EVENTS
On November 1-2, 2024, EAS has been invited to the 17th ENSE FORUM “Bridging Borders through Sport Education: The Euro-Balkan-Med Perspective, organized by the Sports University of Tirana (Albania).
The event was opened by the Rector Agron Kasa, the Vice Minister of Education and Sport of Albania Endrit Hoxha, and the ENSE President Antonio Tessitore, welcomed the participants.
During the first session focused on Sport Education for Human Rights, Peace and Sport Diplomacy, Cassandra Mactavish (EPAS Senior Project Officer) delivered a keynote on the crucial role of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) of the Council of Europe in the progression of inclusion, human rights, and values through the revised European sport charter. From the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), Jean-Michel De Waele offered a perspective of sports diplomacy as a strategic tool for the European Union’s soft power and cultural Identity. Matthew Muscat-Inglott (Malta College or Arts, Science and Technology) presented the analogies of sports and chivalric disposition, and Kolë Gjeloshaj (Strategic Coordinator to the President of EFPM) illustrated the aims and activities of the European Fair Play Movement, which celebrated its 30th year of existence, including the permanent Fair Play Calendar and its cooperation with EAS.
Laura Capranica, EAS President, opened the second session dedicated to sport education in dual career. She illustrated the crucial role of international cooperation in the implementation of the European guidelines of dual career for the sports persons through finalized and the further advancements throough the ongoing ERASMUS+Sport Collaborative Patnerships Talent- Cloud-based education for creative sport talents (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101090147); Smart Start for DC to encourage the dual career of young high school athletes aged 14 and 19 (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101133555); COMPATH – Promoting Employability of Young Student-Athletes through ‘‘Competence Hub on Sport Innovation’’ (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101050955); DiscoverU – Discovering university sport and supporting dual career (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101134052) Discover university sport and dual career support (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101134052); Find Me – University Dual Career Opportunities (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101134043); DCMENTOR – Advancing Athlete Employability through Career Mentorship and Education (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101132309); and the Capacity Building Sports as Value – Building of sport managers and coaches in Balkan region to promote values in and through sport (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101093451). The dual career session proceeded with the presentation by Masar Gjaka (UBT College), Winner of the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship, who disclosed the current state and future perspective of dual career in the Republic of Kosovo; Heli Kesämaa (Southern-Eastern Finland University of Applied Science), who illustrated the study proposal of mentor growth and competency building within the GEIN project; and was concluded by Karl Grech (The Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology), who presented a grounded theory study for mentorship as a lifelong developmental relationship for coaches.
The following sessions focused on Physical activity for Health and Wellbeing Promotion (Chaired by Dhimitraq Prifti and Harald Tschan), Sport Education for Social Inclusion, Integration and Gender Equality (Chaired by Elona Mehmeti and Gemma van Vuuren Cassar), Sport Education in Sport Science and PE curricula (Chaired by Dritan Sallaku and Gaetano Raiola), and Sport Training and physical activity for health and wellbeing promotion (Chaired by Elona Mehmeti and Vera Simões).
The second day encompassed oral presentations focused on Sport Education and Innovation in Sport Coaches (Chaired by Fisnik Brovina and Harald Tschan) and the workshop on ICoachKids with a theoretical part (chaired by Arben Kaçurri and Renzo Kerr-Cumbo) and a practical session.
More information is available at https://ust.edu.al/en/enseforum/
On October 10, 2024, the sports representatives from more than 40 European countries, the associations member of the EPAS Consultative Committee, and a group of youth delegates as part of a specific youth initiative gathered in Porto (Portugal) to attend the 18th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers Responsible for Sport, during which was celebrated the 10th anniversary of the as Macolin Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions.
Organized by the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) of the Council of Europe in co-operation with the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, the event addressed collaborative strategies for good governance and inclusivity in and through sports. As part of the first day programme, EAS took part in the meeting of the EPAS Consultative Committee, which was followed by a speed date with the youth participants addressing the possible strategies for fostering policies to progress the sports.
