Conference - Fair Play Generation

On the first Monday in April, the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic hosted a conference entitled "Fair Play Generation." The introduction was given by Markéta Pluhařová, founder and director of the registered institute "Trénujeme s respektem" (We Train with Respect). She presented a dense sociological analysis to more than a hundred participants, including data and trends relating to the number of children born and children participating in sports, with a bleak outlook for 2030. Her evocative description of the behavior of Generation Z and Generation Alpha, their level of perceptiveness, value systems, ability to interact, and other circumstances directly or indirectly affecting the work of coaches, clubs, associations, and parents' approach to sports education provoked a number of questions. A significant part of them focused on the current phenomenon of creating positions dealing with so-called safeguarding. This was the main topic of most parts of the conference program, which was divided into three parts. Safeguarding (a Czech equivalent has been sought but not yet found) is about creating and maintaining a safe environment for young athletes and facilitating communication about undesirable phenomena that permeate life in general and, of course, sports. More than a dozen speakers, moderated and led by Barborka Černošková, offered interesting stories, instructions, and topics for further discussion. The reasonable length of the entire program made it possible to address important appeals and take away what was needed from the conference: ideas, topics, and inspiration.