European Youth and Sport Together (EUYOUSPORT)
The European Youth and Sport Together (EUYOUSPORT) project aims to develop youth participation mechanisms within the decision-making processes of sports organisations. This initiative seeks to provide young people with meaningful opportunities to have their voices heard within the sport sector.
Sport, as a social activity, connects, engages, and empowers youth in ways that few other platforms can. However, young people are frequently excluded from decision-making processes, underrepresented in governing bodies, and their voices are often overlooked by policymakers when developing sport policies.
The objectives of the project are:
- to support the establishment of youth participation mechanisms in sport
- To create a network of European youth and sport organisations
- To engage, empower, and connect European youth sport leaders
- To engage, empower, and connect European youth sport leaders
- To mainstream sustainability, social inclusion, and mental health issues in European and national youth and sport policies
- To raise awareness among young people about EU institutions, youth and sport policies, and relevant opportunities
- To provide learning mobility opportunities for young people with fewer opportunities
- To promote the EU’s common values and fundamental principles through sport and physical activity
The initiative focuses on providing young individuals with valuable opportunities to ensure their voices are heard and represented in the sports sector.
Partners from seven European organizations, representing different countries, gathered to officially launch the project at the first in-person meeting held in Frankfurt, Germany at the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) headquarters, on February 20-21, 2025. The main goal of the two-day meeting was to review key aspects of the project, finalize implementation strategies, and outline upcoming activities to drive the initiative forward.
The second in-person partner meeting was held on June 7, 2025, in Munich, Germany, alongside the flagship European Youth and Sport Platform 2025 (EYSP2025). This meeting brought together all project partners to review progress, share insights, and plan the next phase of activities. It marked a critical milestone in the project, reaffirming the shared commitment to empowering youth participation in sport governance across Europe.
The European Youth & Sport Network was launched as part of the EUYOUSPORT project and 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.
The Network is aligned with the EU Youth Strategy (2019–2027) and the EU Work Plan for Sport (2024–2027) and is guided by five core objectives:
1) Promote youth participation in sport governance at all levels;
2) Build capacity through leadership training and resources;
3) Encourage collaboration by sharing best practices and innovative models for youth participation;
4) Advocate for inclusive policies at both national and European levels;
5) Bridge the Youth-Sport gap: connect youth and sport organisations, mainstreaming youth into the sport sector and sport into the youth sector.
To support this objective, the EUYouSport project has developed a dedicated online educational course designed for: young people engaged in sport; volunteers and youth representatives; and staff and stakeholders within sport organisations.
The EUYouSport educational course offers young people the opportunity to engage in online training designed to deepen their understanding of the European Union’s institutional framework. Through this course, participants learn how the EU positively influences the youth and sport sectors at the national level. Additionally, the program highlights various opportunities available to young people that emerge from the EU’s cooperation in youth and sport-related initiatives.
Accessible free of charge and available online, the course serves as a valuable learning resource for organisations and institutions seeking to increase youth engagement in strategic decision-making.
The EUYouSport course consists of three interconnected areas:
- EU Sport Policy - An introduction to the European Union’s role in supporting sport through cooperation, funding, and policy coordination.
- EU Youth Policy - A comprehensive overview of the EU’s commitment to empowering young citizens, fostering democratic participation, and promoting social inclusion.
- EU Institutions - A clear explanation of the EU’s institutional framework - including the European Commission, European Parliament, and Council of the European Union, and how their decisions affect youth and sport.
The EUYouSport project brings together a diverse and experienced consortium of partners committed to strengthening youth participation in sport governance. The project is led by ENGSO Youth in collaboration with the European University Sports Association (EUSA), the Finnish Olympic Committee, OPES (Organizzazione Per l’Educazione allo Sport), German Sports Youth (Deutsche Sportjugend – dsj), the Confederação do Desporto de Portugal (Sport Confederation of Portugal), and the Cyprus Youth Council.