Youth Officials – Genuine Responsibility
Involvement is not just about expressing one’s opinion. It can also be about being given responsibility, feeling needed, and genuinely contributing. During the Swedish Championship Week’s cross-country skiing competitions in Umeå in 2026, approximately 50 children and young people from IFK Umeå served as officials alongside adults and became part of organizing a major sporting event.
The children and youth were approximately 7–16 years old and were given various tasks based on their age and abilities. Among other things, they helped with:
- being fore-runners and track marshals
- handing out prizes
- selling refreshments
- sorting bib numbers
- carrying out other practical tasks during the competitions
Cross-Generational Involvement
The idea was not just to gain more officials. By having children, young people, and adults work side by side, a meeting place across generations was created. The children were given trust and meaningful tasks, while adults needed to make space, share responsibility, and trust in the abilities of young people. Giving children and young people responsibility does not mean that adults hand over the main responsibility. The tasks need to be safe and adapted to the children’s age and abilities, with adults nearby to provide support when needed.
Bring this to your club
Consider contexts within your activities where children and young people could play a greater role. It doesn’t have to be a Swedish Championship. It could be a competition, a club day, a cup, or another activity.
