Smart Sport
The 2-year Smart Sport project supported the implementation of the dual career guidelines, embracing sport and education, linking them to the business sector, especially focusing on smart technologies.
Within the project, online educational modules for elite athletes and coaches were developed, aimed at enhancing their knowledge of innovative and smart technologies, their technological skills and its uses. An online platform was also created, showcasing good practices and policies for dual careers of elite athletes and connecting business, sports professionals and athletes.
Smart Sport supported the implementation of EU Guidelines on Dual Careers (DC) of athletes by setting up a transnational network of stakeholders who will elaborate, implement and test an Innovative Dual Career Program (DCP) as a new educational and training opportunity for athletes and coaches.
SMART SPORT successfully strengthened cooperation between educational institutions and sport organizations at EU level while meeting the hard challenge athletes face today in having to combine education with sports training. Despite the hard efforts of the EC in promoting its policies on DC of athletes only in a few Member States the EU Guidelines on DC (2012) are well implemented.
The project contributed to supporting their further implementation and development allowing for flexible online education for talented students - athletes in Project Partner Countries (PPC). The project targeted university students-athletes, coaches and sport professionals from each PPC.
Modern technologies were researched and used for changing the way athletes perceive their employment opportunities. A whole new perspective was given. The project Innovative DCP consisted of four online educational modules elaborated by researchers in sport technology. The didactic contents were oriented towards a tech-enabled learning and training to facilitate prospective program participants in acquiring new, more advanced and effective skills.
The project period lasted from January 2018 to December 2019, and was co-funded by Erasmus+ programme of the European Union and coordinated by the Bulgarian Olympic Committee.
Project partners included:
- Institute of Sports Sciences at the University of Vienna (AUT)
- Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (GER)
- Macedonian Olympic Committee (MKD)
- EUSA Institute (SLO)
More details regarding the Smart Sport project you can find on the official website https://smartsport.bg
