University of Ljubljana hosted the 9th international conference on Youth Sport on December 7 and 8, 2018. The event was attended also by representatives of the European University Sports Association (EUSA).

The Conference is a biannual event organised by the Faculty of Sport at the University of Ljubljana. Slovenia has a long tradition in sport, but special efforts are put to physical education of youth. Continuing the tradition, the 9th Conference on Youth Sport brought together stakeholders in sport science, sport research and youth sport.



Participants were welcomed by the Dean of the Faculty of Sport of the University of Ljubljana Mr Milan Zvan, also member of the EUSA Executive Committee. Welcome speeches were given also by the President of the Slovenian Olympic Committee Mr Bogdan Gabrovec and Chair of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) of the Council of Europe Mr Zoran Verovnik.

Keynote speech was given by Mr Jay Coakley from the University of Colorado (USA) on Neoliberalism, youth sports and the role of the parents.



The topics of the event were Sport training and injury prevention: different type training and effect of them on the athlete body, injuries and prevention, use of the rehabilitation equipment in rehabilitation, Talent identification and dual career: sport dilemmas in primary school, secondary school and college, athletes volunteering and non-formal learning, Youth lifestyles and sport: youth sport personnel ideology, health promotion through sports and PE, leisure sports, sports activity and students, principles of different sport training Coaching, training and testing of young sportspeople: working with sports talented children, sports, ethics and fair play, psychological aspects of youth sports.



EUSA was represented by its Secretary General Mr Matjaz Pecovnik, Education & Development Manager Ms Sara Rozman, and Communications & Projects Manager Mr Andrej Pisl.

The event was attended by over 100 participants, among others also by Ms Laura Capranica, President of the European Athlete as Student (EAS) - the Dual Career Network and professor of Sport Sciences at the University of Rome Foro Italico, Ms Mojca Doupona Topic, EAS Treasurer and Vice-Dean for Science and Research at the Faculty of Sport, and other representatives of Erasmus+ project partnerships.



The Conference also featured a formal reception and served as a forum for sport science researchers to gather and extend networking between them and to integrate doctoral students and young researchers into the field.

For detailed programme and more information, please see www.youthsport.si.

(Photos by Valentina Vucenovic)