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Rejected members and closed waiting lists: We want to do sports like never before, but clubs can't keep up
In Aalborg and the surrounding area, it is a struggle to find space for everyone who wants to be part of a sports club. According to the Danish Sports Confederation (DIF), this is a general problem in larger cities.
Handball clubs and other sports clubs are under pressure in the big cities. (Photo: © Trine Dam/DR) 57 minutes ago
The good news is that very many people want to put on sportswear and get their heart rate up.
The bad news is that there is no room for it.
In Aalborg HK, so many want to play handball that the club cannot find court time for all teams – even though they are currently borrowing space in three neighbouring halls.
For some age groups, the club has to say no to new players entirely, says chairman Nicki Larsen.
- It is unsatisfactory, because we should be getting more young people into club life. So it's not very fun to say no because of space problems.
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Not only in the halls
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Several other handball clubs that DR has spoken to are struggling with the same challenge.
But the problem is not limited to indoor sports in halls.
"Signing up for the waiting list is not possible" – that is the first thing on the website of Vestbyen Riding Club.
The Aalborg-based riding club is also experiencing huge demand, and with 85 possible members on the waiting list, they have chosen to close it to more, says chairman Anne Wegener.
- We don't want to disappoint more people and give them false hopes. But it's not fun to get emails several times a week from disappointed people.
The Aalborg sports clubs had more than 140,000 members last year – just over 2,000 of them go to riding, according to Statistics Denmark. (Photo: © Christian Lindgren/Ritzau Scanpix)
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The numbers confirm it
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In ten years, the number of members in Aalborg sports clubs has increased by nearly 20 percent.
This is shown by the latest membership figures from the United Sports Clubs in Aalborg, Sifa.
And never before have so many Danes been members of a sports club as now.
Read also: Never have so many Danes been members of a sports club ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/aldrig-har-saa-mange-danskere-vaeret-medlem-af-en-idraetsforening )
So the lack of space for members is not only a problem in Aalborg, says Lasse Lyck, development consultant at the Danish Sports Confederation.
- It is a challenge in the largest cities because many people are moving there. The municipalities have to build schools, daycare facilities, and also sports facilities. It is a big dilemma.
At DIF, they understand that it is difficult to find space for everyone. Because the municipalities do not have much money to spend when building new halls and laying new football pitches, says Lasse Lyck.
Therefore, DIF, in collaboration with the municipalities, is trying to figure out how to better utilise the existing sports facilities.
- Municipalities are trying to think creatively. For example, we are looking at whether schools can be used even more for club sports after school hours, says Lasse Lyck.
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Must compete for the money
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In Aalborg Municipality, they are already putting the finishing touches on a new hall so that more people can practice their sport. Three other new halls are also part of the discussions in the upcoming budget negotiations.
Jan Nymark Rose Thaysen (V), councillor for Climate, Culture and Health, is sorry that there is not enough space in Aalborg Municipality. But he finds it difficult to find the money for new solutions. (Photo: © Rasmus Emil Bertelsen/DR)
But it is very difficult to find the money, says Jan Nymark Rose Thaysen (V), who is councillor for climate, culture and health.
- We are already under pressure on the capital budget. When many also want more places in kindergartens, nurseries, etc., that is often what gets prioritised over leisure time.
The councillor dares not guarantee when there will be enough space for all sports participants in Aalborg Municipality. First of all, it requires more money, he says.
- I hope that in the budget negotiations we can agree to spend more money on building facilities. Because it is a good investment in quality of life, health and community.
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