Discussion Meeting – Children's Rights in Sports

Published on 18 December 2024



On December 18, 2024, the National Sports Academy "Vasil Levski" brought together sports specialists with experience in developing sports for children. The occasion for the meeting was the presentation of results from the CRC Sport Project ¹ 101133566 / ERASMUS+ programme, in which the Academy is a partner. The project focuses on developing materials that depict the landscape of policies, activities, understanding, and support for the rights of children in sports. Among the more than forty participants in the event were NSA lecturers, coaches, members of sports club teams, representatives from state governance structures – the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) and the State Agency for Child Protection (SACP), as well as students.

The forum was opened by NSA Rector Prof. Krassimir Petkov, who firmly stated that the topic of children in sports communities is one of the most important in modern sports because children are our future – the way we work with children in sports today will determine the kind of people and athletes we will have tomorrow. The Rector emphasized that the fundamental rule when working with children is to prioritize their life and health above all else. Additionally, he noted the importance of considering various aspects of pedagogy and human rights that coaches must observe and respect during training sessions.

From NSA, the project involves Assoc. Prof. Ivan Slavchev and Assoc. Prof. Ina Vladova. Assoc. Prof. Slavchev presented the results achieved so far, which outlined a logical starting point for large-scale actions aimed at defining and respecting children's rights. The project has collected impressive data on the state of relationships with children in sports activities, developed a classification of types of violations of children's rights, and identified priorities for action.

During the subsequent discussion, participants shared their practices, cases, and opinions. Mrs. Neli Dimitrova from the Ministry of Youth and Sports presented an interesting overview of the policies and tools for their implementation. It became evident that the state is seriously committed to this issue, alongside efforts to attract children to sports and work on coach qualification. Representatives from sports clubs also shared their perspectives, expanding the understanding of children's rights and pointing out objective barriers to placing children at the absolute center of decision-making. The specifics of inclusive sports versus sports for children preparing for professional careers were also highlighted. The common question that united all participants was the need to work collaboratively and actively to ensure that policies do not remain merely on paper but are translated into real steps forward.