The European Sport YMCA (ESY) is a working group dedicated to promoting sports and physical activity among young people. ESY aims to provide opportunities for young people to participate in sports and physical activities, regardless of their abilities, backgrounds, or social status. The YMCA believes that sports can help young people develop important life skills, such as teamwork, leadership, and resilience, while also promoting physical and mental health.
ESY works with YMCA associations across Europe to develop and implement sports programs that meet the needs and interests of young people. The network also organizes sports events, tournaments, and exchanges, which provide opportunities for young people to engage with their peers from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds. Through its activities, ESY aims to create a safe and supportive environment where young people can learn, grow, and develop through sports.
In addition to its work with YMCA associations, ESY also collaborates with other sports organizations, policymakers, and funders to promote the value of sports for youth development and social inclusion. The organization advocates for policies and programs that support sports and physical activity for young people, and provides expertise and guidance to other organizations working in the field of sports and youth development.
As an working group of YMCA Europe, ESY organizes since 1952 European YMCA Championships in Basketball, Handball, Table tennis and Volleyball every second year. ESY also offers a leadership training seminar for young sport leaders in YMCA.
YMCA European Championships are open for each European YMCA. National teams or local club teams can participate.
Categories are: men, women (basketball), junior men and junior women (handball, table tennis, volleyball).
The ESY-steering committee consists of one person from each European country that offers YMCA sport-activities. They have two meetings each year. One of the meetings contains the ESY annual meeting, where all countries who are interested in YMCA sports are especially welcomed.
The steering committee
Chairman: Mario Trichilo, Italy – mario(at)ymcasiderno.it
Treasurer: Michael Nielsen, Denmark – kastanjeparken3(at)gmail.com
Secretary: Eje Gronquist, Sweden – gronquisteje(at)gmail.com
Member: Aleksandar Kirkovski, Macedonia
Member: Risto Koikkalainen, Finland – risto.koikkalainen(at)ymca.fi
