17 Nov 2021 – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made the educational content offered to young athletes during the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) available to the Olympic Movement.

The “YOG Education Programme @ Youth Sporting Events” can now be freely accessed from the IOC website by International Federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and organisers of sports events and championships. The toolkit is free and easy to download for these organisers, who can make use of the whole programme during sports events. The content has been designed specifically for elite young athletes between the ages of 15 and 18 who are eager to learn how to become champions on the field of play and in life.

According to the Olympic Charter, “Olympism is a philosophy of life (…) blending sport with culture and education.” More than a century after the Charter was first published, education remains one of the fundamental pillars of Olympism and the YOG.

Since the YOG Singapore 2010, nearly 10,000 young athletes, plus local young people during the various Games editions, have had access to educational programmes delivered in parallel with the sports competitions.

“With this programme, all sports event organisers can now offer their young athletes a fun, educational and engaging programme that covers the most important topics for this age group: athlete safeguarding, improving performance, and assistance outside sport and with career transition,” said Christophe Dubi, the IOC Olympic Games Executive Director. “This is precisely what makes the Youth Olympic Games so successful. The content is now accessible digitally and is easy to use on site.”

A programme to coach, support and safeguard athletes

The content of the YOG Education Programme @ Youth Sporting Events has been put together under the leadership of the IOC. It contains three areas of focus: athlete protection, performance, and assisting athletes outside sport. The activities are self-explanatory and just need to be downloaded onto a computer or tablet by event organisers. The content is varied and can be tailored to all situations and formats. Athletes can watch videos, download apps with immersive scenarios, take quizzes, play computer games, access online learning platforms, learn about exercises to prevent injuries and even explore various opportunities for a smooth transition from competitive sport into the workplace.

The first section includes content created and produced by the IOC, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Testing Agency (ITA). The “Play True” quiz teaches young athletes how to protect themselves. The Athlete365 videos raise awareness about the importance of athletes taking care of their mental health to be at their very best in sport. “Draw the Line” is another online activity that describes the various forms of harassment and abuse, and the “Believe in Sport” app lets users create their own avatars, placing them in 10 different scenarios involving varying cases of manipulation.

The second section is all about encouraging athletes to stay active, with a focus on fewer injuries, more sport and better performance. The “Get Set – Train Smarter” app offers a series of training exercises tailored to each sport on the Games programme.

The final section gives budding professional athletes education-, training- and career-related advice through tests and online resources developed by Athlete365.

Just a click away for event organisers

Designed for IFs, NOCs and event teams organising youth championships or games, this guide has been developed for them to successfully, easily and economically implement an educational programme before, during and after an event.

Ingmar De Vos, the President of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), said: “I am delighted that young athletes from all over the world can now benefit from this educational programme, and I look forward to rolling it out in the equestrian world. We have a great responsibility to educate the next generation of athletes, to help them succeed on a sporting and human level, support them, and ensure their well-being.”

The toolkit provides practical advice on how to run the activities – such as how to set up a designated area for them. It also contains recommendations for briefing the activity leaders on site, plus all the ingredients needed to stage a well-attended, successful event.

All the activities (resources and links) are free to download to the organisers’ devices and are delivered on site.

All the educational content of the YOG Education Programme @ Youth Sporting Events can be accessed free of charge from the IOC website.