START Association

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START is a non for profit organization which aims to support active European citizenships thought elaborating, piloting and disseminating different projects and events in the field of sport, youth, environment, culture, media and social dialogue.

💻✨ On 20 May 2025, the consortium successfully held its virtual coordination meeting “Let’s Collaborate on Innovation”, ...
01/12/2025

💻✨ On 20 May 2025, the consortium successfully held its virtual coordination meeting “Let’s Collaborate on Innovation”, bringing together all partners to discuss the interim progress of .

During the meeting, partners reviewed the development of the project’s Innovative Methodology, reflecting on its structure, tools and relevance for both youth and sports organisations. They also discussed the outcomes and feedback gathered from the Eco-entrepreneurial Sports Bootcamp for Sport Clubs, ensuring that the insights gained would strengthen the upcoming activities and resources.

The meeting marked an important step in maintaining strong collaboration, aligning next actions and continuing the shared commitment to supporting sustainability and eco-entrepreneurial competences through sport.

Each project partner proudly organised and conducted an “Eco-entrepreneurial Sports Bootcamp for Youth” in their respect...
01/12/2025

Each project partner proudly organised and conducted an “Eco-entrepreneurial Sports Bootcamp for Youth” in their respective countries during the European Week of Sport in September. These events empowered young people by combining sport-based learning with the development of key eco-entrepreneurial competences.

The bootcamps focused on an innovative mix of GreenComp through sport and EntreComp through sport, helping participants build both sustainability awareness and entrepreneurial mindsets through engaging physical and collaborative activities.

🌿 GreenComp through sport

Participants developed competences that helped them connect personal values with sustainability and understand their role within natural systems:
1️⃣ Reflecting on personal values; recognising how values differ across people and time; and evaluating how they align with sustainability principles.
2️⃣ Supporting equity and justice for current and future generations, while learning from past generations to strengthen sustainability efforts.
3️⃣ Acknowledging that humans are part of nature, and respecting the needs and rights of other species and ecosystems to regenerate healthy, resilient environments.

🏃‍♀️ EntreComp through sport

Through dynamic, sport-based tasks, youth strengthened entrepreneurial competences essential for initiative-taking and collaborative problem-solving:
1️⃣ Taking the initiative
2️⃣ Planning and management
3️⃣ Coping with uncertainty, ambiguity and risk
4️⃣ Working with others
5️⃣ Learning through experience

These bootcamps created inspiring learning environments where young people could discover their potential, build confidence, and take meaningful steps toward shaping a more sustainable future through sport.

🌟 EntreComp: Turning Ideas Into Shared ValueWe were excited to share key insights from EntreComp, the European framework...
01/12/2025

🌟 EntreComp: Turning Ideas Into Shared Value

We were excited to share key insights from EntreComp, the European framework that helped guide entrepreneurial learning within .

EntreComp demonstrated that turning ideas into shared value was relevant in every aspect of life - whether progressing in one’s career, supporting a local sports team, or building a new social enterprise. Entrepreneurial value creation could happen anywhere, and entrepreneurial learning was not limited to business alone.

By emphasising the development of competences through the real creation of value, EntreComp broke down the traditional boundaries between education, work, and civic engagement. It was truly transversal, applying across:
✔️ formal education (from primary school to vocational and higher education)
✔️ non-formal learning (youth work, community initiatives, civil society)
✔️ informal learning (daily life experiences, volunteering, grassroots activities)
✔️ organisations of any type — sports clubs, NGOs, start-ups, corporations, and public administrations

This flexibility made EntreComp a powerful tool for empowering individuals and organisations to innovate, collaborate, and create meaningful change.

🔧 EntreComp Competence Areas

EntreComp consisted of three interconnected competence areas, covering the full journey from inspiration to action:

💡 1. Ideas and Opportunities
🔧 2. Resources
🚀 3. Into Action

Together, they supported the development of mindsets, skills, and behaviours that helped people turn aspirations into impact - on the field, in their communities, and beyond.

