TAFISA

The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA) is the leading international Sport for All organisation. With more than 270 members from over 150 countries on all continents, TAFISA aims to achieve an Active World by globally promoting and facilitating access for every person to Sport for All and physical activity.

History

TAFISA began in the 1960s as the semi regular gathering of international but individual personalities and leaders interested and working in the field of Sport for All, under the title ‘Trim and Fitness’. At the time, Sport for All was a little known concept.

In 1991, the organisation TAFISA, Trim And Fitness International Sport for All Association, was officially formed and its statues registered with the law courts of Frankfurt, Germany.

In 2005, TAFISA became professional with the opening of its office, also in Frankfurt, Germany. In addition, TAFISA has full time employees working in the office of the President in Seoul, South Korea.

In 2009, TAFISA officially changed its name to ‘The Association For International Sport for All’ to more accurately describe its activities and its position as the leading international Sport for All association.

The TAFISA General Assembly is composed of TAFISA National Members and is the supreme governing body of TAFISA. The General Assembly meets every two years at TAFISA World Congresses to discuss and decide the future direction of TAFISA, including election of the Board of Directors every four years.

The most recent TAFISA General Assembly took place on October 25, 2013 as part of the 23rd TAFISA World Congress in Enschede, Netherlands.^[1]

Board of Directors

The TAFISA Board of Directors is elected by the General Assembly every four years for a four year term. The last election was held on 25 October 2013 in Enschede, Netherlands.

The Board of Directors consists of the President, four Vice-Presidents, the Treasurer, the Secretary General and up to five other members.

At least two members of the Board of Directors are to be female, and two are to be male. The four Vice- Presidents are to come from different continents (Americas – Asia/Oceania – Africa – Europe).

The 2013 - 2017 elected Board of Directors is composed of the following members:

^[2]

Programs and events

To encourage as many people around the world as possible to become involved in Sport for All and physical activity, TAFISA has developed a wide range of programs and events, that range for single day physical activity events to targeted, education programs. TAFISA programs and events include:

TAFISA World Congresses: A number one event held every two years, that gathers world's experts in Sport for All and physical activity over 4 to 5 days. The 24th TAFISA World Congress 2015 will be hosted by TAFISA member the Hungarian Leisure Sports Association and take place in Budapest, Hungary.^[3]

TAFISA World Sport for All Games: Held every four years since 1992, the week-long festival aims to safeguard and promote traditional sports and games. The most successful events, held in Busan, South Korea, in 2008 and Siauliai, Lithuania, in 2012, both gathered more than 8 000 participants from the entire world. The 6th TAFISA World Sport for All Games 2016 will be hosted by TAFISA member Indonesian Sport for All Association (FORMI) and take place in Jakarta, Indonesia.^[4]

TAFISA World Challenge Day: a friendly international competition in Sport for All and physical activity where communities of similar sizes from around the world compete against each other to motivate as many people as possible be physically active for only 15 minutes on a single day. The event, held every year on the last Wednesday of May, is a fun day that creates awareness and enthusiasm for fitness and active living in the participating communities. World Challenge Day is open to communities of any size from any country, and since its beginning in 1991, has been growing rapidly every year, with more than 48 million participants from over 40 countries in 2014.^[5]

TAFISA World Walking Day: held on the first weekend of October every year since 1991 and over the full month of October for the first time in 2014, TAFISA World Walking Day is open to citizens of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and genders. It aims to integrate physical activity into the everyday lives by promoting the benefits of walking.^[6]

TAFISA Certified Leadership Courses in Sport for All: A three- to five-day training that aims to qualify national Sport for All leaders around the globe. Since their inception in 2007 and 2011 respectively, more than 30 International and National TAFISA CLCs have been successfully held all across the world.^[7]

TAFISA Reach Out Program: an initiative that aims to build awareness, cooperation and strategic development of local and national Sport for All movements, particularly less developed countries. The program creates synergies between governors and practitioners of Sport for All delivery, to enable communities and citizens around the world to benefit from the myriad benefits that Sport for All can bring.^[8]

TAFISA Triple AC Program: The TAFISA "Active Cities, Active Communities, Active Citizens" Program believes in the dramatic role and importance municipalities have in increasing Sport for All and physical activity participation. It aims to support them in their work by collecting and disseminating good practices, as well as providing practical tools and advice to build an Active City strategy.^[9]

References