Which objectives does PSS pursue?

"Pro Safe Sport for Young Athletes" aims at promoting a safe and healthy sport environment for young athletes by

  • raising awareness among the athletes' entourage on the importance of protecting and promoting the physical and moral wellbeing of young athletes
  • establishing relevant mechanisms to introduce and maintain highest levels of safety and health
  • harnessing synergies of existing initiatives

 

More specifically the project intents to

  • Improve the knowledge base of the existing instruments (normative framework (policies) and relevant specific measures such as injury surveillance programmes) on the protection of young athletes by involving the partners, their network and conducting a desk research.
  • Build capacities (pool stakeholders, experts) to better and further promote the psychological and physical well-being of young athletes

 Why a project on the physical and moral well-being of young athletes?

All young athletes have the right to participate in a healthy and safe sport environment which promotes their welfare. Unfortunately, the lack of systematic injury/ harassment prevention mechanisms causes millions of unnecessary sport injuries and harassments per year in Europe.

Therefore, one important aim of the European Sport Charter of the Council of Europe is to ensure that everyone should have the opportunity to take part in sport and physical recreation in a safe and healthy environment.

More specifically, the Code of Sports Ethics of the Council of Europe recommends when working with young people to ensure that safeguards are in place within the context of an overall framework of support and protection for children, young people and women, both to protect the above groups from sexual harassment and abuse and to prevent the exploitation of children, particularly those who demonstrate precocious ability.

In 2009, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) – the so called Lisbon Treaty – entered into force and with it article 165 section 2 stating that Union action  shall be aimed at (…)developing the European dimension in sport (…)by protecting the physical and moral integrity of sportsmen and sportswomen, especially the youngest sportsmen and sportswomen.

The Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) used these political and legal instruments as a basis to develop the hands-on  initiative "Pro Safe Sport for Young Athletes (PSS)". The main core of PSS is the design of a toolkit which shall effectively promote the physical and mental well-being of emerging athletes. The various target groups of PSS such as coaches and sport organisations can easily use the tools of this kit such as a self-assessment test and tips to enhance the moral and physical integrity of young athletes. This project is cofinanced by the EU.