Learning through skateboarding

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Seeing kids on skateboards isn’t something you might expect in Kara Tepe. Yet this is our most recently introduced program! Sport & Management student Zachary Lynn used his experience from previous internships to set up this course. He explains why and how he set up this cool initiative.

How did you come up with the idea of setting up this skateboarding program?
“I’m writing my thesis and doing the final internship at Movement on Lesvos. My two previous internships were also about social change through sports, and I figured I use my experience to set up a skateboarding program here.”

And why skateboarding?
“A couple of reasons actually. As I know from experience, skateboarding is something that takes a lot of focus and determination. For a moment, you can’t think of anything else. Besides that, it helps you see things in a different way. You don’t see a road, you see opportunities to have fun. Skateboarding also has a very positive, community-like feeling all around the world. I hope this project can contribute to that as well.”

And it’s quite hard, how do the kids respond to the challenge?
“Well I also try to use the skateboarding program as a form of anger management, to build up a bit of resilience. I do this by doing a meditative warming-up and cooling down. Thus far the kids aren’t very enthusiastic about it but I think that’s because they’re all too excited to go skateboarding.” 

What is something else the kids learn by skateboarding?
“Most of them have never skated before, so they all have to learn it. First it’s about making sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable. We work in pairs, so trust is a big item.”

 How did you get all the equipment?
“For that I have to thank Skateistan, where I did one of my previous internships, Steez Distribution and Free Movement Skateboarding, an organization that works from Athens. They provided me with the equipment that was necessary to start up. In the end, this program would’ve never existed if it wasn’t for them.”

What are your dreams and goals for this project?
“Right now it’s in pilot stage, so we are evaluating the change in behavior of the participants and going from there. If everything is successful I would like to implement it on a bigger scale next year, and also set something up for the Moria kids. Ultimately, a Lesvos skatepark would be awesome!

Let’s hope that park gets there! Thank you Zach and good luck!

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