Niels Bay was an educator at the Degnestavnens manned playground, where boys like Enver, who had been kicked out of other daycare centres, came every day to play football or other sports. But not just for fun. For Niels Bay, it was about the boys learning to control their nerves and their aggression.

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Some readers may have seen the 2005 film "Pas på nerverne" (‘Beware of Nerves’), but otherwise Niels Bay is not well known outside of educational circles. However, if you want to understand Street Society's work and pedagogy, Niels Bay is the key.

 

Enver was one of the boys who came to Niels Bay's playground. In his own words, he was a mess who could easily have ended up in crime. His own father was in prison and he was more or less left to his own devices and the streets. ‘Niels was the first adult we met who took us seriously and made demands,’ says Enver.

 

‘Watch your nerves,’ Niels could often be heard shouting to the boys in the playground if he saw signs of them getting excited. Niels Bay was always on the sidelines of sports activities with pen and paper, writing down notes for a points system where friendly behaviour earned as many or more points than fine ball details. So if you wanted to score high on the scoreboard that Niels Bay compiled and published every day, you had to be a good boy. After a period of time, all the points are added up and Niels awards prizes to the best mates, the best players, the best details, etc.

 

Niels took time for each child, even beyond his job description, giving them care and hugs that they didn't get at home. Niels Bay demanded a high level of ambition from the boys: he took them to museums and libraries, taught them Shakespeare, Holberg and Mozart, and rewarded them when they mastered cultural references correctly.

 

Watch the film "Pas på nerverne (‘Watch your nerves’) at www.filmcentralen.dk/alle/film/pas-pa-nerverne