Response to interpellation 2023/24:264 on elite sports

Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! Anna Wallentheim has asked me how I and the government view the tough economic situation that many elite teams are currently experiencing and if I am prepared to take some initiatives in light of this. Anna Wallentheim has also asked me how I and the government believe we should continue to ensure a strong children's and youth sports while simultaneously nurturing elite sports.

I agree with the view that both grassroots and elite sports are needed and that there is an interaction between them. To strengthen both of these perspectives, among other things, the government supports the sports movement with an annual grant of approximately 2 billion kronor. The support is largely channeled further by the Swedish Sports Confederation (Sveriges Riksidrottsförbund) to specialized sports federations and many of the 19,000 sports clubs around the country that conduct both elite and competitive sports as well as health-oriented grassroots and recreational sports. Sveriges Riksidrottsförbund also actively supports clubs and federations in issues regarding the development of children's and youth sports and around elite sports. The latter includes, among other things, financial elite sports support but also support regarding cooperation with the business sector. For example, Sveriges Riksidrottsförbund has recently initiated a new collaboration with the Center for Sports and Business at the Stockholm School of Economics, to support and contribute to an increased understanding of the conditions that increased commercialization entails for clubs, federations, and the Swedish sports movement.

The Government considers that a broad and welcoming children's and youth activity is a self-evident and natural foundation for the sports movement and for the breadth and elite activity of adult sports. At the same time, there are challenges for Swedish elite sports that are important to address. In order to develop Swedish elite sports, the Government in April 2023 tasked the Centre for Sports Research to carry out an in-depth analysis of the conditions and prerequisites of the sports movement as a whole to conduct a competitive elite sports activity. The assignment shall be reported by April 15, 2024, at the latest.

I look forward to taking part in this in-depth analysis, and I will continue to closely follow the developments in both elite sports as well as children's and youth sports.

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Anna Wallentheim (S)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer! In my home municipality Hässleholm, there is an urban area named Vittsjö. In Vittsjö, I have lived. In Vittsjö, I have gone to school. In Vittsjö, I have sung in various church choirs for over 15 years, and in Vittsjö, I played football as a child. I believe and hope that the Minister sees where I am headed with this. In Vittsjö, there is indeed the fantastic football team Vittsjö GIK.

Today I no longer play football except with my daughter and my niblings. Nor do I live in Vittsjö anymore. But still, my heart beats strongly for Vittsjö damlag. I have been there and cheered on Vittsjö damer to the Damallsvenskan. Throughout my entire adult life, I have seen every home match I had the opportunity to. I am part of the 300-klubben. I have cried in both victory and defeat.

I have seen my niece Moa, who actually belongs to Gothenburg, in Vittsjö, breaking down with happiness when she got to meet her football idols. My own daughter has since she was two and a half years old - today she is seven years old - gotten to learn the rules of football, gotten her first role models and seen what love looks like across all borders. She has gained an insight into the magical world of sports.

But as late as the evening of November 15, it was possible to read on Vittsjö's various channels "A cry for help," when it was realized that the finances would not be able to be balanced during 2023, and thus the journey towards the million began. Today, thanks to the fantastic Vittsjö family, thanks to associations, thanks to companies, thanks to families, and thanks to individual heroes, one has succeeded in putting together that million. Thus, it looks like one will manage this year's result and can take on next year.

But unfortunately, the reality looks incredibly tough for many of our sports clubs all around our country. The last three years have been characterized by an economic crisis for Swedish sports - a crisis that has resulted in 20 elite sports teams around Sweden collapsing. In SVT's sports series Elitklubbarnas krasch, we have been able to follow this development and see how reality is hitting sports across the country. It is an investigation that shows that the economic strain is great.

The 20 clubs in question are found in football, ice hockey, speedway, volleyball, bandy, and basketball. These are some of the sports where associations have had to leave the elite investment or have had to be shut down entirely. It is also interesting that seven of these clubs during the last decade have also won SM-gold, but despite this, they have not succeeded in keeping the association's finances together.