The focus of the second day was on collaborative governing and god governance in sports, with special attention to the adaptation of the rules to move forwards. The last day, a focus session on “Leadership through Gender Equality in Sport & Dual Career: Effective Strategies and Future Directions” was organized with onsite and online modalities. Following a thoruogh discussion on gender equality, the dual career issue was opened by Vitor Pardal (National Coordinator of the High Performance Sports Unit in School, Portugal), who delivered the keynote speech Reconciling School and Sports Success in Portugal focused on the good practice of the UUARE high school programme with 80% of academic success of athletes compared to all students.
Before moderating the dual career panel discussion, the EAS President summarized the 20-year journey of the European dual career discourse, starting from the 2004 European Year of Education in and through Sport (EYES), followed by the publication of the White Paper on Sport in 2007 and of the EU Guidelines on Dual Career of Athletes in 2012, the inclusion of dual career as a priority of the ERASMUS+Sport programme, and the extension of dual career to all the sportspersons (e.g., coaches, physical trainers, referees, sports managers, and volunteers) in 2021. She emphasized the usefulness of the European Portal “Erasmus+ Project Results” (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/) which offers the outcomes of the previous ERASMUS+ Collaborative Partnerships. Also the findings of three systematic literature reviews, were highlighted as crucial resources to help the implementation of dual career programmes. In particular, Laura capranica invited the participants to collect the fliers of the ongoing projects Compath, DC Mentor, DiscoverU, Find Me, Smart Start for DC, Sports as Values, and Talent, made available for the participants.
The President also illustrated how EAS contributes to the European dual career discourse through the organization of: an annual conference, two of them organized in Portugal; the fall and spring EAS online cafès, which give voice to sportspersons and experts on specific dual career topics; the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship awarded to the best paper submitted to the annual EAS conference; the collaboration with several dual career actors through European projects; and the networking with educational institutions, sports bodies, and local, national, and European authorities, as well as with dual career associations established beyond Europe, as substantiated by the collaboration with the Associação Brasileira sobre Dupla Carreira Esportiva (ABDC) fostered by EAS Portuguese members. Finally, she urged actions in dual career for all the sportspersons as students and as workers.
During the panel discussion, Duarte Nuno Fernandes Lopez (Chief of Staff, Secretary of State for Sport, Portugal, and organizer of two EAS Conferences in Lisbon) provided his considerations on the benefits of the Portuguese dual career system for high school and universities. Gévrise Emane, (Lifestyle Athletes Manager at the National Institute for Sport, Expertise and Performance – INSEP, former judo champion, and speaker at a online EAS cafè) discussed how INSEP help athletes in managing the challenges towards long-term success and well-being. Sofia Ramalho (SLBenfica Basketball Female Team Manager, Time out 2.0 Project Manager, International Basketball Federation – FIBA) reported how the crucial aspects of transition from player to team manager helped her supporting athletes in handling dual careers. Andrej Pisl (Communications & Project Manager, European University Sports Association – EUSA, coordinator of the DiscoverU dual career project and speaker at a online EAS Cafè) reminded that EUSA celebrates its 25th anniversary, claimed that university sports id for all students and not only for elite athletes, and reported successful stories of best practices to establish dual career legacy. Andy Criere Martin (Professional surfer and Olympian athlete, and speaker at a online EAS Cafè) illustrated the opportunity to pursue a dual career path by enrolling in an online university, and how the combination of academic studies helped him improving as an athlete and entrepreneur. During the general discussion, the role of parents and coaches and educated dual career service providers were emphasized.
The recording of the gender and dual career event is available at https://www.youtube.com/live/21tdgavFw7M
We had COMPATH project meeting hosted by NYSA Sweden in GIH, Stockholm on February 26. Mojca Doupona presented EAS at the meeting. We talked about the modules of the COMPATH project will create new opportunities for young professionals in the sports industry at the meeting.
The COMPATH project supports the professional and personal development of young people through a Competence Hub on Sport Innovation.
Special thanks to NYSA for their hospitality.
