The YouthSportCV project is taking significant steps toward bridging the gap between grassroots sports and employment opportunities for young people, including those who are currently NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training).

Project partners met online for an interim progress meeting on June 10, reviewing the recent activities. As a proud project partner, the EUSA Institute designed a comprehensive focus group methodology used to facilitate discussions in three distinct pilot territories. Throughout May 2026, these focus groups gathered invaluable insights from coaches, physical education teachers, sport psychologists, athletes, and parents. Their goal was to evaluate coaching strategies, validate the newly developed "Map of Soft Skills," and refine the project's upcoming digital platform and online course.

The methodology was put to the test across three countries, engaging a diverse ecosystem of sports stakeholders to ensure the outcomes reflect the real-world coaching environment. In Spain, UFEC hosted the session in Barcelona on May 20; in Portugal, Sport Evolution Alliance hosted an online Zoom session on May 25; and in Greece, the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports hosted the session in Maroussi, Athens on May 26.

The focus group sessions kickstarted with a short introduction and the "Alex" dilemma, a fictional case study of a 21-year-old youth with immense sports leadership and resilience, but notable struggles with punctuality and communication. The responses highlighted fascinating cultural and practical perspectives on sports experiences and skills acquired, and how this could apply to employability. The key takeaway is that grassroots sports also build highly valuable leadership and resilience traits, but coaches need intentional tools to help youth understand how these behaviors translate into professional expectations.

A central goal of the focus groups was reviewing the project's framework categorized under the "6 Cs" (clusters) of soft skills. When it came to designing the YouthSportCV app and a 90-minute online training course for coaches, the feedback across Greece, Portugal and Spain was to keep it simple, practical and highly visual. Additional guidelines were practical content over theory focus, user-friendly functionality, and the need to overcome practical barriers.

Thanks to the methodology established by the EUSA Institute, the project consortium now also has practical insights and localized, high-fidelity data. The feedback information was also looped back before the the research document/deliverable was finalised. The research document includes YouthSportCV mapping, literature review and organisation of skills: positive youth development framework.

The next phase will focus on fine-tuning the Map of Soft Skills and building a streamlined, interactive digital ecosystem that empowers coaches to act as vital educators for our youth's future careers. A LinkedIn page will also be launched soon to foster community, empower young people to recognise and showcase their soft skills, and point them toward specific job opportunities.

Empowering young people to assess their soft skills gained in sports for improving employment opportunities (YouthSportCV) is a project co-funded by the European Union that aims to help young people recognise, assess and showcase the soft skills they develop through sport. By connecting the worlds of sport, youth, education and employment, the project supports young people, especially those facing fewer opportunities, in translating their sport experience into valuable skills for the labour market. YouthSportCV promotes sport as a powerful pathway to employability, confidence and personal development.

For more information, check out the project page https://youthsportcv.ufec.dev