Back in 2020, the Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration initiated the Beyond Sports: Nurturing Future Entrepreneurs and Healthy Lifestyle Families project, inviting students to organise sports and wellness-related events for participants of various age groups — from children to the elderly — throughout the year. For a while, the pandemic limited their options, but their service calendar is now packed with innovative, meaningful activities.
The students involved come from two related undergraduate programmes: Sports and Recreation Management, and Sports and eSports Management. They are thus able to apply their knowledge in sports as well as business in real-life settings. The project's outcomes are just as its name suggests — it has cultivated an entrepreneurial spirit among participants, contributed to healthier communities and accomplished many other benefits beyond the sports arena.
A recent activity saw 20 students supporting the Hong Kong 2023 World Boccia Asia–Oceania Regional Championships, one of the Paralympic Qualifiers of Paris 2024, where they witnessed the paraathletes' incredible skills while playing a role in promoting parasport and social inclusion.
One effective way of connecting with local communities is by promoting newly emerged sports. The student volunteers have hosted a trial session of these family-friendly sports alongside the fourth Hong Kong Food Fiesta, co-run a roundnet trial event in ethnically diverse Sham Shui Po, and participated in organising the grand opening of the Viveresky Wellness Hub, a prime destination for newly emerged sports in Nansha, Guangzhou.
With the intention of serving the youth, the students have also supported the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups in basketball and volleyball development programmes, organized a fitness challenge for primary and secondary schools in the Tsuen Wan District, and held a fun Halloween Sports Day at the Po Leung Kuk Jockey Club Tai Tong Holiday Camp.
Activities promoting health and wellness among the elderly included a sarcopenia screening in partnership with The Salvation Army.