For someone who loves sports, this is of course an incredibly boring development. Even though we politically many times talk about grassroots sports and children's and youth sports as the most important investments, both the minister and I know that grassroots sports and elite sports live in symbiosis with each other. We know that the breadth creates the elite, and we also know that the elite creates the breadth.

Through our elite teams, role models are created. It inspires the next generation. It generates profits many times over, which allows for investments in children's and youth sports, in women's teams, and in senior teams. Many times it also makes it possible to make investments in society.

Through the elite, we create a social community that actually transcends all boundaries. The elite shall therefore not be underestimated.

I am aware that both I and the Minister understand the tough economic situation of sports, but perhaps we have slightly different views on how or if the municipalities' tough and strained situation also affects sports. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister: How does the Minister view the fact that the municipalities' strained economy also affects the association life and elite sports across the entire country?

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, the interpellor, for this contribution! One becomes very happy to hear about this commitment to Vittsjö - a very beautiful small community, for the most part. It is only 13 kilometers from Markaryd and not so far from Hässleholm. I know that there is also a fantastic football culture there now - or perhaps it has existed for a long time? I know that girls travel all the way from Markaryd to Hässleholm several times a week to practice their ball striking. It is fantastic that they do that and that people help each other in that way.

The commitment to the local sports club is something I believe many of us have experienced during our upbringing in a city, a village, or a community. It is truly something that brings people together. Therefore, it is concerning when the law is affected by this type of problem.

Sometimes it is external circumstances that cause this. It could be an electricity price crisis or something else. One might have taken over the arena just before an electricity price shock occurred. There is a difference compared to those who have municipal facilities, because there the municipality has borne that risk. This is something we know that some struggled with during last year. An electricity price subsidy provided a certain respite for the clubs and associations it concerned.

In another case, it could simply be a matter of having had a suit that was too large. One has incurred costs that have been unrealistic. There are many different underlying factors. I do not believe that either I or the interpellator is interested in retaining, at all costs, all those who have not acted economically responsibly. They have, in those cases, engaged in a kind of economic doping, which other clubs, which have been responsible and have not incurred such costs, have not done.

We know that many leagues are working to make it more economically sustainable over time. It is good and important that there are elite licenses and different types of tools to ensure that the clubs have a long-term sustainable operation.

We are actively working on these issues. We have now tasked the Centre for Sports Research with identifying the conditions for practicing elite sports in Sweden. We will, of course, plan further measures. The top leagues and their ability to be competitive are included in the Tidö Agreement. There we see that it is not isolated to hockey and football, but other leagues and other elite activities shall also be able to take part in any proposals that emerge from this work.

The municipalities are struggling, the clubs are struggling, and households are in a very difficult situation in this situation. I can nevertheless state that the government allocated a significant part of the reform space to support municipalities in this vulnerable position. I understand that the interpellor thinks there should have been more resources for the municipalities, but we also have inflation, which is also extremely concerning for the clubs. Inflation implies large cost increases for the clubs, so we must also tackle that so they can achieve long-term stability in their operations and have an overview of the costs that exist ahead.

I also want to say that I share the interpellant's view that elite sports are important for the breadth and that the breadth is important for elite sports. I view with some concern an all-too-early peaking in some sports compared to others, for we know that some bloom late and become elite athletes a bit later if they are given the chance to continue longer into the age groups.

The breadth is therefore important. Elite sports are also very important, both as inspiration and for the fantastic aspect of pushing boundaries and seeing how far one can go within a field. It is naturally also a source of pride for all of us who follow both the teams' and the individual athletes' fantastic performances.

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Anna Wallentheim (S)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer and for your strong commitment when it comes to sports!

During the years 2018-2021, I had the privilege of being responsible for sports issues for the Social Democrats while I sat in the Cultural Affairs Committee. Even though I moved to the Justice Committee in the autumn of 2021, I am still aware of and will remember how difficult it was during the pandemic, when it was I who was responsible for working on these issues.

We know that incredibly many associations and clubs just managed to keep their heads above water during the pandemic and how this affected the sports movement as a whole. Now we have, just as the minister pointed out, moved from one crisis to another. We have the economic crisis, which of course does not only affect the clubs but also our municipalities, communities, families with children, and families in general.

