Our philosophy – fit for life

Our name in Danish is Skolerne i Oure Sport & Performance. Oure is the name of the lovely village where our colleges and schools are located. Idræt is a word which covers all kinds of athletics, sports, and other activities. In this English language presentation, we will simply use the word sport, or the concept of physical activity to cover this. Skole, as can easily be seen, means “school” or “college”. However, in this case it also relates to a uniquely Danish institution, the Folk High School. Later on in this brochure, we will explain a little about the history of the movement for popular education which produced the Folk High Schools, and also explain why Oure International College of Sports is exceptional even within this unique tradition.

Oure as a whole is not just a Folk High School. It has a continuation school, which is a type of boarding school catering for students aged around 17, who have finished their compulsory education but wish to continue for another year. It also now has an upper secondary school, for students aged between 14 and 17. In addition we run very successful and popular “family courses” in the summer, where families with children can come and enjoy an active and convivial holiday and benefit from our excellent facilities and instructors. Then, of course, there is the International Course.

All of these courses are supported by the same set of values, ethics and philosophy. We have produced a very thorough explanation of our philosophy in Danish, partly in response to legislative demands, but also because we thought it was important to demonstrate that there is a lot more to Oure than just taking part in sport. We have a consistent and well thought-out concept of education and we are no less serious than any other type of academic institution. This pamphlet is intended to explain these core values and philosophies to those who do not read Danish and have little or no knowledge of the domestic cultural context in which we operate.

We are largely independent of the state education system in Denmark. When we founded the college in 1987, we did so on the basis of a number of the values explained in this text. We did not have any financial support or other backing from any organisation or trust. This means we also had and have to accommodate market forces simply to survive. It does not, however, mean that we are whole-hearted champions of the free market in all its aspects and with all its implications. This, however, is the reality of the modern circumstances faced by educational and cultural organisations.

The college has only been able to come into existence, to survive and to develop because the many thousands of students and their relatives have found the time they have spent here rewarding and enjoyable.

We have a determination to pursue excellence in everything we, and our students, do.

There are essentially five pillars to our concept of sports as a vehicle for education:

1. Physical and athletic skills
2. Personal and social development
3. Health
4. Education and achievement
5. A global and multicultural perspective.

1. Physical and athletic skills

Sports and physical activity are principally about enjoyment, play, competition, exertion and awareness of the link between the physical and the mental or spiritual. They require concentration and effort. At Oure, we consider sports, games and fun to be very serious. We aim to support and increase people’s participation in and enjoyment of sports. The educational environment here is created to promote sporting competence in harness with theoretical considerations and reflection. But sport is not just about reflection, it can also involve the loss of self, the total absorption which means that individual desires and thoughts are subsumed in the whole, as a group of individuals becomes a smoothly efficient selfless team. Such complete absorption in an activity is pleasurable in itself, and brings benefits that no amount of individual training or reflection can.

2. Personal and social development

Sport is an educational vehicle for the development of personal and social skills which extend way beyond the practice of sport in itself. Modern theories of management and organisation often draw on experience form the world of sport, for good reason. Sports psychology, whether practical or theoretical, leads to greater personal insight and an understanding of social dynamics and interactions. The lessons learnt through sport can be applied to an enormous range of other areas and situations.
Not least important here is learning to be part of a team, to learn the rules, explicit and implicit, and to value the qualities and limitations of others. Communication skills are an essential aspect of a well functioning team. Sport also involves confronting your own limitations and moving beyond them. This is equally important in any learning process. It means being able to set your own goals and to meet them.

3. Health

The central concept at Oure is health and fitness. We see it as a key objective to instil in our students healthy habits, as well as knowledge about physiology and nutrition that can help them through the rest of their lives. In short: making them fit for life. We encourage a critical approach to information about health and nutrition. We are not puritans or kill-joys: we try to find the golden mean, the balance between enjoyment, discipline, sport and exercise.
We practise what we preach. The food we prepare is intended to be delicious, filling, but also nutritious and healthy. We use organic produce whenever possible.

4. Education and achievement

Studying at a sports college means receiving an education which is targeted towards achievement and earning qualifications for later life. The college sees one of its major challenges as being able to provide special courses and options, some of which lead to formal qualifications and some of which are more informally based. The nature of our college means that we can offer qualifications which are not available elsewhere. Our international positioning means we can collaborate with colleges and other institutions in other countries.
We think that assessment is an important part of education.

5. A global and multicultural perspective

Sport and physical activities are in their nature universal. Sport is a symbol of global culture. Despite some criticisms of the Olympic Games related to human rights issues, sport is the embodiment of the idea that man is born free and equal. Although sport has sometimes been abused to serve nationalist aims, it is no empty cliché to emphasise that sport has a central role in building bridges, making contact and extending understanding between different peoples.

Sport is of particular importance in a multicultural context. People of different backgrounds can come together, regardless of race or creed, in a neutral setting where the rules are the same for all. We strive to attract as many students as possible from different backgrounds, and to create a framework in which they can thrive. We are constantly extending our contacts with institutions in other countries to this end.