The results of the first BeActive Beach Games, organised in Latvia and Portugal this summer, are being compiled into a BeActive Beach Games manual and resources that are set to be launched in time for the Northern Hemisphere summer in 2020. The manual, developed by a consortium of Erasmus+ project partners, led by the Latvian Sports Federation Council and including ISCA, will outline how to organise beach sports and games on natural and artificial beaches, provide videos and descriptions of various beach sports and activities, and offer a policy note for decision-makers at different levels – municipal, national and European – to support the Games model and to promote a physically active way of life.

On 17-18 August, the BeActive Beach Games organised by the Latvian Sports Federation Council (LSFC) took place in the urban environment of Riga – Kipsala and Lucavsala - and on September 7-8 - on the natural ocean beach of Portimao, Portugal.

"The goal of developing the Beach Games is to expand the #BeActive movement by offering new ideas on how to shape the environment and culture in different places to promote an active lifestyle as much as possible. Relaxing by the water is one of the most popular ways of spending time in summer in Europe, so the focus of the project is to promote beach sports activities. The first BeActive Beach Games organised this year proved that it is possible to create games that are successful and suitable for different ages and abilities, and adapt them to different environments. Moreover, our focus was not as much on the competition as on the notion of just being physically active," Einars Fogelis, the president of the Latvian Sports Federation Council (LSFC), points out.

The BeActive Beach Games model is designed to be accessible to everyone, allowing organisers to change or re-design the rules to match the skills and capabilities of players, and taking into account the environment, whether its organised on a natural or an artificial beach.

The manual will be complemented with examples from the Beach Games organised in Latvia and Portugal in relation to planning, organising and promoting BeActive Beach Games, requirements for the necessary infrastructure and equipment, as well as recommendations for the inclusion of different groups of participants.

"The social project launched by the Latvian Floorball Union, involving children and young people living in orphanages, is one of the great examples,” LSFC Head of Sport Development, Dace Zvaigzne says.

“During the first BeActive Beach Games held in Lucavsala in August 2019, more than 30 children and young people from two orphanages joined in floorball and relay activities and participated in team games by competing with experienced athletes. Not only did these young people develop their physical skills, but more importantly they became aware of a fulfilling life and understood that each of them could ‘become a champion’. This is the most important aspect of the Games."

The manual will include detailed information on the various organisational stages of the games such as planning, building partnerships, coordinating and evaluating the event. It will address issues relating to the Games’ organisation, technical requirements, budget, security and communication.

The latest information on the project can be found on the official website and by following the hashtag #BeActiveAtBeach

Project partners

Latvian Sports Federation Council (lead), the Estonian Beach Sports Federation, Lithuanian Union of Sports Federations, Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth, Union of Sports Federations in Catalonia, Italian National Democratic Organisation of Social Action. ISCA and TAFISA are strategic partners of the project.