Digital technology as a tool for development and promotion in football

The project «FOOTAPP» supported the collaboration between partners, from different countries with similar social, economic, geographic features (Greece, Bulgaria, Italy). The purpose of this intervention was the development of grassroots sport in football.Through this project the partners were able to exchange practices and training methods for athletes’ skills development and new methods for promotion of young athletes in high-level Football Clubs. The project partners had the opportunity to share methods of developing young athletes used in each country in order to provide together the best possible support, through the development of training programs in their academies, but also through the application that developed under this project. The transnational exchange of information that was allowed through the project gave partners the opportunity to develop methods that were not used at national level. The project included in total four transnational meetings between members of each partner. One meeting held in each country in order to each partner visit the facilities and watch the training conditions and practices from the others. Furthermore, a final meeting took place in Greece (the lead partner’s country) in order present the outcomes of the project.In addition, in the project developed actions linking new technologies in grassroots sport. The Footapp team created a Digital Platform – Management application. Once processing of these practices an electronic database is created, which propose a series of specific methods, depending on the data entered and processed therein. The online sports administration base supports the amateur football players and provides an innovative tool for development at this level.The aim of the project was the formation of sporting culture, adoption of the values of sports and equal opportunities for all athletes. Additionally, the Digital Application as a mean of meritocratic management of athletes, activates new incentives to boost the participation in sports. The Footapp team implemented various actions through the meetings such as school visits, events in the cities etc in order to disseminate the sport principles of the European Union and enhance the participation in sports.