Living Integration: How sports integrate

Hey! :)

Did you guys know the "Redbars"?
They're a group of men doing freestyle sports, for example in gymnastic poles. The sport is called "Calisthenics", it's Greek and stands for nice/good (=calos) and strength (=stenos).
Sounds quite cool right? :)

I talked to a schoolmate about this kind of sport and interviewed him on our subject, because he's a member of the "Redbars".
He told me that the men are between 13 and 42 years old and I think it's very cool that the age difference is that big!
Apperently, it's also possible to integrate groups of different ages by doing sports :)
He told me, that there are mainly members with a migration background, from Kazakhs, Afghan up to Russians and so on.
To my question whether sport can integrate he answered to me, that above all Calisthenics is able to do so, because you have to count on each other and the team spirit is elemantary.
Solidarity, mutual motivation and assistance are part of this sport and age, skin colour and origin doesn't matter at all.

They even trained together with refugees. They have met them in gym and presented their skills, with help of the Redbars members, the refugees tried to copy the exercises.
In spite of the fact, that they couldn't talk to each other, the training worked very well, he said.

But I asked myself if it's possible to integrate when everyone is doing something else.
Freestyle sport distinguishes itself by the fact, that you have no default, which exercises you have to do, so isn't it possible, that everyone starts to train for himself, because "own" exercises feel most effective?

So is there anybody thinking that this sport, or sport in general cannot integrate?
If it's the case, leave a comment with your opinion down below.
A negative opinion about this topic would be interesting to read, don't be shy ;)

yours Jana :)

Hi Jana,

I believe that freestyle sport can definitly integrate people from different cultures. I think the possibility that you can watch somebody do a certain exercise that you have never seen before adds to the integration, because you can ask the other person what he or she is doing and maybe copy it or do it with the other person together. And i think something like warming up together with the entire group can strengthen the bond between the athelets. :)

Quite interesting blog entry. I personally would have never thought that Calisthenics would enable access to intergration and let people learn more about their respective cultures. Keep up the good work! I'm waiting for more such entries to come!

I'm a Redbars member myself.
As you can see in my topic, I've a Vietnamese background. That is a completely different corner of the world, anyway it's not a barrier to be a member of Redbars.
No matter your skin is white, black, red, brown or yellow, you just need a common motivation and goal!
Freestyle doesn't mean, that you do your own training routine for yourself. It mean that you show your abilities and performances and share it with others. Every member can rejoice with you about your new achieves and you can
show them how they can do it.
At the beginning we were a small calisthenics group, but now we've got so many interviews by TV channels and newspaper.
This sport combines us. It gave us the same motivation and mindset.

Oh just forget it :D
We have 2 girls in redbars too. ;)
Calisthenics is for everyone :D