Comment by ISCA President Mogens Kirkeby. Pictured above: MOVE Week webinar on 'Public Space and Physical Activity During and After Covid-19'.

For sure we are all aware of that the first half of 2020 has been very different and challenging. The overarching headline has been 'restrictions due to Covid-19'. All societies are affected, many sectors have been severely affected and we know that many ISCA members and partners are in very difficult situations.

It is our common task to assist our members with help, ideas and solutions during and after the Covid-19 restrictions. It is our task to make sure our members see this international network, including ongoing relations and collaboration with other members, as part of the solution and not something they need to stop.

For ISCA as an umbrella organisation Covid-19 is also a potential disruption. Such major changes can give severe problems for the work we do and the funding we need to have. However, ISCA’s strategy has been not to cancel activities but to handle them online or in other ways.

Luckily for our sector, physical activity has remained a relevant and needed part of our everyday lives under lockdown, and we and many of our members have been able to adapt quickly to put our activities online. We have also organised peer-to-peer support meetings for our members, NowWeMOVE Campaign National Coordinators and project partners so they could openly discuss how they are dealing with lockdowns and reopening in their sports and fitness clubs, or how they have adjusted their activities as NGOs. The brainstorming started early and has led to inspiring results.

At this point we can say that we have done a good job. We can look back on a very well handled six months and know that we came through this period quite successfully. That is a very good sign! We know that the restrictions from Covid-19 are still around and that difficult situations can return or persist in the coming months – but at this point I would like to assure our members we are striving to place our work to keep people moving and active in the best possible position for the future!

ISCA events and projects continued online under lockdown

• No Elevators Day (April) adopting the #UseTheStairs home workout message
• MOVE Week online workouts and webinars (May)
• NowWeMOVE National Coordinators online peer support seminars on dealing with the crisis in sports clubs, gyms and outdoor facilities
• MOVE Transfer EU-China Mobilities (online meetings and intercontinental conference in June)
• Physical Literacy for Life (online meetings and webinars)
• Integration of Refugees Through Sport: MOVE Beyond (online meetings and podcasts)
• Integration of Refugees Through Sport: Networking Platform (launch of platform and conference in June)
• Partner projects and events including European School Sport Day (March national coordinators’ webinar and meetings), CHANGE (EOSE), Neighbourhood Sport (UISP), Sport Club for Health (University of Zagreb), and Inter-Active Living for Mental Health (European Network of Active Living for Mental Health).
• Development of online learning courses for our sector at learn.isca.org

ISCA’s involvement in special initiatives during lockdown

• World Record in Online Physical Education (April) organised by ISCA member V4Sport.
• Global Design Challenge for Physical Activity 72-hour hackathon (June) organised by by a consortium of Irish partners including the University College Cork Sport, Sport Ireland, the Federation of Irish Sport, the Irish National Centre for Outdoor Education and Training and Cork Local Sports Partnership.
• ISCA was the first organisation to map the reopening of organised sport and gyms around the world in May/June.
• ISCA contributed to a special issue of the Cities & Health academic journal with a comment piece pondering the short-, mid- and long-term impact of Covid-19 on indoor and outdoor sport and physical activity.