Sports as Value project kicks off in Tirana with a goal to make a positive change within the Balkan grassroots sport structures
Sports as Value project kicked off officially last week, on 29-31 March 2023, in Tirana, Albania. With valuable support and contribution from all project partners, the meeting and the official launch of the partnership was highly successful.
The event was organised by ENGSO and hosted by one of the partners of the project – the Albanian Olympic Committee. The objectives were clearly fulfilled, and the exact role of each participating organisation was specified. Among the discussed topics were the following matters: details of project aims, composition of work packages, responsibilities of the partners, internal and external communication, administrative structures and processes, quality management, risk management, expected deliverables, timeline and next steps.
The project includes two main activities for this year, the first one is to create a comparative analysis of the current situation of grassroots sports in part of the Western Balkan region, as well as to collect good practices which can serve as an inspiration for further stakeholders in the area to develop grassroots sports. The second main activity is focusing on personal development of coaches, club leaders, event managers and sport coordinators from the region. Two people from each partner country will have the chance to participate at workshops closer to the end of this year, where beside their personal development they will incorporate the findings and learning of the comparative analysis to a guideline about sustainable and cooperative event management.
The project is especially interesting based on the fact the National Olympic Committees are determined to bring a change in their current grassroots sport structure, moreover they do it together, cooperating and helping each other’s learning in an area which is deeply impacted with historical and political conflicts.