The already tough conditions for association life now also mean that, when inflation, increased electricity prices, and high gasoline and diesel prices are to be managed, one is of course affected by the fact that many federations have quite high requirements for our elite clubs. If one moves from belonging to division 1 up to allsvenskan, for example, quite large requirements are set. It is clear that this will be a blow to many associations, and we know that the municipalities have sometimes taken responsibility and helped with the upgrades that may be required regarding facilities.

Unfortunately, sports are getting stuck in a bit of a Catch-22, because it is not only the costs that are increasing but also the revenues that are decreasing. The economic crisis means that people refrain from attending a sporting experience because they feel that they cannot afford to spend the extra money on the fee to go in and watch a match.

We also see that membership fees are decreasing because families with children suddenly cannot afford to let their children become members of the association life or continue with the sport they love.

Of course, we politicians should never go in and point too much in sports. I have always been incredibly careful that we should have an arm's length distance and trust the sports, but we also and must always be responsive to the problems we hear about.

The Swedish Sports Confederation is a fantastic federation, I believe. With its 72 member federations, 19 districts, over 750,000 volunteer leaders, 19,000 sports clubs and approximately 3.3 million members all around our country, it constitutes a fantastic source of inspiration. It also provides the opportunity to get information about what is happening in the sports movement.

Sports has for many years worked towards ensuring that everyone has access to sports throughout their entire lives. Even within the Swedish Sports Confederation (Riksidrottsförbundet), elite sports are discussed, and as recently as a week ago, the national sports board announced that they have now introduced a transition support for those member federations that, according to the preliminary proposal, were left without elite sports support between 2024 and 2025.

This is proof that there are dialogues between the member associations and the board and that the criticism that comes in is actually being taken to heart. The Minister also mentioned the exciting collaboration to look at what commercialization entails for clubs and associations and for the Swedish sports movement. We know that SVT's review pointed to this development as a decisive factor for the economic development within sports. We must, of course, take a holistic approach to this.

Madam Speaker! Today I am no longer responsible for sports, except perhaps when it comes to questions of doping and hooliganism. These, in fact, fall under the Justice Committee – I chose to keep them there.

Today I am responsible for young offenders, and I become concerned when I see how incredibly strong the connection is regarding children and young people who lack a meaningful leisure time. Research shows that an incredibly large number of these children and young people lack the background within organized association life that we both probably believe all children should have a right to.

Therefore, I ask: How does the government view the fact that the curve for when children and young people stop participating in organized sports is creeping further down in age?

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, the interpellor, for the reasoning regarding not least the conditions for elite sports and the conditions for club life in general!

We know, just as was pointed out, that a transition support has been decided within the Swedish Sports Confederation and that work is also being carried out in relation to 2030 with different types of investments in elite activities.

Quite a few of us had hoped for the opportunity for Sweden to compete for the chance to host the 2030 Olympics. This could also have been a source of inspiration for many to continue with their sports and strive towards a Winter Olympics in Sweden. Now that did not happen.

The questions regarding children and young people's opportunities for a meaningful leisure time are something that engages me deeply. We are working full-scale to develop a leisure card aimed at all children between the ages of eight and sixteen, which should be able to be used specifically for membership fees and training fees in Swedish association life, so that children do not have to stop their sports.

We know that when children turn eleven or twelve years old, they come home and say that it is boring at football and that they want to quit, but what they have understood is that it digs a hole in mom's or dad's wallet that makes it so they cannot continue.

That is why we have said: Let us create a support that can only be used for this and which does not compete with the grocery budget or the electricity bills, so that no family should have to choose between participating in sports training or buying food, but there should be a support dedicated to children's opportunity to be part of the association life.

The Social Democrats were against when we launched this idea, but they have changed their minds, as far as I understand. I think this is very good, because we need many different things here. We are now also specifically investing in strengthening community life in vulnerable areas so that it will be possible for more people to take part in community life where community sports are not as strong.

I believe that there are 14 special associations that are now working dedicatedly with this task: to be in more places in Sweden and be present in vulnerable areas so that there are also more sports to choose from. We know that different sports suit different people.

