The Norwegian Association of University Sport is all about building strong, local clubs at the universities in Norway. By building a good framework for the clubs and providing funding for further development of their work, the organization aims to get students in Norway active in their everyday life.
Talking to FISU Volunteer Leaders Academy participant Øystein Fruseth Christiansen about their goals, NAUS President Adrian Haugen (left) said, “In the short term, we plan to focus on our clubs, our young leaders and our tournaments. We are hoping to make our clubs as sustainable as possible, and to educate as many future leaders as possible, in Norwegian sports.”
The development of the Norwegian National Student Games is one of the initiatives that has come through this cooperation with the clubs and has become the highlight on the calendar for a lot of students.
These games are organised by the clubs, and with professional guidance from NAUS, the competitions run smoothly and bring more and more students together, every year.
Haugen said some of the greatest memories in his life came from these games.
“For me, the best event in 2019 was our National Student Games in Trondheim,” said Haugen. “The event gathered a large number of our members seeking one common goal; to get that championship trophy home. To see all those students together in one place, in the true spirit of sport, is a sight I’ll remember throughout my life.”
To be able to continue hosting these big events, the clubs need to get the right tools and support. One of the initiatives the Norwegian Association has undertaken is a ‘leader programme’ where talented youngsters get a chance to be mentored by experienced leaders of Norwegian sport. This programme allows leaders ofNorwegian university sports to meet on a regular basis, creating better collaboration between the clubs.
The leaders emerging from this programme tend to become future leaders of Norwegian university sports.
University sports in Norway is built up by volunteers, as Haugen described it.
“We are totally based on volunteering,” he said. “Every single club in Norwegian student sport is based on volunteering. Whether the club has 200 members or 13,000 members, it is all managed by volunteers. This makes every member of our association equal; it makes the president equal to the athletes and to the leaders of our sport clubs.”
This makes the association’s collaboration with the clubs even more important. Without a strong association working with the clubs and their volunteers, the national games would be smaller and the clubs would struggle to keep the same level of activity as it is today.
Future plans include training more of tomorrow’s leaders and helping the clubs in Norway become as sustainable as possible.