On January 26-27, 2024, the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) hosted the EAS Executive Board. During a two-day meeting, Ole Keldorf, Antonio Figueiredo, and Laura Capranica proposed activity plans of New Generation Committee (Next GEN EAS), the Scientific Committee, and the Communication Committee, respectively.
Updates on the participation of EAS in the ERASMUS+ Capacity Building Sports as Value (101093451 to build the capacity of sport managers and coaches in Balkan region to promote values in and through sport) and in the Collaborative Partnerships (COMPATH, 101050955 – Promoting Employability of Young Student-Athletes through ‘‘Competence Hub on Sport Innovation’’; Talent, 101090147 – Cloud-based education for creative sport talents; DC MENTOR, 101132309 – Enhancing Athlete Employability through Career Mentorship and Education; DiscoverU, 101134052 – Sport and physical activity opportunities for students in higher education; SMART START for DC, 101133555 – To encourage the dual career of young high school athletes aged 14 and 19; FIND ME, 101134043 – to structure an evidence-based European platform specifically tailored for dual career at university level) were shared.
The Board approved unanimously the 2024 activity and financial reports and envisaged the organization of three online cafès (March, June, and November 2024), the first one dedicated to “Students-Athletes facing the Olympic Games Students. Furthermore, the visit of the EAS ExCom Members Ole Keldorf and Risto Keskitalo to the Academy of Physical Education Katowice (Poland) was planned to prepare the 2024 Annual Conference.
On February 27, 2024, the Academy of Physical Education Katowice (Poland) Vice Rector Rajmund Tomik and the Director of international Relations Piotr Rodak welcomed Ole Keldorf and Risto Keskitalo and showed the venue of the 2024 EAS Annual Conference to be held on October 1-3, 2024. The co-operation between EAS and the host was sealed with Rector Grzegorz Juras.
During the well-prepared meeting, the Conference programme and the practical arrangements have been defined to provide the best opportunities for a EAS members to have a great time in Katowice.
The celebration of the 20th anniversary of the EAS Conference in Katowice, the European City of Science in 2024, is a special opportunity to highlight the contribution of dual career of sportspersons to the advancement of a European culture in and through sports on all aspects of life. In fact, the Conference is dedicated to “Dual career at school and university – innovative bridges between sport and education”
Further information of the 2024 Conference is available at https://eas24.awf.katowice.pl
On January 30, 2024, the EAS President Laura Capranica and Treasurer Mojca Doupona attended with more than 500 participants the Erasmus+ Sport InfoDay organized in Brussels, with others following the event in an streaming modality. Recordings of the main sessions are available at https://www.eacea.ec.europa.eu/news-events/events/info-session-erasmus-sport-2024-2024-01-30_en, whereas further information on the Erasmus+ Programme is available in the Guide provided in 24 languages at https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-programme-guide.
European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) Acting Director opened the event with Mrs. Iliana Ivanova (European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth) and Mr. Pierre-Yves Jeholet (representative of the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council).
Two plenary sessions were scheduled in the morning, whereas in the afternoon three parallel session and a final plenary session were organized. In the first plenary session, Yves Le Lostecque (Head of Erasmus+ Mundus & Sport Unit, EACEA), Gael Broze (Head of Erasmus+ Sport Sector, EACEA) and Mr. Luciano Di Fonzo, (Deputy Head of Erasmus+ Mundus & Sport Unit, EACEA) introduced the ERASMUS+ Sport Programme, whereas Pawel Jesien (Polish Athletic Association) and Hebe Schaillee (Free University of Brussels) reported their experiences. In the second plenary session, Florencia Van Houdt, (Head of Sport Unit, DG EAC, European Commission), Milena de Murga, (Union of Sport Federations of Catalunya), Carlotta Giussani (European Olympic Committee EU Office), Vassos Koutsidoundas (Cyprus Sports Organisation) and Anna Merlini (Italian Canoe Kajak Federation) addressed the Erasmus+ Sport Policy priorities.
