Debate, Larvik municipality | Are we worth less?

Larvik municipality clearly does not care about children, young people and adults who do not play the popular sports. Are we worth less just because we don’t play football or handball?

Larvik municipality shields all sports clubs apart from us, it is badly done.

There is talk of fixing the roof of the outdoor park at Månejord. It will work when it rains, but not when it is minus 10 in winter. The outdoor park is made of concrete, and is not a very good place to start for beginners. Roofs will also spoil the feeling of skating outside. There is a big difference between skating indoors and outdoors. The hall is built in wood and makes it less scary to try new things.

In the hall, there are adults who look after you and a kiosk when you are thirsty or hungry. The first time you skate, it can be scary to go to the skate park. In the hall, there are separate days for “beginners”. If the hall is taken away, we will lose many new talents. Children and young people who do not feel they belong on the football or handball pitch lose one of the very few offers.

It would be wrong to move the club to another location. We want to be at Torstrand.

There is also no other indoor facility in the county. It is very expensive to go all the way to Skien three times a week to train. Not everyone can afford that.

Many children and young people struggle to attend organized sports, and may struggle to listen to coaches etc. In the skate hall you can attend as often as you like or as rarely as you like.

This is a sport that includes everyone.

Skating creates friendship, mastery and lots and lots of joy. We want to share a bit of our history here:

Lily, 14:

I was 5 years old when I got my first skateboard for my birthday. I took it out into the streets, but the asphalt was rough and there was a lot of gravel, so dad took me to the skate hall at Torstrand for the first time. I was scared, because it’s quite scary when you’re a beginner, but when I entered I was greeted by a very nice lady named Inger. She was rooting for me from day one. I even got a very good ice cream from Inger.

Emma, ​​13:

When I was 7 years old, I went to the outdoor park with a scooter. There were two skaters skating and I think it was so cool. I got to borrow the board from one of them and it was great fun. They told me to come to the hall and I did, and it’s one of the best things I’ve done. When I got to the hall there was a big type of competition called the Larvik Open. It is an annual competition. There I got a board for free. I was the only girl among all the kids. I got great pleasure from being in speed, and a heart for the people in the hall.

The skate hall is a very important place. Separate days will be arranged for girls only where I can skate exactly as I want without being afraid of all the boys.

Larvik Skateboard Club is something completely unique. It has nurtured world-class stars, while also being a fantastic place for those who don’t fit into other sports. It will not continue if you do not give us the opportunity to use the hall as it is today. Is that really what you politicians in Larvik municipality want???