June 2022
On June 30, 2022, the University of Limerick – Ireland (coordinator) organized the third online meeting of the ERASMUS+ Collaborative Partnership “BRAnd Values Alignment through Dual Career (BRAVA-DC, 622824-EPP-1-2020-1-IE-SPO-SCP), which involves as Partners the University of Rome3 – Italy, the University of Ljubljana – Slovenia, The European Platform for Sport Innovation (EPSI) – Belgium, The Elite Sport Academy Aarhus (ESAA) – Denmark, The Human Age Institute Foundation (FHAI) – Italy, The University of Niš – Serbia, The European University Sports Association Institute (EUSA) – Slovenia, and the European Athlete as Student Network – Malta).
In considering that BRAVA-DC focuses on the enhancement of a dual career of employee-athletes and employee-sportspersons (e.g., coaches, referees, physical trainers, and sports managers) in business-oriented companies, in the past months a solid eminence-knowledge was collected from 22 semi-structured interviews and five national focus groups. This precious information shed a light on the actual dual career in the workplace, and it helped to foresee suggestions on how to facilitate appropriate Dual Career brand alignment strategies and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies. At present, a list of 50 statements has been identified, which is currently under an evaluation of dual career experts who are going to grade them for clarity. In the next months, a concept mapping methodology will be used to identify the most relevant and feasible aspects to develop a European framework and guidelines for DC.
The BRAVA-DC Team appreciates the precious contribution of DC experts and CSR managers and invites to follow the development of the project at the 2022 EAS Annual Conference to be held in Cartagena (Spain) on September 28-30, 20220 (https://eventos.ucam.edu/85445/detail/eas-conference-2022.html)
On June 21 the seventh virtual EAS cafè focused on the dual career of paralympic athletes, which attracted more than 50 participants. Prof. Alejandro Leiva-Arcas, Deputy Director of the Faculty of Sport at UCAM moderated the event and presented the aims and progress of the ERASMUS+ project Dual Career of Student-Athletes with Disabilities as a Tool for Social Inclusion (Para-Limits, 622213-EPP-1-2020-1-ES-SPO-SCP) coordinated by the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), Spain, in cooperation with University Foro Italico of Rome (IT), UNEFS (RO), IPV (PT), University of Limerick (IE), COLLINN (NO), EAS Network (MT), the European Paralympic Committee (AT) and the FUNDACION ONCE (ES).
As the first speaker, Lisa Gjessing presented her experience as a taekwondo athlete who underwent the amputation of her left arm. As a legal prosecutor for the Danish police and mother, Lisa described the opportunities provided by the paralympic sport and her challenges in managing her family life, and sport and working careers. She informed that Team Denmark and ESAA offer the same support to Olympic and Paralympic athletes, as well as sponsorships and working flexibility. Furthermore, in case the para-athlete decides to reduce the working hours, her/his salary is maintained with integration from the sports organization. Despite this favourable environment, the para-athlete has to make choices to establish priorities and to manage changes in their programme, especially to manage the parental role.
A different perspective was provided by the Italian Flatwater Sprint Paracanoe Kayaker and Paralympic medallist in Tokyo, Federico Mancarella. Having experienced a disability from his birth, Federico started being engaged in the sport when he was a student. Considering that canoeing requires expensive equipment and long travelling to reach the training and competitive sites, the parents often represent the only support providers. Furthermore, the working sector lacks a dual career culture, so the athletes have to consider dropping out of sports or their working career, which was actually his situation when he fired himself to prepare for the Tokyo Paralympics. Furthermore, parasports do not attract sponsorships because of limited media attention. Federico also envisaged some solutions, including working flexibility, economic support from the public and private sectors, and structured support.