In the afternoon, the three parallel sessions focused on how to apply for Erasmus+ KA2 sport actions, on how to present project proposals, and on how to present a Capacity Building proposals. Among the EU funding opportunities in sports presented in the last plenary session, the Share 2.0 initiative was explained by Luciano Di Fonzo (Deputy Head of Erasmus+ Mundus & Sport Unit at EACEA) and Olivier Smith (Deputy Head of Unit Sport Policy at DG EAC of the European Commission); the Erasmus+ KA1 mobility of sport staff was illustrated by Violeta Birzniece (Sport Unit at DG EAC of the European Commission), and the Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions in the field of sport were described by Izabela Pelczynska (Erasmus+ Sport Sector at EACEA presented Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions in the field of sport).
Iban Garcia del Blanco (Member of the European Parliament) and Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen (Director General of DG EAC of the European Commission) highlighted the increased budget allocated to sport-specific EU policies in practices, and the growing interest and variety of applications to the funding opportunities in sports.
A special recognition was attributed to Yves Le Lostecque (Head of Erasmus+ Mundus & Sport Unit at EACEA and former Head of Sport Unit at DG EAC of the European Commission), who announced his retirement after having greatly contributed to the development of key European sport initiatives.
The deadline for ERASMUS+Sport Collaborative Parnerships and Capacity Building project applications is March 5, 2024.
Croatian Academic Sports Federation (CASF/HASS), with the support of the European University Sports Association (EUSA), academic and other partners, hosted the first “4 Healthy Academic Society” conference in Poreč, Croatia on June 8 -9, 2023.
The conference was opened with the welcoming words of the CASF President and EUSA 1st Vice-President Mr Haris Pavletic and EUSA President, Mr Adam Roczek.
The conference showcased a significant step towards creating a healthier and more active academic environment that will benefit the physical and mental health of students, academics, and professionals. It was the place where multiple scientific presentations and papers were presented, knowledge shared, important data showcased, and networks strenghtened. This conference emphasized the importance of physical exercises and health, while addressing a broad range of topics related also to dual career.
Prof. Mojca Doupona (EAS ex-com member) was a keynote speaker. She gave presentation entitled “From EU guidelines on dual career to useful practical tools for student athletes”, emphasizing important best practice examples, projects related to the topic of dual career(i.e. Brava DC, TALENT, Compath, Paralimits), as well as sharing knowledgeable examples of her expertise, extensive research involvement, and strategic leadership experience.
On the topic of Dual career and academic sport, the attendees had the chance to hear and see study and research data of athletes’ Croatian Career Centre, analysis of the current situation and trends in competitive and recreative university sport, the importance of information in the system of academic sports, as well as new strategies to improve employment opportunities and sports event quality in Europe.
On May 2-3, 2023, the EU Sport Forum of the European Commission was organized in Stockholm during the Swedish Presidency of the European Union, also streamed online. Traditionally, EAS participates to this important event with many key sports organisations.
Paulina Modlitba, Member of the board of UN Women Sweden, moderated the welcome session opened by an online message of Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth. Jakob Forssmed, Swedish Minister for Social Affairs and Health, and Tomasz Frankowski, Member of the European Parliament and Co-chair of European Parliament Sport group, who introduced the themes of the event focused on integrity, good governance and gender equality. During the event, also the sustainability of sporting events, the role of sport for physical and mental health, and the development of skills and competences of sportspersons were addressed.
Philipp Lahm and Célia Šašić, respectively Director and Ambassador of the UEFA Euro 2024 event, emphasised the relevant role of sports events in presenting the European sport values and sustainable development.
During the first panel, Viviane Hoffmann (Deputy Director-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture – DG EAC), Bjørn Berge (Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe), Sarah Keane (President of the Olympic Federation of Ireland), Stefan Bergh (President of ENGSO), and Barbara Fuertes (Representative of the Spanish Presidency) discussed the policies, strategies, and good practices on Women in Sport: Form Grassroots to Leadership.
