Regional Center for Dual Career Policies and Advocacy (DC4AC)

A project co-funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus + Sport Program

Dr. Dan Boboc Deputy Director, National Institute for Sport Research DC4AC Project manager DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career facts & numbers DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career facts & numbers DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career facts & numbers Project funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus + Sport Program, action area Support for Collaborative Partnerships Grant Agreement 2015-2954

Leader: National Institute for Sport Research () Partners: eight entities from 7 countries of the European Community (Romania x2, Hungary, Italy, Greece, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria) Budget: 400,000 euros, of which 80% EU funds and 20% co-financing Duration: January 2016 - June 2017 (18 months) Purpose : the project is complementary to the European Union's efforts to ensure a secure future for athletes at the end of their sports career and aim to facilitate replicating and application of the European Commission guidelines on dual career for talented and elite athletes. DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career target groups and beneficiaries

• talented and elite athletes: more interested in sport and winning rather than building a smooth transition for the end of their sport career; • sports clubs and associations: lacking awareness, information, education regarding dual career; • children and adolescents: no awareness on side issues of practicing performance sports; • parents: often asking for high level performance from their children and sometimes causing the dropout of young athletes; • trainers and coaches: putting pressure for high results and disregarding the end-of-career issues; • education bodies: to adopt special plans for talented and elite athletes; • governing bodies: to adopt a coherent policy for encouraging young athletes to follow a dual career path. DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career 18 months results

• Kick-off meeting in • A first awareness event, with the participation of the Romanian Ministry of Youth and Sport • A debate benefiting of the participation of Mrs. Agata Dziarnovska - European Commission DG EAC – Sport

• Translation of EU Guidelines for Dual Career of Athletes in Romanian, launched during Kick-off meeting • 6 more translations: Greek, Italian, Hungarian, Slovakian, Slovenian, Bulgarian available at the mid-time term of the project. • All translations are to be found on the national dc4ac sites • Hundreds of hard copies distributed by each project partner • All e-format translations available for the use of the Agency

DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career 18 months results

• Unitary questionnaire over the needs and expectations of talented and elite athletes. • Final version in English, with the contribution of partners; • Translations of the questionnaires in each participant official language. • Questionnaires applied on-line by each partner to up to 200 relevant athletes. • Questionnaires analyzed by each country partner, with a synthesis offered by the Hungarian partner • Analysis of dual career questionnaires finalized by WP leader – HUPE, Hungary

DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career 18 months results

• E-learning platform as a support for a pilot project in formatting 20 senior athletes as entrepreneurs. • Presentation of the pilot project by INVENIO association • Romanian Rowing Federation - final beneficiary • 30 diplomas recognized by the Romanian Ministry of Education and Ministry of Labor • The platform will be fully functional two more years from project end, due to the efforts of the Greek and Romanian partners.

DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career 18 months results

• Studies on Dual Career of Athletes situation in each participant country • European projects for DC • Projects implemented by national sport federations • Projects & studies conducted by Sport and Physical Education universities/faculties • Projects implemented by companies involved in sport, education and job market • Evaluation of gaps and weaknesses in DC at national level • Based on the report of each partner • A starting base for national debates to be organized with the governing bodies and sport stakeholders

DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career Dissemination

• Dissemination strategy • conceived by the Greek partner, presenting the final Dissemination Report • Project design, objectives and actual results of the project disseminated in over 15 different sport events in Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania. • Mass media dissemination: • Facebook pages of the project in 4 countries, • 3 papers in national sport reviews, • one radio interview broadcasted • Global and National sites of the project (www.dc4ac.eu, www.dc4ac.country) • Trifolds, flyers, posters distributed by each project partner • Project promoters for Romania: Romanian Olympic winner feminine team (on board the project since application, in 2015)

DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career Dissemination

International Conference “Dual Career of Athletes: between expectations and reality”

With the support of Romanian Ministry of Youth and Sport • On Dual Career of Athletes at European Level (Mr. Tibor Kozsla, vice-president of EAS - The Dual Career Network for European Athletes) • Official opening of the EDUCATIONAL AND JOB FAIR FOR PERFORMANCE ATHLETES

• The reality of dual career in Romania through the eyes of today’s athletes: , , Loredana Dinu (2016 Olympic champions in fencing), Marian Dragulescu (multiple World champion, vice-Olympic champion in artistic gymnastics) • Face to face: athletes, sport organizations, universities, job market representatives. A direct debate moderated by athletes.

DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career Dissemination

National Conference “Sport, Law and Athletes’ Rights” With the support of Romanian Olympic and Sport Committee With the participation of the Ministry of Youth and Sport The Conference, organized for the first time in Romania at a high level, covered some of the essential aspects of: • labor and security in sport, • risks insurance in sport careers, • the rights of sportsmen (education, jobs, annuities, pensions) • the right to a dual career, seen as a priority of the Romanian sport governing bodies, • legal consequences of non-compliance with the New World Anti-Doping Code.

DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career European events participation European athlete as student network (EAS), annual conference “Enhancing European Partnership in Sports and Education” • Rovaniemi, Lapland – Finland, 15-17 September 2016 • Presentation of the DC4AC project delivered by Dan Boboc • Discussions and exchange of experience with other 4 European projects in the field of Dual Career for Athletes • New partnerships and ideas for future Dual Career projects

DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career European events participation European Observatoire for Sport and Education (EOSE), Annual Conference 2016 • Rio Major – Portugal, 22-23 November 2016 • Presentation of the DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career project delivered by Dan Boboc • Discussions and exchange of experience with other 5 European projects in the field of Education and Dual Career for Athletes • Integration with the new EOSE Action Plan for 2017

DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career what’s next?

• Analysis of dual career questionnaires (WP1 leader –HUPE) • Configuring DC4AC Best Practices Handbook (WP1 leader –HUPE ) • The DC4AC Handbook of policies and advocacy for implementing EU guidelines for dual career (WP2 leader –UCSC) • Continuous education of athletes. Pilot project & putting to work the e-learning platform (WP3 leader –INVENIO) • Dissemination strategy and results (WP4 leader –EILD) • Project Final Declaration and Memorandum

DC4AC Regional Center for Dual Career

• NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SPORT RESEARCH (Romania) • UNIVERSITY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN BUDAPEST (Hungary) • UNIVERSITÀ CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUORE (Italy) • EUROPEAN INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT (Greece) • CONSTANTINE THE PHILOSOPHER UNIVERSITY IN NITRA (Slovakia) • UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA, SCIENCE AND RESEARCH CENTRE (Slovenia) • INVENIO ASSOCIATION (Romania) • MY WORLD ASSOCIATION (Bulgaria)

We are thankful for the opportunity to share with you our project!