Young engagement connects Europe: German-Italian youth exchange as part of the Winter Olympics

For ENGSO Youth, there is no doubt that the future of sport in Europe will be shaped by young, committed people who take responsibility and work together across borders. The meeting between the German Olympic Youth Camp (DOJL) of the German Sports Youth (dsj) and young volunteers from the Italian ENGSO member OPES during the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina is an impressive example of this.

The values of sport as a common European language

The German Olympic Youth Camp brings talented 16- to 19-year-olds from high-performance sports and voluntary work directly to the Olympic Games. On behalf of the German Olympic Sports Confederation, the German Sports Youth (dsj) and the German Olympic Academy (DOA) organise an educational programme that combines competition visits, workshops, discussion rounds and intercultural encounters.

It is precisely this international dimension that makes the Youth Camp a international flagship project: young people not only experience top-class sport, but also actively engage with social issues, structures of commitment and the role of sport as a unifying element.

Local volunteering – European impact

During their stay in Milan, the German participants were introduced to the project Coach di Quartiere at the Istituto Marie Curie-Sraffa, gaining insight into a concrete example of grassroots sport-driven social innovation promoted by OPES. Founded in 2020, the initiative offers free and inclusive sport activities for children aged 6 to 11 in local parks, particularly targeting families facing socio-economic challenges. Built on structured youth volunteering, with young Coaches supported by a Playmaker, the project combines accessible physical activity with educational guidance and personal development. This exchange provided a tangible framework for the discussions that followed, linking the educational dimension of the Youth Camp with local civic engagement and setting the stage for direct collaboration between the German and Italian participants.

A highlight of the day was the preparation of a joint sports programme in a neighbourhood park in Milan. Even though the planned activities had to be spontaneously adapted due to an extended school day for the children, the situation was used creatively: the young people carried out the prepared games themselves and then reflected together on the organisation, methodology and impact.

Whether in German sports clubs or Italian neighbourhood projects, young volunteers take on responsibility, create spaces for physical activity and promote social participation. Despite different national structures, the challenges are similar: limited resources, organisational hurdles and the desire to reach as many children as possible.

Moments like these show that European cooperation does not only take place in politics and associations, but also in the practical cooperation of young people on the ground. Intercultural competence arises through encounters, trust through joint action.

For ENGSO Youth, the particular strength of these exchanges lies in their sustainability. Contacts between young people who are committed to social issues form the basis for long-term partnerships, cooperation projects such as the EUYOUSPORT project – with OPES and dsj involved and focusing on the topic of youth participation – and other joint initiatives in line with European sports and youth policy.

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