We believe sport is more than physical activity. It is a social practice, a space for growth, and a catalyst for inclusion.

By defining, validating and strengthening the role of the Sport Youth Worker for Inclusion, this project contributes to building a more inclusive, participatory and equitable Europe — where sport becomes a bridge, not a barrier.

Across Europe, sport is widely recognized as a powerful tool for wellbeing, participation and active citizenship. However, a crucial gap remains: there is no shared European definition of the Sport Youth Worker for Inclusion (SYWI) — the professional figure who combines sport, non-formal education and social inclusion to support young people, especially those with fewer opportunities.

While coaches may have technical qualifications and youth workers may operate in educational or community settings, the intersection between sport and inclusive youth work is still undefined and rarely recognized at national level.
This project was created to change that.

In many European countries, youth work lacks a clear legal and professional framework. When combined with sport for social inclusion, the ambiguity increases even further. From the consortium’s experience, sport has proven to build confidence, resilience, belonging, community participation, and to break down social barriers.

o fully harness this potential — especially for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds — professionals need not only technical sport skills, but also educational, relational and inclusion competences. This project responds directly to that need.

The project will create a common European definition and recognition system for the Sport Youth Worker for Inclusion, turning an emerging role into a structured and validated professional profile

Key results include:

• A clear definition of the Sport Youth Worker for Social Inclusion.
  
• A detailed competence framework including knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours.
  
• A European validation tool to recognise and assess these competences.
  
• A practical Sport Youth Work Toolkit for Social Inclusion with methods, tools and inclusive sport-based activities.
  
• A dedicated website hosting all project outputs.
  
• A podcast series in English sharing successful stories of social inclusion achieved through sport.