SAF celebrates its 40th anniversary with 10,000 members and 30,000 square metres of sports facilities
This year the UAB's Servei d’Activitat Física (SAF) is celebrating its 40th anniversary with different activities. The centre is a referent in university sports services, and includes 10,000 members and over 30,000 square metres on campus.
The SAF was a pioneering centre in Spain in giving support to elite student-athletes with its Tutoresport programme, in which athletes such as Mireia Belmonte, Andrea Fuentes, Jennifer Pareja, Laura Ester, Pol Amat, Òscar Salguero and Núria Marquès have participated.
Created in the 1985/86 academic year with the objective of fostering physical activity among members of the university community, the Physical Activity Service (Servei d'Activitat Física, SAF) reaches this year its 40th anniversary. What began as a basic sports centre and a couple of outdoor courts in November 1985 has become a leading centre in sports, health and well-being at university. In 1991, the indoor swimming pool was built and two years later the facilities were considerably expanded with an outdoor climbing wall, squash and tennis courts, artificial turf fields, a hall and the access bridge to the sports centre. From 2004 to the present, different spaces have been progressively added.
Today it has 30 thousand square metres of sports spaces: a sports centre for badminton, basketball and volleyball; several football fields with artificial turf; tennis, paddle and squash courts; swimming pools, climbing walls, fitness room, activity rooms, etc.
It includes 10,000 members, of whom 57% are women and 43% are men; 71% are UAB students and 63% are up to 25 years old. There are 606,000 entries to the facilities registered per year and it provides services to 20 companies and entities in the Vallès Occidental. It has a team of 65 professionals.
It offers 19 sports programmes that range from support for high-performance athletes (the Tutoresport programme, which was a pioneer in Spain) in which athletes such as Mireia Belmonte, Andrea Fuentes, Jennifer Pareja, Laura Ester, Pol Amat, Òscar Salguero and Núria Marquès have participated; to championships representing the University in inter-university competitions, including academically recognised activities, more than 130 hours of guided activities per week and the sports and health campus for children and young adolescents. In addition, the facilities are sustainable: 85% of the energy needed to function comes from non-fossil sources.
"We look to the future with optimism: sport is necessary, it is in fashion and unequivocally contributes to achieving active, healthy, socially involved and transformative communities", says SAF Director Agustí Serra i Curtichs.
It is one of the most important sports services in Catalonia and a benchmark in Spain and Europe, with milestones such as the organisation of the ENAS (European Network of Academic Sports Services) conference in 2010, which inspired and promoted active and healthy university campuses, and the Healthy Campus accreditation awarded by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) in 2024.
Round table on physical activity and sports in the university of the future
As part of the celebration of its 40th anniversary, the round table "Physical activity and sport in the university of the future: challenges, opportunities and social impact" will take place on Thursday 30 April. The debate aims to promote a shared reflection on the current situation, challenges and future prospects of physical activity and sport in the university environment. Issues such as what strategic role physical activity and sport have today within the university system and what key changes are expected in the coming years will be addressed.
Xavier Gabarrell Durany, vice-rector for Campus and Sustainability at the UAB, will participate in the round table, as well as Aitor Canibe Sánchez, general director of the Fundación Deporte Joven of the Consejo Superior de Deportes; Abel García Marín, general secretary of the Department of Sports; David Grau Batlle, representative of Esport Català Universitari; Liesbeth van Vliet-Kruisifikx, president of the European Network of Academic Sports Services (ENAS), who will participate by videoconference; and Josep Maria Sala Rius, member of the Executive Council of ENAS. SAF Director Agustí Serra i Curtichs will participate in the closing event.
40th Anniversary Closing Event
Since November the SAF has been organising different activities to celebrate its 40th anniversary, from exhibitions and round tables to sports competitions. The 40th anniversary programme will conclude at the end of May, with a closing event and the presentation of a study on the impact of physical activity and sport on UAB students.
Programme of the 40th anniversary of the UAB Servei d’Activitat Física