Positive samples of European initiative in sport were granted the 2023 #BeInclusive EU Sport awards, which encompass the categories “Breaking Barriers”, “BeEqual”, and “Sport for Peace”, given to Free Movement Skateboarding (Greece), Kayak Club Zlatorog (Slovenia), amd Youth Line Portugal (Portugal), respectively.
In her key speech Catherine Chabaud, Member of the European Parliament, reported her experiences as a sailor having concerns to preserve the ocean environment and to limit climate changes.
The second panel addressed Integrity in Sport. Olivier Niggli (Director General of WADA), Paquerette Girard-Zappelli (Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer of the IOC), Vincent Ven, Head of Anti Match Fixing of UEFA), and Tine Vertommen (Researcher at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences) debated the role of education and prevention to enhance ethical issues and good governance, and to avoid corruption, doping, and harassment.
Two 3-parallel sessions completed the first day. In particular, dual career of the sportsperson was discussed within the “Sport skills, a lifelong competence” session moderated by Ignazio Cocchiere (Policy Officer, Sport Unit) and panellists Claudia Bokel, former Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission) Laurent Petrynka, President of the ISF, Saga Fredriksson, Football player at Malmo FFM, and Sergio Lara-Bercial, Vice President of ICC E. Dual career was also addressed during the beginning of the second day with the two keynote speeches of Maja Poljak and Cédric Van Branteghem, former athletes from Croatia and Belgium, respectively.
Floor van Houdt (Head of the Sport Unit of the European Commission) and Luciano Di Fonzo (Deputy Head of Unit for Erasmus Mundus and Sport of EACEA) illustrated the main events, initiatives and funding opportunities of the European calls is sport. In particular, around 359 Erasmus+ projects are expected to be funded, in addition to the novel mobility actions in sport. The Youth Lab provided some ideas regarding Healthy Lifestyle 4 All, whereas Viviane Hoffmann, Deputy Director-General of DG EAC) of the European Commission offered the closing remarks. More information on the event is available at https://eusportforum2023.eu. You will find all the recording of the plenary session as well as the #BeInclusive Awards here. More pictures of the event can be found here.
EAS Online Cafè was held online December 5, 2022
AGENDA
12:00 Welcome
Prof. Daniele Conte, PhD – University of Rome Foro Italico and Lithuanian Sports University.
12:10 Hakon Ege – ELCAMP Project: A Self-employment Career Option for Athletes: Sports Entrepreneurship Bootcamp
Håkon Ege performed Teakwondo professionally for 12 years. After his sporting career, he started to work as a researcher, lecturer and project manager in different organizations such as universities and non-governmental organizations. He is working on encouraging and empowering individuals and organisations to be more innovative and entrepreneurial in and through sport so that they can design, develop and initiate actions that address socio-economic and planetary needs. In 2018, he launched Collective Innovation, an impact-driven initiative to foster and drive innovation in Norway and Europe.
12:25 Sinan Güler – Giving Back to Sports and Innovation
Sinan Güler is a former national basketball player with a 16-year basketball career, winning the league championships and league cup championships, as well as the 2nd place in the World Cup with the National Team in 2010 and the EuroCup with Galatasaray in 2016. In 2011, he started a social initiative called Güler Legacy with his older brother Muratcan Güler, who is also a former basketball player, and his father Necati Güler. Since 2012, he has been doing important work in the field of startup ecosystem, as an angel investor and mentor. Since 2020 he has been interested in sports technologies & innovation.
12:40 Morten Munch Mindegaard – The ATLas project on Dual Career Entrepreneurship
Dual Career Adviser at the Enterprise and Innovation – Innovation and Entrepreneurship (The Kitchen)
of the University of Aarhus. Aarhus University and The Kitchen is part of the Erasmus+ course AtLAS, which is an entrepreneurial course tailor-made for elite athletes who have the opportunity to test themselves in an entrepreneurial context.
