Field day for sports science centennial

»I love this! I love sports, and this is such a nice day for it«.

Exercise and sport student Mette Jespersen (21) waves a bright red flag around in the air waiting for her running student colleagues.

Then her fellow students come running. They swoop past her red flag.

We are at the hundred-year anniversary of the Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences (Institut for Idræt, IFI) – a celebration that is intended to keep on running until 2010 takes over the baton.

»We believe in the concept of combining educational learning, fun, teamwork and festivities. Today is a result of this idea,« explains senior lecturer and vice president at the Department for Exercise and Sport (IFI), Peter Krustrup.

Students versus professors

Jens Bangsbo, an IFI-professor and former football-coach for the Italian team Juventus, gets all set to speak about elite training.

»I would like to run the relay as well, but I have a presentation to run to instead. I am playing later. It is the first time the students meet the professors in a soccer game!«

High fives reach for a blue sky as another team gets ready for a game. Hundreds of students run around in the huge, green fields outside the Frederik the 10th hall.

More sports days to come

Jens Bangsbo emphasizes the importance of other social activities outside studying and ‘normal’ parties.

»This is a unique social event, which is a bit ridiculous, as sport events are the most important social activity, and bring people together. We have this wonderful sports field here, and I hope this day will be the start of more offers of activities.

According to Peter Krustrup, today is a sort of pilot project.

»But you don’t need to have an anniversary to arrange this,« Peter Krustrup says.

uni-avis@adm.ku.dk