
11 Nov Healthy Stadia Awarded Partner Role in New EU Sport Project
Healthy Stadia® in EU Sport Unit Project Helping Young Sportspeople Stay Fit and Healthy
The European Healthy Stadia Network is extremely pleased to announce a second EU project awarded to the organisation in the space of a month. The latest project – entitled ‘Fit For Health’ – will focus on the safeguarding of young elite athletes between the ages of 14-19, specifically the prevention of physical and psychological side-effects associated with overtraining and inappropriate coaching at a young age. The project is one of only 14 proposals to be funded by the European Commission’s Sport Unit through the 2013 Call for Preparatory Actions in the Field of Sport. The project will be coordinated by the Italian organisation ‘CONI’ in association with the Italian National Olympic Committee.
This project takes the starting point that in addition to young athletes needing to be protected from the physical aspects of overtraining, there is also an imperative to maintain the moral development, educational attainment, professional interests and overall wellbeing of young elite sportspeople. The project will aim to start an EU-level social dialogue for the sport and leisure sector, with the aim of enhancing the quality of sports training centres, sports associations and their staff. This holistic and integrated approach will cover the key topics of: tailored physical preparation and injury prevention; coaching techniques and psychological wellbeing; nutrition and lifestyle advice and awareness of doping / performance enhancement issues.
Partners involved in ‘Fit For Health’ will work with sports organisations and young athletes in Croatia, Finland, Italy, Bulgaria and the UK to develop a set of ‘healthy training’ guidance principles that will be informed through field surveys and tested out at competition settings. Healthy Stadia® will lead a work package developing and testing risk management and injury prevention plans with the project’s sports partners, the UK partner for which will be Lancashire County Cricket Club.
The project will kick off in early 2014 and will last for 18 months, with a total project budget of €225,000.
To view the announcement of projects selected for funding by the EU Sport Unit for 2013, please click here
For more information:
Healthy Stadia – Matthew Philpott: matthew.philpott@healthystadia.eu or +44 151 237 2686