DESERve - Developing Emotional competences in and through Sports Education pRactices against ViolencE

ongoing

The DESERve project aims to enhance the capacities of grassroot sport clubs and youth organizations to combat and prevent violence in and through sport by cultivating emotional competences and fostering inclusive environments among children and young people. The idea was based on the concerning statistics related to violent and aggressive behaviours among children and young people across Europe and particularly in the field of sports and wishes to reverse the reality and use sports as a tool towards addressing these modern challenges. Through extensive exploration of the current reality, well-structured methodologies, the development of tools and platforms to serve as open, accessible and free resources of knowledge and capacity building, and an extensive awareness raising and advocacy plan, the project will support key-actors involved with children and youth to foster their emotional competences and combat violence in and through sport, with a special focus on youth with fewer opportunities. As such, the project will address certain identified needs: 1. lack of training and tools for professionals to prevent violence among children and young people; 2. lack of methodologies in integrating emotional intelligence into youth sports practices; 3. need for fostering safe and supportive environments; 4. need for stronger collaboration between sports, non-formal education, and mental health sectors; 5. facilitation of the dissemination of best practices across Europe on a larger scale.