The project Encouraging giris participation in sports – 2, EGPiS2, was born in the wake of the success ot the nomonymous previous project EGPiS.

In the past 2 years EGPiS project, supported by Erasmus+ and run by ENDAS (IT), Catalca Distrlct Directorate of National Education (TR), thè Cyprus University of Technology (CY), Hranice Development Agency (CZ), Varmsland Sport Federation (SW), The Access to Sport (UK), Mirandela Municipality (PT), has investigated thè barriers that prevent girls from practicing sports and have developed, tested and assessed a common methodology aimed at overcomingthe mentioned barriers.

Amongs the main elements risen, able to keep girls practicing sport both at school and during free time, some have proven to be particularly relevant:

The sport offerì girls requires diversity in the sport choice and practicing, a non-competitive, inclusive and fun approach;

The recruitment and the trainer: girls have expressed the need to find a reliable referee, able to support them during the overall process, from recruiting to final performance; availability, inclusive approach are considered fundamental to be found in a trainer/coach; female coaches are particular welcomed in the recruiting phase;

Peer acceptance and incentives: it is important to work with peers and friends of thè target group selected in order to promote a friendly and supportive environment, ableto create a contagioirs relation and participation to activities; incentives have proved to be winning;

Parents and social contesti it is fundamental to include parents in the whole training path, sensitizingthem on the importance of practicing sport and involving them in the activities. At the same time, especially in multicultural context, it is important to involve social groups in order to share with them the benefits of sport practice.

EGPiS project has mostly focused its attention on the first element, developing pilot projects in 4 Countries (Italy, Turkey, Sweden, Czeck Republic) and developing a structured and assessed methodology that can be found in the final publication of thè project.

EGPiS2 wìll deepen some cruciai aspects that were brought to light from the first project. In detail:

egpìs methodology (gender issues; environment and premises accessibility, sports offer..,);

how to address and involve social groups (family, peer groups, schools, sport clubs…}, with a specific attention to intercultural dialogue;

how to introduce these themes in the training of trainerà and coaches;

how to address the issue of gender policies, in order to promote equal opportunities for girls in sport.

With EGPiS2, the partnership has been extended to other 2 organizations – Bulgarian Sports Development Association (BG) and Latvian Sports Federations Council (LV) and it will work in order to:

keep on investigating thè issues identified, focusing on the above mention elements that were onlyoutlined in the past project, mainly trainers training, methodologies and tools for peers, parents and community involvement;

develop, test and assess an overall strategy for keeping young girls practicing sport, comprehensive of thè new elements identified;

disseminate EGPiS methodology and results in other EU countries, involving new partners in the project.

The project will then develop a collaborative research phase in the 9 countries involved (Italy, UK, Portugal, Czech Republic,

Sweden, Bulgaria, Latvia, Turkey and Cyprus), and will produce the following intellectual outputs:

• – Research on Social Factors Encouraging Girls’ Participation in Sports: an overview on thè new themes addressed, best practices and practical examples
• – Encouraging Girls’ Participation in Sports – Guidelines N. 2: it will include an update on EGPiS methodology and strategies and tools aimed at addressing social factors and gender policies

• – EGPiS2 Tutorials: User-friendly video tutorials aimed to thè various components of thè intended recipients: girls, families, workers, organizers, decision makers and locai administrators

– Encouraging Girls’ Participation in Sports – Training Course: a formative teaching module for trainers and coaches, aimed at testing project fmdings and tools, to be tested in pilot projects in thè participating Countries.

The results of thè pilot phase will be used to assess thè Intellectual Outputs produced; they will thus become a shared and common knowledge available for further use and implementation at European level.