Moving together: Sports vision Wassenaar handed over to omnisports association WZK
On Friday evening, October 3, at the Sterrenbad in Wassenaar, the recently adopted sports vision of the municipality was handed over to omnisport association WZK Wassenaar. During a regular training evening, while young water polo players and competitive swimmers were active in the pool, Alderman Sport, Laurens van Doeveren, handed the vision to the board and members of the association. Those present included chairman Robert-Jan Kroon, representatives of Fit in Wassenaar and the Wassenaar Sports Contact.
A vision of sports that connects and invites
With the sports vision, the municipality of Wassenaar chooses a future in which sports and exercise are accessible to everyone. The emphasis is on strong associations, sustainable accommodations and an environment that invites to exercise. The municipality wants to get more residents playing sports and give associations room to develop and strengthen their role in society. The vision revolves around four pillars: strengthening sports providers, more exercise participation, an exercise-friendly environment and future-proof sports facilities. Thus, the sports vision forms the basis for a new and coherent sports policy for the coming years.
Alderman Sport, Laurens van Doeveren is proud of what sport means to Wassenaar: "It feels very good to be able to hand over the sports vision here, at WZK itself. It shows how close we want to be to the associations. The short lines of communication, the direct contact with the people who make sports possible day in and day out, that is exactly what makes our approach so valuable. Sports clubs are the heart of our community and this is where you see it happening alive: people playing sports together, getting involved and feeling really connected to the club. With this vision we are taking an important step together to continue to support and strengthen that. I'm incredibly happy about that."
Handover in a sporting setting
The choice of an informal handover during a training evening was deliberate. After all, sport is very much alive in the places where people come together, dedicate themselves to their association and move together. After the handover, those present watched the training of the water polo players and conversations arose about the ambitions of the club and the importance of sport for the local community. For many members of WZK, the club is more than a sports place: it is a second home. This is exactly what the municipality of Wassenaar believes in: sport as a unifying force that brings people together.
