YouMind project partners discuss upcoming workshops on mental health in young athletes
The YouMind (Youth Individual Sports Mindset) project is a collaborative initiative aimed at raising awareness about the importance of mental health in youth sports and developing strategies to prevent mental health challenges among young athletes.
On January 8, 2025, the project team hosted an online seminar focusing on the mental health of young athletes. The seminar, organised by the project coordinator EUSA – European University Sports Association, brought together partners to discuss and plan upcoming workshops scheduled for 2025. Representing ENGSO Youth, Erik van Haaren (Committee Member) and Nadica Sechkov (Projects and Partnerships Manager) actively participated in the discussions.
Key Highlights from the Seminar
The seminar served as a platform to share insights, review progress, and outline next steps for the project. Key contributors included:
Andrej Pišl (EUSA Institute): Opened the seminar by welcoming participants and providing an overview of the YouMind project.
Dr. Saša Čečić Erpič: Associate Professor of Psychology at the Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, shared her knowledge on dual careers and mental health. She emphasised the role of mentors and role models while offering recommendations for effective workshop design.
Milia Molinié: An ESC Volunteer with EUSA, presented findings from a project survey that highlighted the needs and concerns of young athletes participating in future workshops.
Representing ENGSO Youth, Nadica Sechkov provided valuable feedback drawn from ENGSO Youth lead Erasmus+ funded Hooray project. Her presentation introduced practical and theoretical tools for addressing mental health topics in workshops, offering a structured approach for facilitators.
Vincenzo Cusati (CUS Salerno) and Eva Antal (University of Miskolc Sport Club – MEAFC): Shared preliminary plans for their workshops, incorporating survey insights, feedback from previous initiatives, and input from the seminar.
Next Steps: National Workshops
The next phase of the project involves organising national workshops, hosted by each partner organisation. ENGSO Youth will hold its workshop in March 2025, in Vilnius, Lithuania. These sessions will apply recommendations, survey results, and expertise shared during the seminar to provide tailored mental health support to young athletes.