Flýtileiðir
Sports in Iceland
The current sport system is of a typical northern-Europe/Nordic
origin and can be described as a club model. There are many
similarities with the other Nordic countries where the percentage
of volunteerism is high. There is only one governing body
that includes all the non governmental organized sport, which is
The National Olympic and Sports Association of Iceland (ISI or
NOC). The ISI was established in 1997 when the Icelandic
Sports Federation and the Icelandic Olympic Committee were
merged. The Sports Federation was actually founded in 1912
where a group from Iceland was participating in the Stockholm
Olympic Games.
There are 25 sport districts in Iceland and 28 national sport federations that govern one or more sports each. For some sports where there are only few clubs and less than three districts that practice that sport, the ISI establish a committee for that sport until it becomes big enough to be an independent national sports federation. In total there are more than 40 sports practiced under the umbrella of the NOC in Iceland.
Other non-governmental sports practiced in Iceland are the fitness centres that are increasing their members and some leagues in football, handball and basketball that include few clubs that are not under the umbrella of the NOC.
The governmental part of sport is located in the Ministry of Culture, Education and Research but the most involvement is by the city councils of the communities in Iceland. The communities are the ones that build most of the facilities and support the sport clubs economically for the sport-training of children and youth as well as for the running costs of the facilities.
The school sports are primarily sport-lessons in the schools but the NOC is trying to establish more active sport participation of the schools and have founded a committee that is focusing on that are together with the ministry and the communities.
Every year the sport clubs, districts and sports federations give their report regarding their membership and the finances from the year before. From that yearly report the NOC can read statistics from every year and follow the growth of the sports. For this a database program, named Felix, is available online for all member-clubs of the NOC. As a unique situation every member is registered by his social security number.
The sport participation of the Icelandic people is still growing. The NOC has observed that over the past 10 years children are starting at a younger age in sport clubs than before and that people over 40 years are more active and more loyal to the clubs than before.
There are 25 sport districts in Iceland and 28 national sport federations that govern one or more sports each. For some sports where there are only few clubs and less than three districts that practice that sport, the ISI establish a committee for that sport until it becomes big enough to be an independent national sports federation. In total there are more than 40 sports practiced under the umbrella of the NOC in Iceland.
Other non-governmental sports practiced in Iceland are the fitness centres that are increasing their members and some leagues in football, handball and basketball that include few clubs that are not under the umbrella of the NOC.
The governmental part of sport is located in the Ministry of Culture, Education and Research but the most involvement is by the city councils of the communities in Iceland. The communities are the ones that build most of the facilities and support the sport clubs economically for the sport-training of children and youth as well as for the running costs of the facilities.
The school sports are primarily sport-lessons in the schools but the NOC is trying to establish more active sport participation of the schools and have founded a committee that is focusing on that are together with the ministry and the communities.
Every year the sport clubs, districts and sports federations give their report regarding their membership and the finances from the year before. From that yearly report the NOC can read statistics from every year and follow the growth of the sports. For this a database program, named Felix, is available online for all member-clubs of the NOC. As a unique situation every member is registered by his social security number.
The sport participation of the Icelandic people is still growing. The NOC has observed that over the past 10 years children are starting at a younger age in sport clubs than before and that people over 40 years are more active and more loyal to the clubs than before.