Save the Dream, a global nonprofit movement established by the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) and Qatar Olympic Committee, recently hosted a special symposium at the 14th ISSP World Congress for Sport Psychology, it was announced.
The event aims to bring together academics, leading international athletes, and practitioners to highlight the positive role that sports psychology can play in promoting sport values to young people around the world.
As part of Save the Dream’s overall mission in promoting and protecting the values of sport in young people, the symposium aims to raise awareness about using sport psychology and to engage and inspire young people around the world through sport, through inspirational stories from leading athletes and ambassadors.
The symposium featured Josefa Idem (Olympic gold medalist in kayak), Honey Thaljieh (first Palestinian female football captain), Alhambra Nievas (the first woman to be chosen as the best rugby referee in the world in 2016), and Arturo Casado (Spanish middle-distance runner and former European 1,500m champion).
The athletes identified several examples of ongoing sport-related programmes that successfully utilise psychological tools to help shape and enhance communities and society.
One programme identified by the panel included the PsyTool project, which is currently being run by the European Union in collaboration with Save the Dream and other key stakeholders.
Thaljieh said: “Sport has a unique ability to shape and transform the lives of young people around the world and by collaborating with the sports psychology community, sports and CSR programmes around the world can engage more young people and inspire lasting change in society through sport.
“Through innovative social projects like PsyTools and by carrying out projects in the field, organisations like the European Union, FIFA, and Save the Dream are making a real difference and proactively shaping the hearts and minds of many young people around the world through the power of sport values.” Save the Dream executive director Massimiliano Montanari said: “As part of our ongoing commitment to promoting and protecting the values of sport to young people around the world, Save the Dream and our growing movement of athletes, ambassadors, global partners, and chapters are committed to actively identifying innovative ways to deliver our projects and initiatives.
“This symposium provided an important opportunity for athletes to highlight with academics and practitioners how sport psychology can instil ethics in young athletes and we are delighted that Save the Dream has been acknowledged for the proactive work it is doing in the field.”
Participants and guests at the special symposium of the 14th ISSP World Congress for Sport Psychology.
