New European Youth and Sport Network to foster child participation in sport governance

Eurochild member ENGSO Youth launches an initiative to give youth a platform to lead, influence, and transform the sports landscape.

This initiative, part of the EUYOUSPORT project, foresees the establishment of representation mechanisms within governance structures and decision-making processes, raising awareness and building the capacity of sport organisations to implement effective youth participation strategies through activities such as youth programmes, volunteering, peer education, and non-formal education through sport.

It is designed to address the underrepresentation of young people in leadership and decision-making roles within sport organisations. While youth are among the most active in the sports community, their voices often go unheard when it comes to governance and decision-making in sport. This new network aims to change that. It also created an educational course designed to deepen young people’s understanding of the European Union’s institutional framework, including training on the EU Institutions, EU Sport Policy and EU Youth Policy.

The Network will operate mostly online via a LinkedIn group and will be guided by five core objectives:

• Promote youth participation in sport governance at all levels;
• Build capacity through leadership training and resources;
• Encourage collaboration by sharing best practices and innovative models for youth participation;
• Advocate for inclusive policies at both national and European levels;
• Bridge the Youth-Sport gap: connect youth and sport organisations, mainstreaming youth into the sport sector and sport into the youth sector.

The participants of the Network should be youth and sports organisations interested in and committed to working on and developing youth participation in sport. In order to join the network, organisations should make an agreement in the form of a pledge where they commit to further promote and develop youth participation in sport governance.

Further information:

• If you are interested in joining the network, email Tiago Guilherme, ENGSO Youth Managing Director
• Visit the project website