Erik Gregoriou, CEO Island Sportz, Beach Tennis events organizer.
SUMMARY OF INTERVIEW
The interview explored the connection between sports, youth development, and environmental sustainability, emphasizing the role of sports event organizers and youth workers in promoting eco-friendly practices.
The CEO of Island Sportz highlighted the challenge of minimizing the environmental impact of sports events, particularly in natural settings like beaches. To address this, the company has implemented a zero-plastic policy, providing reusable bottles and refill stations at international beach tennis tournaments.
Key recommendations included actively involving young people in sustainability efforts by engaging them in eco-friendly sports events and integrating green practices into sports clubs and schools. Additionally, youth workers play a vital role in providing environmental education by utilizing insights from European projects, demonstrating real-life sustainable practices, and empowering young people to take leadership roles in shaping sustainable sports culture.
The interview concluded with a call to action, stressing that sustainability in sports is a necessity, not just a trend, and that youth workers have a crucial role in making it a lasting part of sports culture.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Introduction and Experience within Youthwork, Sport, and Environment
I am the CEO of Island Sportz, a Cyprus-based company specializing in the organization of international beach tennis tournaments. My work lies at the intersection of sports, youth development, and environmental sustainability, as I see sports as a powerful tool for social inclusion and positive change.
Through Island Sportz, I focus on creating inclusive sporting opportunities while promoting sustainable event practices. I work closely with young people from diverse backgrounds, including individuals facing social obstacles, ensuring they have equal access to sports in an inclusive and supportive environment.
On the environmental side, I recognize the importance of minimizing human impact on nature, especially in beach sports. To this end, my company has implemented a zero-plastic policy in our international beach tennis tournaments, aiming to eliminate plastic waste. As part of this initiative, we provide reusable bottles to all athletes, with designated water stations installed in the court area, allowing them to conveniently refill their bottles and reduce single-use plastic consumption.
In your opinion, what are the main environmental challenges our community is facing?
From my perspective as a sports event organizer, one of the main environmental challenges our community faces is the need to foster a strong environmental culture among athletes, organizers, and sponsors. While sustainability is gaining attention, integrating eco-friendly practices into sports events requires a shift in mindset and consistent commitment from all stakeholders involved.
Sports events, particularly those held in natural environments like beaches, have the potential to leave a significant ecological footprint due to waste generation, excessive water consumption, and habitat disturbance. However, the challenge goes beyond implementing green policies—it’s about creating long-term awareness and responsibility within the sporting community.
At Island Sportz, we tackle this by enforcing zero-plastic policies, promoting reusable alternatives, and setting up refill stations to eliminate single-use plastics in our beach tennis events which bring together more than 150 athletes globally. However, for real change to happen, we need athletes to embrace sustainable habits, organizers to integrate eco-conscious policies into event planning, and sponsors to prioritize environmentally responsible partnerships.
In what ways do you think sport can contribute to environmental education for youth?
In order to facilitate environmental education for youth through sports, young people must play an active role in all sustainability initiatives. However, I would like to emphasize two key areas that are particularly crucial.
The first is engaging young people in sustainable sporting events to teach them about eco-friendly sports through hands-on experiences. By bringing youth closer to sporting events—not just as spectators but as active participants—they can experience sustainability in action. When they see reusable bottles, recycling stations, and other green initiatives being implemented during events, they are more likely to adopt these behaviors in their daily lives.
Additionally, organizing environmental activities alongside sports events provides young people with practical experiences that reinforce their connection to sustainability and environmental responsibility. Sports clubs and schools can take the lead by integrating eco-friendly practices into their operational manuals, ensuring that sustainability becomes a fundamental part of youth sports culture rather than an occasional initiative.
What steps should we, as youth workers, take to effectively implement these ideas and tackle environmental challenges?
Firstly, European-funded projects in the field of sports provide valuable research, best practices, and innovative approaches to sustainability. These insights should be shared with young people, sports clubs, and communities to enhance awareness and drive implementation. As youth workers, it is our responsibility to utilize this knowledge effectively and maximize its impact at both local and national levels.
In addition, for sustainability to be truly embraced, young people need to understand its importance and practical benefits. Youth workers should not only highlight the environmental impact of sports but also take a hands-on approach by showcasing real-life examples of eco-friendly sports events. Demonstrating how sustainability can be integrated into sporting activities will help young people visualize and adopt these practices in their daily lives.
Lastly, it is essential to recognize that young people should not just be participants but active contributors in the transition toward eco-friendly sports. This can be achieved by involving them in the planning and implementation of sustainable initiatives within sports. By giving them a voice and a role in decision-making, we empower them to become agents of change, ensuring that sustainability becomes an integral part of sports culture for future generations.
Closing Statement/Suggestions
Sustainability in sports is not just another trendy idea, it is something we need to prioritize as the number of sports events and participants continues to grow, increasing their impact on the environment. As youth workers, we have a key role in making sure that sustainability becomes a natural part of sports culture.