1. 1 NEW SHOES TODAY • ROAD TO CREATION, INNOVATION AND CHANGE
LET ,S MOVE!
SPORTSPECTRUM
The Importance of Remembering Your Ideals
After two years of careful preparation, the Dutch municipality of Alphen-aan-
den-Rijn’s sports department became an independent company: Sportspectrum.
From that moment on the new company was responsible for profits and
losses. It was now entirely up to the management, Kees van Veen and Peter
Vrisekoop, to create an efficient organisation with the municipality as their
main client.
Godelieve Spaas explains: ‘I met them one year later. They weren’t that happy
with their new situation at all. Their main activities were encouraging people to
work harder, better and faster on the one hand, and on the other to negotiate
with their one and only client about prices over and over again. The instability
of the local political situation and the ensuing risks were other issues to consider.
They had to decide on how to go further: evolving towards a lean and mean
organisation, preparing for a take-over or creating a completely new concept
to break out of this vicious circle.’
As Sportspectrum’s core business is facilitating exercise, Kees and Peter
went to the seaside for a couple of days to take some lengthy walks and do
some brain exercise. Their hikes along the shore and the dunes brought them
back to what they strongly believed in: inviting people to a lifetime of exer-
cise and offering that possibility to everybody.
To achieve this goal they needed good sporting infrastructure (which they
already had) and a lot of new initiatives and ideas to get people exercising.
And most of all: money. They started to design their ideal organisation for
the future.
They saw Sportspectrum as a hub between all parties involved with exercise
and movement in society. They would build up knowledge and ideas and be
like the spider in the web, connecting all parties and sharing knowledge
about the vision of a healthy and flexible body, enjoying exercising, linking
this to a healthy and open society. The involved parties include the munici-
pality, companies, and all kinds of people and organisations with ideas and
plans on physical exercise for groups of people.
Their motto: We are a reliable partner for everybody who wishes or has ideas
to improve physical fitness. We want to be the best partner to co-create with
and we offer a link between knowledge, exercising and social goals.
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2. 2 NEW SHOES TODAY • ROAD TO CREATION, INNOVATION AND CHANGE
Enthusiasm
Peter and Kees initiated dialogues in their network to find out how to realise
this. And by co-creating with their employees, their partners and new clients
they found pathways towards solutions.
Instead of focusing on efficiency, they proposed a new deal to the local gov-
ernment: ‘If we make a profit by working more efficiently, we will use that money
to realise your goals. You want to increase the number of people that actively
exercise. We will realise that by combining our knowledge, our fun in exercis-
ing and our social responsibility with your short and long term local policy.’
They made a similar proposal to the companies in the area: ‘If you let us
organise the sporting activities for your employees, we will make sure that
our profit is used for creating more sporting activities in our community.’
Sportspectrum initiated all kinds of experiments to show their potential cus-
tomers what to expect, like a swimming course to get fit for your skiing holiday,
aqua dancing and a street football tournament.
For these experiments they asked their employees to join them in co-creating
new concepts for exercising. They were invited to think and act along the
same lines as the management: ‘Go back to what you believe is good for
you and good for society. Share your knowledge, your fun and your involve-
ment, just like Sportspectrum does with its environment.’
The Situation Now
Sportspectrum is now an important partner for the municipality of Alphen-
aan-den-Rijn. As an advisor, it evaluates the realisation and effectiveness
of local policy on sports and exercise. Other local governments have shown
their interest in becoming partners for facilitating and exploiting their sports
facilities and activities. Several companies have asked Sportspectrum to
organise sports activities for their employees. In this way they contribute
to the vitality of their employees as well as to the local community.
The employees are growing in their new roles: taking initiatives, generating
new concepts and working in co-creation with all kind of partners. And they
are never afraid of sharing their knowledge with everyone who needs it,
wants it or is interested. The habit of giving has become a main value in
their company strategy.
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