🌿✨ GreenComp: Building the Competences for a Sustainable FutureWe were excited to highlight the structure of GreenComp, ...
01/12/2025

🌿✨ GreenComp: Building the Competences for a Sustainable Future

We were excited to highlight the structure of GreenComp, the European sustainability competence framework that guided our work within the project. GreenComp consisted of four interconnected competence areas, each containing three essential competences. Together, they offered a comprehensive approach to developing the knowledge, values, and skills needed to support sustainability in all sectors—including sport.

🌱 1. Embodying sustainability values

This area focused on developing the mindset and ethical foundation needed to champion sustainability:
• Valuing sustainability
• Supporting fairness
• Promoting nature

🔍 2. Embracing complexity in sustainability

Here, learners explored how to understand and navigate the interconnected systems that shape environmental and social issues:
• Systems thinking
• Critical thinking
• Problem framing

🔮 3. Envisioning sustainable futures

This area strengthened the ability to imagine, adapt to, and plan for more sustainable ways of living and working:
• Futures literacy
• Adaptability
• Exploratory thinking

💪 4. Acting for sustainability

Finally, GreenComp emphasised real-world action—individually and collectively:
• Political agency
• Collective action
• Individual initiative

Each area played a vital role in preparing individuals and organisations to contribute meaningfully to a greener, fairer, and more resilient future.

🌿🏃‍♂️ The project consortium proudly organised an “Eco-entrepreneurial Sports Bootcamp for Sport Clubs” in Sofia, Bulgar...
01/12/2025

🌿🏃‍♂️ The project consortium proudly organised an “Eco-entrepreneurial Sports Bootcamp for Sport Clubs” in Sofia, Bulgaria. The event presented the project’s Innovative Methodology and guided participants through three thematic modules designed to strengthen eco-entrepreneurial, managerial and sustainability competences in and through sport.

🌱 Module 1: Eco-entrepreneurial competences through sport
This module had been based on the EntreComp “In Action” framework and the GreenComp dimension “Embodying sustainability values.” Participants explored key competences that support eco-innovation, responsibility, and value creation in sports environments.

🏅 Module 2: Organisation management in and through sport
This module introduced essential principles of sport organisation management, from establishing mission and goals to applying effective and ethical management practices—including examples from leading European sports organisations.

🌍 Module 3: Sustainable development in and through sport
Participants learned about the foundations of sustainability in sport, the ecological footprint of sport activities, outstanding European examples of sustainable practices, and the evolving role of sport managers in driving environmental responsibility.

The bootcamp served as an inspiring opportunity for sports clubs to gain knowledge, exchange ideas, and build the competences needed to lead the transition toward greener, more sustainable sports communities.

🌍✨ We were excited to share that the SportClubsYouth4Sustain project methodology was officially completed and made avail...
01/12/2025

🌍✨ We were excited to share that the SportClubsYouth4Sustain project methodology was officially completed and made available to the public!
📘 You can access the full methodology here:
👉https://youth4sustain.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Methodology_SportClubsYouth4Sustain.pdf

This open educational resource offered a valuable opportunity for stakeholders across Europe and beyond, supporting education through sport and aligning with key European and global sustainability frameworks. It reinforced the ambitions of the European Union’s Green Deal sport sector initiatives, the European Sport Model, Agenda 2030, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The methodology encouraged the integration of eco-friendly sports practices, sustainability standards, and long-term environmental strategies into the development and management of sports clubs and organisations. It also supported the broader mission of empowering youth and sports communities with the skills needed to contribute to a greener future.

On 14 February 2025, the first transnational project meeting was successfully held in Komotini, Greece. Partners from ...
01/12/2025

On 14 February 2025, the first transnational project meeting was successfully held in Komotini, Greece. Partners from START (Bulgaria), Democritus University of Thrace (Greece) and the Association for Comprehensive Education, Sport and Arts (North Macedonia) gathered to collaborate on the next steps of the project.

During the meeting, the team discussed the full project timeline and division of tasks, ensuring a smooth and effective implementation process. They also worked in depth on refining the project methodology - exploring sports and games that participants could easily relate to, drawing inspiration from the sustainability efforts of leading EU sports organisations, and building a “life library” of well-known athletes whose journeys exemplify key eco-entrepreneurial competences.

