With the representative of the UEFA Foundation for Children on Zlatibor

After a series of activities carried out on the project “Creating Life Champions”, our team got a valuable opportunity to host the representative of the UEFA Foundation for Children, Matej Sršen, during his monitoring visit to Development Center for Youth and familiarization with the concept of life champions.

Visit was realized during one of the activities of our partner on the project – DEKI5 camp, and it was also attended by our famous athlete and founder of the camp, Dejan Stanković.

Our team of educators and trainers, who have undergone the training for coaches of younger categories in the previous period, habe tried their best during the monitoring visit to fully convey the concept that we are developing together, which focuses on creating top people – life champions, not just sports champions, at the same time putting the coach in the foreground on that significant path of shaping and guiding a child and a young person.

Interactive workshops, quizzes, dynamic presentations and educational games on the field were only part of the activities presented by our team, led by Aleksandra Knežević, the creator of the concept of Life champions. The topics of gender equality and protection of children and young people in football aroused special interest, giving us guidelines for further action in the future. Participants of the camp have received answers and ideas on how to approach certain problems that may happen to them through playing sports, at the same time learning that sports should be accessible to everyone and open to all.

The idea of “Life Champions” is that sport is much more than the competition itself – that it is a platform for education and communication, and that its role in creating active, thinking citizens is immeasurable. Through this concept, children are introduced to the world of human rights, gender equality and healthy lifestyles in a way that is adapted to their age and interests. Also, this interactive and fun method of learning – learning through play and fun, provides children with the opportunity to acquire valuable knowledge and adopt positive principles and values.

“Even though it is only the first generation of coaches in the education process, all the implemented activities have shown that we are on the right path, and that the coaches themselves have gained a deeper understanding of the concept, with a more developed awareness of how important their role is in the life of a child and young person. We are pleased that even the children were motivated to get actively involved in topics concerning their personal development and well-being. However, we are particularly pleased that some of the interactive workshops were led by young people who themselves came “from the field”, especially Maša , a participant of one of the first DEKI5 camps and Veljko, recently engaged in Development Center for Youth in full capacity. We believe that we left a good impression and showed that the UEFA Foundation for Childen has in us a reliable partner for the future,” said Aleksandra Knežević at the end of the monitoring visit.

The concept “Creating Life Champions” continues to inspire and enrich the lives of children through sports, providing them with values and knowledge that will be relevant for them far beyond the sports field, all with the support of the UEFA Foundation for Children and the European Commission through the ERASMUS+ program in the field of sports.