12:55 General discussions and concluding Remarks
On December 1, 2022, Prof. Dr. Diana Rėklaitienė, Rector of the Lithuanian Sports University (Kaunas, Lithuania), Linas Obcarskas, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and Einius Petkus, Director of Olympic Sports at the Lithuanian Olympic Committee welcomed the participants to the LSU Sport Forum-International Scientific Conference 2022. This annual event addressed relevant issues in the area of sport five lectures the followed by panel discussions, especially focusing on good governance, sport integrity, the rights of the sportspersons, challenges of paralympic athletes, and sustainable development of sports. Participation was organized in presence and in streaming.
mber 1, 2022, Prof. Dr. Diana Rėklaitienė, Rector of the Lithuanian Sports University (Kaunas, Lithuania), Linas Obcarskas, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and Einius Petkus, Director of Olympic Sports at the Lithuanian Olympic Committee welcomed the participants to the LSU Sport Forum-International Scientific Conference 2022. This annual event addressed relevant issues in the area of sport five lectures the followed by panel discussions, especially focusing on good governance, sport integrity, the rights of the sportspersons, challenges of paralympic athletes, and sustainable development of sports. Participation was organized in presence and in streaming.
Mr. Mindaugas Spokas, former Olympian and Head of the National Agency for Sport illustrated the main objectives to implement the Lithuanian’s sports policy in the fields of Olympic and Paralympic sports and physical activity. Through its funding opprotunities, the Agency will help sports federations and organisations to introduce and strengthen good governance principles, ensure the athletes’ rights, provide infrastructures and the Centre of Excellence of Sport. Prof. Antanas Skarbalius (Lithuanian Sports University) moderated the panel discussion with Mr. Linas Obcarskas, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, Mr. Einus Petrkus, Director of the Olympic Sports at the Lithuanian Olympic Cmmittee, Mr. Darius Šalūga, President of the Lithuanian Union of Sports Federations, Mr. Gintaras Jasiūnas, President of the Association of Heads of Sports Divisions of Lithuanian Municipalities, Dr. Nerijus Masiulis, President of the Lithuanian Sport for All Association, and Mr. Mindaugas Bilius, President of the Lithuanian Paralympic Committee.
Mr. Steve Menary, journalist and writer expert of sports integrity and governance presented the findings of the Erasmus+ project Combating Match Fixing in Club Football Non-Competitive Matches and the Devil on Data scheme on the identification of match-fixing and suspicious betting in club friendly matches in Europe. Mr. Menary illustrated how friendly soccer games could enter the betting markets due to a lack of regulations and interest from data companies. Mr. Steve Menary joined the second paned discussion on the importance of good governance in preventing match fixing with Mrs. Kornelija Tiesnesytė, Advisor at the Lithuanian Anti-Doping Agency, Mrs. Ramunė Bistrickaitė, Head of the Fair Play Unit of the Lithuanian Football Federation, which was moderated by Prof. Edvinas Eimontas, Head of the Sports Department of the Lithuanian Sports University.
Prof. Laura Capranica, University of Rome Foro Italico and President of EAS, presented the challenges of co-creation of sports values with multiple stakeholders, emphasized the networking opportunities provided by the ERASMUS+ programme to implement gender equality in sports and to develop dual career at academic and labour market levels, and highlighted the need to develop knowledge-base monitoring and evaluations systems. Dr. Aida Gaižauskienė, Lecturer at the Lithuanian Sports University, moderated the panel discussion on dual career and gender equality with Laura Capranica, Mr. Egidijus Genotis, Head of the International Relations and Projects of the Association of Professional Footballers, and Mrs. Austra Skujytė, PhD student of the Lithuanian Sports University, former Olympic athlete and track and field coach.
Offering a multi-dimensional perspective including exercise physiology, biomechanics and ergonomics, Prof. Yves C. Vanlandewijck, Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) and GIH Stockholm (Sweden) presented the challenges of paralympic athletes and the critical aspects in adapt ports categories to ensure fair competitions. Mr. Edvinas Kriūnas, President of the Lithuanian Deaf Sport Committee, Mr. Kęstutis Skučas, Head of the Lithuanian Sport Federation for Disabled, Mrs. Vaida Pokvytytė, Head of Kaunas Recreation and Sports Club for Disabled joined Prof. Vanlandewijck in the following paned discussion, which was moderated by Prof. Jūratė Požėrienė, Lithuanian Sports University.
