“Balanced development of sports professionals”

Background We understand the fact that the promotion of physical exercise is an essential strategy of health promotion. However, a sizeable proportion of health gains are lost due to sport injuries. As safety concerns are a factor in the decision to participate in sports, reducing the injury risk is also an essential strategy of public health policies. For this reason,specific aim of the project is to protect young athletes from health and safety hazards by improving training conditions,increasing sport st Objectives The main topic is “Protect athletes, especially the youngest, from health and safety hazards by improving training and competition conditions”. The project brings together four different organizations that are active in the sport sector of racket sports. Our aim of the project is to protect young athletes from health and safety hazards by improving training conditions,increasing sport staff awareness on the importance of a balanced and adapted training programme. Implementation The main goal of the Transnational meetings and in the implementation phase was the creation of a BDSP training program which could be integrated directly to the work of coaches in various sports. The Program is based on specially designed exercises to improve balance and condition. This is very important because poor balance, or postural control, is associated with injury or falls in many populations and consequently is considered to be a critical component of common motor skills. Achievements The objectives of our project partnership were aimed towards developing the context for the youth and sport involved organizations from Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece and France. The establishment of a transnational network, not only based on sport development, but also focusing on the creation of an innovative methodology of health promotion.