Floriaan (20) invents platform to find sailing buddies at Antwerp sailing club VVW Galgenweel | Antwerp
AntwerpFloriaan Van den Brande (20) of the Antwerp sailing club VVW Galgenweel is one of the nominated ‘Young Lions’. In the coming months, he will be working on a digital platform to bring the sailors of his club into contact with each other. “After a sailing course, it is difficult for individual participants to find someone to rent a multi-man boat together,” he explains.
The Flemish Sports Federation announced 13 Young Lions on Monday. In the coming months, the young people aged 16 and 25 will work with the support of ex-top athletes and sports experts to tackle ideas from the social transactions of sports clubs. It concerns the development of new members in less well-known sports, communication with non-native speakers and the closer involvement of parents in club activities. Over the next seven months, the 13 nominated young people will develop their idea with the Flemish Minister of Sport Ben Weyts. In September an independent jury selected the winners in four different categories.
“We mainly focused on teenagers and in their twenties who are active in a sports club and who have an idea to take their sport to a higher level locally or throughout Flanders”, says Robin Ramakers, Manager Representation Sports Federation. “The fresh ideas are not necessarily focused on one sport. They can also inspire other disciplines and federations. Who knows, we might discover a new Cédric Van Branteghem, Tomas Van Den Spiegel of Elodie Ouédraogo, who are very successful as an entrepreneur in the sports world!”
Multi-man boats
One of the Young Lions is Floriaan Van den Brande (20) of the Antwerp sailing club VVW Galgenweel. He notices that there is a need for a way to find buddies as a novice sailor. “I have been giving sailing lessons for several years and have noticed that several participants find it difficult to find their way back after a course. We rent out multi-man boats to adults during the weekends. Friends of couples then go sailing together, but for individuals the threshold is very high. It’s a shame they can’t keep the sport going that way. That is a pretty big problem in the sailing world, especially now that the sport has become more popular since corona,” he explains.
As a Young Lion, Floriaan will work in the coming months on a digital platform to bring sailors into contact with each other. “They could give when they are available. That way they find another sailor to rent a boat with that day,” he explains. “We hope that the adults will find each other. Afterwards it could also be offered to clubs, and even to other sports.”
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