The possible problems and solution of sustainable development of sports were presented by Prof. Karin Book, Head of the Sport Management Programme at the Malmö University. With a human geography approach, Prof. Book focused on physical environmental, accessibility, and sustainability of organized and recreational sports and physical activities. The final panel discussion was moderated by Prof. Artūras Simanavičius, Lithuanian Sports University,
Participants of the discussion: Mr. Ignas Gibas, Project Manager of the Lithuanian National Olympic Committee, and Mr. Giedrius Grybauskas, Executive Director of the National Basketball League (NKL).
Video recordings of the 2022 LSU Sport Forum are available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVKX-pqCdFo
On October 24, the Members of the Italian Olympic Athletes’ Committee organized the national forum “Stronger together” at the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) in Rome. Claudia Giordani – Vice President of CONI, Silvia Salis – Deputy Vice President of CONI, representatives various National Sports Federations and Associated Sports Disciplines, Paolo Bouquet – President of UnisportItalia, and Laura Capranica – President of EAS attended the event.
The Secretary General of CONI, Carlo Mornati opened the Forum, which aimed to foster a democratic representation of athletes at the level of all the national sports federations, and to raise the awareness of the activities and projects carried out by the Italian Olympic Athletes’ Committee.
Giovanni Malagò, President of the Olympic Committee and IOC Member, emphasized the benefits of engaging athletes in the decision boards of sports bodies to advance the Italian sports culture and highlighted the successful athletic outcomes in several sports disciplines of the last two years.
Federica Pellegrini, swimmer champion and Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), testified the relevant role and aims of the Athletes’ IOC Committee, and encouraged all the sports federations to listen to the athletes’ voices by establishing their Commission. In fact, athletes are the key players of sports. Therefore, it is crucial to establish a strong community for sharing initiatives and for creating synergies with all the sports actors.
The President of the Italian Olympic Athlete’s Committee Raffaella Masciardi (basketball), and the Vice-President Carlo Molfetta (taekwondo) presented the role, aims, and Members of the ExCom including Antonella Del Core (volleyball and Member of the Executive Board of CONI), Paolo Pizzo (fencing and Member of the Executive Board of CONI), Francesco Marrai (sailing), Elena Pantaleo (kombat sport), Anna Cappellini (ice skating), Francesco Pellgrino (sking), Tatiana Andreoli (archery), and Paolo Lorenzi (tennis) as elected Members, as well as Cristina Lenardon (handball) and Sara Gama (soccer) as co-opted members.
Then, four initiatives of the Italian Olympic Athletes’ Committee were illustrated and discussed: 1) “Financial education and sport” aimed to educate athletes on sound economic management, financial planning, savings, economics, and self-entrepreneurial capability; 2) “The national dual career guidelines” developed in cooperation with Unisport Italia, and the Universiyty Sport Association (CUSI) to be disseminated and to be adopted by all the sports bodies and higher educational institutions; 3) ”MyLLENNIUM AWARD – MySPORT” dedicated to Dual Career athletes under 30 years of age presenting projects on entrepreneurship, creative writing, training, or communication; and 4) “Excellent Student Excellent Athlete” award to reward successful experiences in sports and education, which need to be disseminated to all the athletes’ community.
In considering that Italy is lacking structured measures and arrangements, the Stronger Together forum represents a great opportunity to establish fruitful cooperation and synergies between sports bodies, educational institutions, for-profit companies, and media for the benefit of the sportspersons.
To note, the Vice-President Carlo Molfetta and the Member of the CONI ExCom Paolo Pizzo have benefited of the dual career programme at the University of Rome Foro Italico.
REG. NUMBER: Voluntary Organisation registration VO/1270
PIC NUMBER: 913459865
Email: info@dualcareer.eu