Mothers complain about the free time their children have during the summer vacation. They complain that their children waste their time doing nothing. A mother told me that she tried to register her son at one of Riyadh’s famous sports clubs. However, the club would not admit her son for free and asked her to pay a subscription fee.
I will not go into details about this issue, but I have a question, which I would like to pose on behalf of all mothers that live close to such clubs: Don’t their children have the right to benefit from such places, especially since they are generally deserted during the summer?
The mottos of sports clubs in the Kingdom attest that they are social, educational and athletic venues — something that indicates they are not just for athletes.
I do not expect every young man in the Kingdom to enroll at one of these clubs. I also understand that clubs do need to operate certain systems, such as the payment of fees. However, I firmly believe fees need to be affordable. I also do not expect the administration behind these clubs to invest in young people by organizing projects and camps that encourage and teach different types of sports. It would be a disaster actually if someone had such things in mind.
I believe that the Youth Welfare officials, and especially the two young princes Sultan ibn Fahd and Nawaf ibn Faisal, must intervene to persuade clubs to open their doors to the youth during summer vacations. This would have a huge impact in serving not only athletes, but also young people.
The most disturbing thing that many families experience during vacations is the mess that occurs in children’s lives. Not all families can afford to travel outside the Kingdom or enroll their children at private expensive summer camps.
Time is very important and crucial to the development of children’s characters and wellbeing. Instead of having them waste their free time staying up late and roaming the streets aimlessly, we must provide them with interesting alternative solutions. This is especially the case since psychological and social studies prove that certain perverted and illegal behaviors young people adapt are due to the free time they have and which they fail to spend doing something positive.
National sports club were established to serve the Saudi youth in general and not only football players or athletes. Please do something to create an active role for these bright individuals, who are the essence of our future.
