Forum: More training, funding can enrich pursuit of serious leisure among seniors

I refer to the commentary, “Serious leisure: How some hobbies can be life-changing for seniors” (Dec 31).

The writer defined “serious leisure” as the “systematic pursuit of an activity with career-like focus, acquiring and expressing the special skills, knowledge and experience required for the activity”.

He extolled that serious leisure could help seniors gain a sense of purpose, cognitive function, social connections and emotional well-being, thus countering old-age loneliness.

The National Instructors and Coaches Association (Nica) concurs and believes there is a need to foster the development of credible instructors to ensure senior participants can partake in serious leisure safely – whether to calibrate activities to seniors’ physical abilities or to facilitate activities that bolster seniors’ sense of competence and self-reliance.

With Singapore transitioning into a super-aged society, where around one in four citizens is expected to be aged 65 or above by 2030, support for seniors to engage in serious leisure must be taken seriously.

In this regard, Nica has initiated training for our members, who are largely freelance professionals instructing sports, arts, exercise and fitness, and enrichment to acquire the expertise to coach seniors, with safety as the highest priority.

Around a third of Nica members are also seniors in their 50s and 60s, and can relate to the needs, concerns and aspirations of fellow seniors.

Nica members actively seek out training to upskill and stay relevant, to continue contributing positively towards seniors’ development in Singapore.

More could be done to connect trained instructors with seniors via stakeholders such as clubs, healthcare institutions and Active Ageing Centres.

This would increase the diversity of serious leisure offerings and encourage participation across a wider senior demographic.

Funding could be made available to encourage more ground-up activities led by seniors. For instance, more SkillsFuture credits could be available for seniors to tap such activities, including those organised at Active Ageing Centres.

Funding could also be extended to cover insurance; this provides a safety net for instructors and their learners.

In addition, dedicated funding could be extended to support training for seniors who wish to take on a new career as an instructor.

These initiatives would enrich seniors’ life journeys and truly allow them to embrace ageing as a new phase of life.

Nica looks forward to partnering with relevant stakeholders to provide more opportunities for seniors to engage in serious leisure in a safe and fulfilling manner.

Jean See Jinli
Executive Secretary
National Instructors and Coaches Association