowed to contribute. It matters whether I come or not. There is reciprocity in the relationships in the group. In the Omnimodel for sports we are clear that we use the concept of belonging and not the concept of inclusion.

When we experience belonging, we feel safe. When we experience belonging, we also fulfill the next basic need, which is the experience of meaning. 

Opinion

Meaning is about what we are doing making sense. It means that we are creating something, achieving something, producing something, or that someone is happy to see you. We may need to think a little bigger about meaning. Maybe there is a day when you lack a little motivation, are a little tired, maybe have a little soreness. Then it may not make much sense to come to training, and at least not if no one cares whether you come or not. Meaning can simply be feeling like part of a community. And this is connected to the next point, which is coping. 

Mastery

The experience of mastering what is expected of you. We can look at mastering both athletically and socially. Mastering friendships, mastering being a team player, or mastering taking the space and space you need, but also mastering the exercises that are given in training. If I do not experience mastery, there is a high chance that I will not experience meaning either. If I lack meaning and mastery, something also happens to the experience of belonging. So everything is connected. If I experience mastery, then I am also safe. If I am safe, it most likely has something to do with predictability. These elements are closely related. 

Difference

In a green community, there must be room for diversity. We have different stories, different families, different talents, different interests, and different motivations for participating in sports. If I can belong to a community with room for diversity, then I can feel that I am good enough just the way I am. I can come and be who I am.  

Room to make your own choices

The last point is that in a green community there must be room to make my own choices. That I can make choices based on what I believe in, what I stand for, that I don't feel compelled to pretend to be someone else. That my vote also counts. 

When we have all these basic needs fulfilled, something happens inside us. Then we don't have to search for them. We don't have to worry that something is missing. It gives us room to try, room to make mistakes, room to be generous and generous towards others. We don't need to single out others, or gossip or point fingers. If we get these needs fulfilled, it is also the most important antidote to bullying, insults and exclusion. In such green communities, a lot of capacity is released to cheer each other on and also create better results both individually and collectively.

Understanding Red Communities

What happens when we get red communities? 

The factors described under green communities can of course vary in quality. If the quality of several of the factors described under green community is too low, there is a great risk that the community will slip into becoming a red community. 

When community produces exclusion

First, we know that it is the red community that produces exclusion. It may seem a little strange, but just the fact that some people experience a community can make others feel excluded. 

An example might be if you have a group of friends who go to gymnastics together, they go to class together, they live on the same street, they have a close bond with each other. If they bring that into training and don't get help to see that they can't be exclusive to each other in the sports arena, there's a big risk that someone else will be on the outside. 

If you have many such small communities that are closely connected, the probability of some people being outsiders increases. It may seem like everyone has someone to be with, but there is a great danger that there are strong ties within the small communities that prevent others from entering. Who is allowed to enter such communities is often controlled by the group itself and it is up to the children/young people to decide who is good enough for that particular group.

The fear of falling outside – Us and the others

As described earlier, the need to belong to a community is a strong driving force. The vast majority of people have this driving force. The fear of being ostracized or kept out of the community is painful. This fear can mean that if I feel my belonging is threatened, some driving forces are triggered in me that have the function of saving my place in the community. Then I can choose different strategies such as:

• I can take on the role of the coach's good helper, someone who cleans and organizes. This way I can look busy and not show the others that I'm actually outside the group.
• I can take on the role of the group's clown or buffoon. The one who comes up with jokes and creates a bit of mischief. 
• I can make myself big, strong, tough and scary. You don't mess with me because... 
• I throw nicknames and bad words around. Because it's also a role that protects me and my place. 
• Another strategy I can choose is to find myself another community. Make it my community with a clear distinction between us who are inside and those who are outside. This is often not about not really wanting others in, it's just that I'm afraid that if others come into our community, I'll end up alone again. This fear of falling outside, and the strong need to belong to the community means that we sometimes join communities that are doing things that we don't really believe in or stand for just because we're afraid of falling outside. 
• We can call such communities "Just do as we do" communities.
• Examples of such communities could be joining a group that engages in naughty activities such as nicknames, bullying or insults towards others. I know it's wrong, but the community draws me there. For example, gossiping is a typical thing. It creates a sense of community to join in. 

We want sports to be a positive "Join in what we do" environment. Gymnastics, soccer, swimming, climbing and much more. This is where sports can have a lot to offer when it comes to finding a positive community to belong to.

You can find very specific suggestions and ideas here:

What different skills do children and young people need to have to succeed together?