In the EU, the number of athletes in need of dual career support services adds up to more than 120.000 in every Olympic cycle. Within competitive systems, European sport schools play a crucial role in the development of athletic talent. For this reason, a German-Austrian consortium aims to foster the establishment of a European Network of Sport Schools (ENOSS).
The quality of services of sport schools in cooperation with policy makers and sport bodies is of vital importance for the sustainable pathways of aspiring athletes, in amateur as well as in professional sports. In 25 out of the 28 EU member states, sport schools at secondary level offering specific dual career support to talented athletes can be found.
This means that this type of schools represent one main common ground of dual career delivery in the European Union. However, despite the history of sport schools in the EU, a specific network between these schools on European level does still not exist. Time for change, time for making the next step.
1st ENOSS Conference in Berlin
Initiated by the ENOSS co-creators Philipp Struwe (SLZB, Germany) and Wolfgang Stockinger (TW1N, Austria), and jointly organized by the SLZB, the Berlin Senate Department for Education, Youth and Families, and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community, the first ever European Network of Sport Schools Conference will take place in the Olympic Stadium of Berlin, Germany. In the belief of the ENOSS consortium, systematizing the connections and learning arenas between sport schools will substantially contribute to improve service quality within these specific institutions, facilitate the mobility of both talented athletes and practitioners, and inspire the development of trans-national projects.
Registration for the ENOSS Conference 2019 is now open. The official conference programme can be downloaded here.