In summarizing the major themes discussed during the Cafè, Prof. Alejandro Leiva-Arcas underlined that the Para-limits project will indicate guidelines for the advancement of dual career policies for paralympic athletes, as well as the need to educate tutors for this special population. Finally, he presented the website of the 2022 EAS Annual Conference to be held in Cartagena, Spain, next September 28-30: http://eventos.ucam.edu/85445/tickets.html
He highlighted that the early bird deadline is August 28 (http://eventos.ucam.edu/85445/section/38290/eas-conference-2022.html), whereas the deadline for the call for abstracts is August 31 (http://eventos.ucam.edu/85445/section/38291/eas-conference-2022.html). Finally, young researchers could apply to the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship before July 1 https://www.dualcareer.eu/call-for-papers-bengt-nybelius-scholarship-2022/.
The Eight EAS Cafè will be organized in Fall 2022.
Have a nice summer and see you in Cartagena.
On June 16-17, 2022, the EAS President Laura Capranica, the EAS Treasurer Mojca Dupona, and several EAS Members and Project partners attended the 2022 EU Sport Forum “European Sport: fair, inclusive and fit for a sustainable future” in Lille, France. Organized by the European Commission in cooperation with the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the event attracted around 400 policy makers from the Member States, sport bodies, and European networks willing to exchange views on the actual and future policies based on the principles of the European sports model.
Ms Mariya Gabriel (European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth) opened the Forum, followed by the speeches of Mr Vadym Huttsait (Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine) and Mr Sergey Bubka (unforgettable pole vault champion and actual President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine), who received a standing ovation as a sign of solidarity.
During the first day, the new HealthyLifeStyle4All pledges were signed and two high-level panel sessions were organized to discuss the ‘European Sport: Fair, inclusive and fit for the future (Moderated by Commissioner Gabriel) and the ‘Sustainable sport: Delivering on the European Green Deal and the New European Bauhaus’ (Moderated by Mr Brian Maguire). Participants were also presented the Métropole Européenne de Lille (MEL) for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2024 & Rugby World Cup 2023.
During the second day, the agenda included four parallel sessions (e.g., key principles and values of a European Sport Model; Empowering athletes; Drive equality, diversity & inclusion in sport; The role of sport in defending and promoting European fundamental values). During the session dedicated to the empowerment of the athletes, particular emphasis was placed on the relevant outcomes of the dual career ERASMUS+ projects focused on basketball (Time-out), dual career service providers (STARTING11), and parenting dual career athletes (EMPATIA). Furthermore, during her involvement as a panellist in the session on the European values of sports, Prof. Mojca Doupona (EAS Treasurer and General Director of Slovenia) underlined the need to support the holistic development of athletes combining sports and education/work careers. Towards the end of the event, presentations on the European Commission’s initiatives on sport & Erasmus+ by Mrs Floor van Houdt (Head of the Sport Unit, DG EAC, European Commission) and Mr Luciano Di Fonzo (Deputy Head of Erasmus Mundus, Sport, European Education and Culture Executive Agency), on the role of school sport for empowering youth by Mr Laurent Petrynka (President of the International School Sport Federation), and feedback from the participants to the HealthyLifeStyle4All Youth Ideas Labs were offered. In particular, the Youth Ideas Labs is a new initiative launched for the European Year of Youth with delegates nominated by 5 organizations (ENGSO Youth, Erasmus Students Network – ESN, European Solidarity Network, European University Sports Association – EUSA, and Marie Curie Alumni).
Mr Filip Neusser (President of the National Sport Agency of the Czech Republic) and Mrs Viviane Hoffmann (Deputy Director General of DG EAC of the European Commission) provided the closing remarks.
The event was also live-streamed and recordings will be available at https://www.eusportforum2022.eu
On June 13 and 14, 2022, the annual meeting of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) Governing Board and the meeting of the EPAS Consultative Committee were held in Strasbourg. The event was organized at the Council of Europe headquarters and included the celebrations of the 15th anniversary of EPAS as a body of the Council of Europe (COE).
