"BT Smashing" Smashing intergenerational gaps through Beach Tennis

Description

During the Covid-19 pandemic, it was noticed that citizens of all ages and especially people aged 20-30 and over 50 had the need to do sports, to engage in sports activities and socialise through sports. One of the sports which received significant visibility during that period was Beach Tennis (BT). Through this project, the team comprising of youth engaged in BT aims at promoting BT to two age groups - youth aged 20-30 falling under the category of people with fewer opportunities and people over 55 years old - from Larnaca as a mechanism for socialising, exercising and physical activity.

Objectives

BT Smashing has set out the following objectives:

To promote Beach Tennis to men and women aged 20-30 (youth with fewer opportunities) and people over 55 years old;
To exploit the potential of sports and Beach Tennis in particular as a tool for social inclusion and cohesion;
To improve the physical and mental health and condition of the participants through sports;
To increase the understanding and appreciation of young people towards elderly people;
To bridge intergeneration gaps by creating a solidarity channel between the two generations.

Activities

For the successful implementation of the project, the following activities will take place:

Beach Tennis training sessions;
Workshops: "Pre/post workout", "Benefits of BT on mental and physical health", "Management of emotions during the game", "Re-use of BT balls", "Benefits from intergenerational approach in sports"
"Beach Tennis Open Day" and Tournaments

The project has received funding from the European Solidarity Corps Programme of the European Commission and will be implemented between 2021 and 2022.