The meeting marked an important milestone in strengthening the project’s foundation and shaping meaningful, engaging learning experiences for youth and sports clubs across Europe.

🌿✨ We were excited to announce the launch of the SportClubsYouth4Sustain N 101184287 project, co-funded by the European ...
01/12/2025

🌿✨ We were excited to announce the launch of the SportClubsYouth4Sustain N 101184287 project, co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme

The project “Sport for Sustainable Development of Youth and Sports Clubs” [ ] aims to empower young people - especially those transitioning from secondary school to university - as well as sports club team members, by developing their eco-entrepreneurial skills through sport.

Its core mission had been to promote education in and through sport, strengthening both GreenComp and EntreComp competences while enhancing management skills and sustainability practices within sports clubs.

To achieve this, the project will:
🌱 Elaborate an innovative methodology on eco-entrepreneurial competences for youth and sports club sustainability.
🏃‍♂️ Deliver two Eco-entrepreneurial Sports Bootcamps - one for sports clubs during EU Green Week and one for youth during European Week of Sport.
💻 Create a virtual platform offering a “Vademecum: Sports Clubs and Youth for Sustainable Development” training program.

The force propelling your body onward isn't solely the strength of your right or left foot. It's the mind – the powerhou...
06/02/2024

The force propelling your body onward isn't solely the strength of your right or left foot. It's the mind – the powerhouse that, when your body signals a halt, insists on perseverance. In moments of foot discomfort, this mental muscle encourages you to reach the next tree, make it to the subsequent aid station with refreshing water and isotonic drinks—beneficial for your endurance. Indeed, persist and keep advancing.

In our day-to-day lives, it's common to procrastinate tasks when fatigue sets in. We often promise ourselves that we'll ...
02/02/2024

In our day-to-day lives, it's common to procrastinate tasks when fatigue sets in. We often promise ourselves that we'll tackle them after lunch or after work. Yet, in those weary moments, it's essential to train ourselves to push a bit beyond our comfort zone, persisting until the task is complete. Always keep in mind this empowering mantra: when you're tired, learn to rest, not to quit. Your ability to persevere through fatigue holds the key to both accomplishment and personal growth.

The final meeting of the SHARE project was held in Sofia, Bulgaria on the 24th of November 2023. The SHARE project has l...
01/02/2024

The final meeting of the SHARE project was held in Sofia, Bulgaria on the 24th of November 2023. The SHARE project has laid a solid foundation for the promotion of dual careers for athletes. By taking proactive steps and maintaining the collaboration between the two organizations were discussed further opportunities to promote the well-being of athletes pursuing both their athletic and academic/professional aspirations. The partners thought about future possibilities for partnership towards the Dual Career of athletes by focusing on potential digital tools that could be elaborated so that the knowledge about Dual Career to become more accessible.





During the SHARE project multiplier sport events in both countries were presented the training program and protocol amon...
01/02/2024

During the SHARE project multiplier sport events in both countries were presented the training program and protocol among more then 90 young people.
The general conclusions which could be made based on the project activities are as follow:
1. Creating and promoting a dual career for the athletes is critically important not only for the sport industry but also for the labour and the whole society. Balance is the key to success in life. The athletes need to find the right balance between training efforts and learning but also between the entrance at the labour market and training, which is a consistently challenging phenomenon.
2. Investigating national, European sports and dual-career programs it appears that governments and the sports industry are limited to provide help and support toward high sports performance and don't cover the lack of athletes' education which is necessary for the life after career.
3. It is obvious that there is a grey zone in the supporting efforts that operate by the government, sports sector, educational institutions, market forces and social structures.
4. Today, this ever-increasing sports competition, the demand to over-the-top performance and the growing economic activity, have dramatically increased the "life obligations" of elite athletes.
5. Consequently, the balance between training and living has been disturbed. Human should seriously consider the fact that sport seems to no longer serve the man, but the man be used by sport as part of the global spectacle, the supreme performance, the technology, the commercialization.
6. In the end, it might not just be worth only exploring the dual-career offerings and its inclusion in athletes’ sports career. Perhaps it is now more imperative than ever, the process of sport should be further explored, and then be redesigned, be redefined and re-based on its true human nature and value rather than superman’s reality.

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