The interpellator Anna Wallentheim also mentioned young people who end up on the wrong side because they do not have a meaningful leisure time and therefore become an easier prey for the gangs' power. I completely share that description.

We also have problems with the fact that, in connection with sports, there are also light-shy individuals - agents and others - who early on enter the children's lives and bind them to themselves. It can be as simple a thing as a pair of football boots or a food bag. Often they try to make the association the children's enemy and say: The association wants to milk money out of you. That is why they are investing in you, while I just want to be your friend and help you. These people are often also present in criminal environments.

It is therefore necessary to push back the gangs in all conceivable contexts. We shall offer good communities for our children and young people, but also strike back against those who attempt to capitalize on the good values of sports and exist on its fringes and pull children away from the good values that are formed in sports.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Anna Wallentheim (S)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister once again for the answer.

As a Social Democrat, I will always fight for us to make even more investments in schools. We must ensure that we eliminate the queues to BUP. We must ensure that we give young people opportunities for summer jobs. And we must invest in sports. All of this is needed for us to stop the new recruitment to the gangs.

I am incredibly grateful for the Minister's answer, which so clearly highlights what a decisive factor sports can be in helping children and young people who can be recruited into gangs. But it is clear that I also become worried when we simultaneously have a government that is pushing the issue of whether we should put children in prison, lower the age of criminal responsibility, and so on. I do not believe that is the solution to the new recruitment. It is always the preventive work that must be at the forefront.

I know that the minister also sees the important role of sports. He has expressed this in his speeches. We know that it is about preventive aspects. We can see sports from the mental and physical health benefits it provides. We can see sports from a sense of community. And we can see sports from the joy of movement. Sports involve gains on so many levels, everything from the individual level to the societal level. And I think it is incredibly rewarding to have this debate with the minister where we can bring these important issues onto the agenda.

Sports in general, but of course also the elite sports that I have mentioned, are actually facing a financial crisis. And it is incredibly important that we continue the dialogues with sports that are required so that we can ensure that no more associations or more clubs fall through the cracks.

During the pandemic, the social democrat-led government took a great responsibility for both culture and sports. And I hope and expect that the same dialogue is maintained today.

I will continue to monitor these issues, and I know that my party will continue to monitor the issues. Sport is in our DNA.

Finally, Madam Speaker, I want to turn to everyone listening to this debate. If you have the opportunity, support your local associations! Go to the matches, buy that sausage and buy the lottery tickets – all of this to help out. And if you have the opportunity, also become a volunteer leader or a coach. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. I do what I can for my beloved Vittsjö for soul, heart, and tradition.

(Applause)

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the interpellor for this.

I visited Kista Sports Club a while ago. At the door to their training hall stood a rather young leader. Then a little boy came, and the leader said: Hello! How nice to see you. I haven't seen you for a while.

It is this that it is about, that an adult, and in this case a rather young adult, sees a child. I know nothing about this person otherwise. But there and then, someone saw and noted that this person was present. And the leader had the opportunity to follow up by asking if anything had happened and if that was why this person had not been there for a while.

It is these good contexts that we need so much more of. And I completely share Anna Wallentheim's appeal that we should do what we can also as individuals and give of our time and perhaps spend an hour or two a week being a coach. We know that there are many young people who have said that it was that coach who changed their lives and who made them move away from a certain context. Or it could have been that coach who made a person struggling with mental illness stay in that context and who made that person continue training for a couple more years so that he or she could get through what was so difficult.

Child and adolescent psychiatry will not be able to solve everything, even though we will also expand it and shorten the queues. But we need to have these contexts where people are allowed to exist and be seen, where they get to train together and find a sense of community with others. And this is what the sports movement represents to such a great extent.

I shall return to the theme of elite sports. It was a former spokesperson for Miljöpartiet who wrote the book Från Vittsjö till världen. It is indeed an excellent opportunity that sports can offer, not for everyone but for some, to give people an opportunity to broaden their horizons, test their limits and see how far one can go. And perhaps that reaches far out into the wide world.

The interpellations debate was hereby concluded.

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