For many young people with immigrant backgrounds, getting involved in sports can be an important part of adapting to a new life, a new country, and a new community. Through sports, they can learn the language, make friends, and experience success.
This was the case for Mostafa Asadi, who arrived in Finland from Iran in 2006. “When our family moved to Finland, I immediately saw a sandy field and two goalposts through the kitchen window of our new apartment. In Iran, street football had been hugely important to me. A couple of days later, I made my first friends on that football field. They were also from Afghanistan, but they had already lived in Finland for several years. We played football together all day long,” Asadi recalls.
Today, Asadi works as a physical activity specialist at the We Foundation, which promotes equal opportunities for children, young people, and families.
“We want to ensure that every child and young person has the opportunity to participate and feel they belong. We do this in two ways. We have a physical community center in Mellunmäki, East Helsinki, where we work directly with children, youth, and families. In addition, we collect data on the impact of leisure activities from various sources — such as sports clubs, municipalities, community centers, and the Scouts,” he explains.
Asadi also co-founded the football club FC Meltsi, which has expanded from football into broader recreational activities and family support services.
His path to the present wasn’t always easy. While working as a PE teacher, Asadi witnessed acts of racism that no one wanted to address, which led to frustration. “I didn’t want to keep watching the injustice and inequality that I myself had experienced constantly along the way.”
His own football career, years of coaching in football and floorball, along with his studies and youth work, taught him a great deal.
“All children and young people — whether in sports or youth work — shared two main wishes: the presence of a safe adult and the feeling of being heard and understood. As simple as that!”
Olsi Marko is well acquainted with the challenges immigrant youth face. He has been the project coordinator of Yökoris since 2009. “Cultural differences, family background, language skills, prejudice, lack of knowledge among coaches…” Marko lists.
Organised by the Helsinki YMCA, Yökoris offers low-threshold basketball activities for young people. It has been found that participating in hobbies and recreational activities improves young people’s well-being and creates a sense of belonging. Integration into society becomes easier, and planning for the future becomes more achievable.
“Participation also reduces prejudice and prevents social exclusion. And naturally, this encourages even more young people to join in,” Marko says.
But how can we reach a situation where as many young people as possible are able to participate in sports and recreational activities? “Sports should be more affordable and accessible. Coaches should receive more multicultural training. Families should be included,” Marko suggests. “Coaches can play a role in preventing discrimination and highlighting positive role models. All of this promotes inclusion.”
Coaches play an important role in young people's lives. They are also role models who provide guidance, support, encouragement, and advice.
While it’s important to learn how to work with different groups, it’s equally important to trust your own instincts and skills. “Be yourself. Don’t be afraid to show your emotions,” says Miguel Reyes, an expert from Mieli Mental Health Finland. “Be clear, and repeat things. Listen to and respect others and their perspectives. Set common rules that apply to everyone and respect everyone.”
Mieli Mental Health Finland collaborates with Basketball Finland and Pohjola Insurance to support young people's mental wellbeing. The “Mental Well-being for Young Athletes” initiative offers tools for coaches to support the mental health and well-being of young athletes. With these tools, coaches and instructors can better engage with young people and different groups, helping to maintain their enthusiasm for sports and ensuring they feel safe, encouraged, and seen.
The program includes online courses, mainly aimed at coaches working with youth aged 10–15. All courses are free of charge.
In addition to education, Reyes’ core message to coaches is simple — yet deeply important:
“The most important thing we can give to young people is hope. Whether we're acting as a coach or a parent, we adults need to be adults — for the sake of the children.”