Sport and physical activity have a long tradition as social work approaches. Over the past thirty years, there has been a strong impetus to provide students with qualifications in sport- and physical activity-related social work as part of their academic training. Recognition has grown that sport and physical activity are more than just leisure activities; in fact, they can play a key role in achieving social workers’ objectives. As a result, increasing attention is being paid to these in discourse on methodologies. Furthermore, new fields of practice in sport, such as fan social work, have emerged.

This expert group aims to promote professionalisation, to encourage critical reflection and demystification of sport, and to foster dialogue among colleagues who specialise in physical activity, sport and psychomotricity and with the discipline of social work as a whole. The expert group discusses and develops specialist knowledge and issues in research and theory. In addition, it explores relevant methods and activities as well as ways of educating practitioners about these as part of their initial training and continuing professional development. The approaches addressed range from physical activity-, sport- and experience-based learning through psychomotricity, sociology of the body and sports science to more traditional approaches in the field of social work. The body has special significance, investigated both as a perceiving, acting subject in terms of bodily experience and as an object shaped by social forces.

As part of its work, the expert group presents and discusses ongoing research and practical projects, attaching great importance to basic research as well as evaluative and action-oriented research. 

The expert group sees itself as an open forum for colleagues from the worlds of research and practice.