During the first morning, the meeting of 29 Members of the EPAS Consultative Committee (CC) was organized to be informed on the annual activities of the CC organized online (Webinar on Physical Education and School Sports, and a Breakfast Roundtable on Women in Sport) and in a hybrid format (e.g., Diversity Conference on the human rights of intersex and transgender athletes, and Combating Hate Speech in Sport), elect the new Bureau, and envisage the upcoming activities of the Members. The meeting was opened by Mr Kolë Gjeloshaj (Chair of the Consultative Committee), Ms Sophie Kwasny (Head of the Sport Division and EPAS Executive Secretary) and Ms Irena Guidikovathe (Head of Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Programmes). After thanking the contribution of the past CC Bureau, of which EAS was a second-term Member, the Elections of the new Consultative Committee Bureau took place. Mr. Kole Gjeloshaj (ISF) was re-elected as the Chair, Mr Mogens Kirkeby (ISCA) as Vice-Chair, and Ms. Charlotte Girard-Fabre (IFSO), Ms. Pauline Johanet (Peace and Sport), Mr. Janez Sodrznik (TAFISA), and Ms. Baiba Veisa (EFPM) as members, with Ms Emily Shaw (UEFA) as the Gender Equality Rapporteur. In congratulating the new CC Bureau the Members renewed their availability to provide advices for the decisions of the EPAS Governing Board and to contribute to the organization of EPAS events. The CC Members warmly thanked Mr. Michael Trinker for his precious support to the activities of the CC and wished him all the best for his future position.
Mr. Alexandre Husting (Luxembourg) chaired the joint meeting of EPAS Governing Board and Consultative Committee in the afternoon. Mirroring the EPAS Ethical, Inclusive and Safe Sport values, reports on the finalized projects were provided and future initiatives, statutory meetings, events, policy developments, and conventions were discussed. EAS President Laura Capranica presented the need to consider the dual career of Paralympic athletes as well as the challenges of sportspersons struggling to combine their sport and working careers.
In the evening, the Members participated in the special reception to celebrate the 15th anniversary of EPAS in the presence of Mr. Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. A special mention highlighted the 14-year commitment of Mr. Stanislas Frossard as Head of the Secretariat of EPAS, recently elected as the Chair of the Council of Europe’s Staff Committee.
The last day was dedicated to the reports of the past and present projects and to the activities of the CC Members. President Laura Capranica invited the participants to attend the Seventh Virtual Cafè of EAS to be held next June 21 at 12:00 CET, disseminated the information on the 2022 EAS Conference to be held in Cartagena (Spain) next September 28-30, and updated on the COST Action DE-PASS for the joint efforts of researchers and policy makers to uncover the determinants of physical activity .
Finally, the EPAS Members agreed to meet next October 2022 at the next Conference of Ministers responsible for sport to be held in Antalya, Turkey, and on June 2023 at the Annual Meeting in Strasbourg, France.
Zoom Meeting June 21, 2022 (from 12:00 CET)
12:00 Welcome
Prof. Alejandro Leiva-Arcas, PhD – Deputy Director of the Faculty of Sport at UCAM; Member of the Erasmus+ Para-limits project.
12:10 The Danish Paralympic structure and my personal Dual Career strategy on the way to the medals
Prof. Lisa Gjessing is a Danish Paralympic gold medalist in taekwondo in Tokyo 2020, four-time world champion and three-time European champion, and one of the flag bearers for Denmark during the opening ceremony of the 2020 Summer Paralympics. She graduated in law and works as a prosecutor for the Danish police.
12:30 My dual career experience as a student and worker
Federico Mancarella is an Italian Flatwater Sprint Paracanoe Kayaker, bronze medalist in Tokyo 2020, World and European medalist. He graduated in Business and worked for international bank companies till he quit his job to prepare for the Paralympic Games.
12:50 General discussions
13:00 Concluding Remarks and announcement of the next EAS Annual Conference (September 28-30, Cartagena, Spain)
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