Swiss Hockey: Pascale, you’re the executive director of the fit4future foundation. What exactly are the foundation’s goals, and what are you doing to achieve them? What makes your foundation so unique?

Pascale: The fit4future foundation is dedicated to ensuring that children and young people in Switzerland can grow up healthy. To this end, we promote physical activity, a balanced diet, and mental health—in schools, recreational programs, and after-school care settings. What makes us special is our holistic approach: We combine scientifically grounded health promotion with practical programs that have a lasting impact on children and inspire them.

Swiss Hockey: What has been your experience with the fit4future camps and Activity Days? How do they work, and how have they been received so far?

Pascale: Our camps and Activity Days consistently show just how much fun children have being active when they get to try new sports. The activity modules are run by sports federations or their clubs—this gives them the chance to get children excited about their sport at an early age and attract new members. At the same time, the children are introduced to different sports and may even discover a new hobby for themselves. In addition to physical activity, we also promote mental resilience and social skills, and teach topics like balanced nutrition in a playful way. The high demand shows that this approach is very well received.

Swiss Hockey: You’ve been with fit4future since 2009—is Gen Alpha healthier? Do today’s children and teens get more exercise than previous generations? Or are we seeing a clear “TikTok” gap when it comes to physical activity and enthusiasm for sports?

Pascale: Children generally enjoy being active—that hasn’t changed from the past. However, Gen Alpha’s physical activity is more organized, for example through school sports and clubs, while digital offerings are increasingly competing for children’s attention.

The numbers show that children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 16 spend nearly 90% of their day sitting or lying down, yet still manage an average of just under 80 minutes of physical activity per day. Nevertheless, 64% meet the recommendation of at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day. The biggest challenge arises during adolescence: physical activity decreases significantly as children get older. That’s why we need to keep physical activity appealing and integrate it into everyday life as naturally as possible.

Swiss Hockey: How do you think we can get children excited about more physical activity and sports?

Pascale: The key—across all age groups—is enjoyment rather than pressure. Children and teens will stick with it if they experience a sense of accomplishment, are part of a community, and feel welcome. Clubs and sports organizations play an enormously important role here by making physical activity accessible and appealing.

Swiss Hockey: fit4future and Swiss Hockey are now entering into a partnership. What is your impression of Swiss Hockey? Where do you see opportunities for both partners?

Pascale: Swiss Hockey inspires children and teens with its strong commitment to physical activity, especially field hockey. Team spirit and supporting children are also important to the association—all values that are central to fit4future as well. Together, we can inspire even more young people to adopt an active lifestyle and provide them with positive sports experiences. I therefore see great potential for a long-term and effective partnership.

Swiss Hockey: Thank you, Pascale, for the insightful interview. We’re very much looking forward to a great collaboration.

Learn more about fit4future at https://www.fit-4-future.ch/de/fit4future.html