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Saarland, Germany- While the cheers, medals, and celebrations capture the headlines at the Special Olympics Germany National Games in Saarbrücken, some of the most powerful victories are taking place away from the tracks and courts. They are victories that will never appear on a results sheet. Victories of a young athlete hearing clearly for the first time in years. Victories of an athlete finally understanding the cause of chronic pain. Families discovering health conditions that had gone undetected for far too long. These are the life-changing moments made possible through the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Programme. Launched globally in 1997, …
A Global Conversation on Sport and Social Change The latest webinar from the Southeast Asia Sport and Youth Crime Prevention (SYCP) Initiative, Sport Beyond Competition: Building Peace, Inclusion and Opportunity Through Sport, brought together delegates from across the world to explore how sport can contribute to peace, inclusion, youth empowerment, crime prevention and community resilience. The session featured Stephan Fox, President of United Through Sports, President of AIMS, and Chair of the SportAccord World Combat Council, as keynote speaker. Delegates included representatives from the Olympic and sporting family, international federations, community organisations, educators, youth leaders and stakeholders committed to using …
For generations, young people in sport have been described as “the future.” The phrase is repeated constantly across conferences, campaigns and development programmes. Young people are encouraged to participate, to dream, to aspire and to prepare themselves for the future of sport. But too often, they are still excluded from the spaces where decisions are actually made. Policies affecting young people are frequently developed without youth voices in the room. Conversations about athlete welfare, inclusion, safeguarding and the future of sport are still commonly led by older generations, while young people remain positioned as participants rather than contributors. Their presence …
The meeting starts as it always does. A long table. Laptops open. Papers neatly stacked. Everyone in the room is experienced, qualified, confident in what they are there to say. They are here to design a policy on athlete well-being. The conversation moves quickly. Safeguarding procedures are discussed. Reporting systems are mapped out. Language is carefully chosen. On paper, everything is thorough, considered, complete. But as the discussion continues, something becomes clear. Not a single young athlete is in the room. It is a crucial detail, yet easy to overlook. The people present are experts. They understand policy, governance and …
Sport is meant to be one of the few spaces that belongs to everyone. It is where differences are put aside, where people come together, where opportunity is supposed to be equal. That is the story we are told. But for many young people, that story does not match their reality. For some, the barrier is immediate. The cost of equipment, club fees, travel and facilities adds up quickly, and for families already under pressure, sport is not always possible. It is not a lack of interest that keeps young people away, it is the simple fact that access comes …
