SOPROS | Assessing, Evaluating and Implementing Athletes' Social Protection in Olympic Sports
Project Leader
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mittag
Project Coordinator
Maximilian Seltmann M.A.
Project Staff
Lorenz Fiege M.A.
Project Period
January 2023 – December 2025
Project Funding
European Commission, Reference 101090790, Project Card
Updates on the project:
https://twitter.com/SOPROS_Erasmus
In recent years, several cases of issues related to the social protection of elite athletes have made headlines in newspapers and raised critical awareness in the public sphere. Unfortunately, in many cases, these headlines refer to incidents of tragic accidents of elite athletes, but topics like pension payments, health care or maternity protection have also entered the sphere of Olympic elite sport governance. However, recent data of the EMPLOYS project indicate that limitations in social protection is the reality for many athletes in Olympic sports across the continent. Most athlete-centred social protection systems are based on ad-hoc cooperation and coordination between sport governing bodies and public authorities. The actual roles and responsibilities taken by public and private actors in the practical implementation of athletes’ social protection have not yet been precisely defined.
Recent policy initiatives at the transnational and European level have acknowledged the need to increase social protection standards for athletes, for example the Council of Europe in 2021 and the ILO in 2020. Additionally, athletes have increasingly been positioning themselves as key actors of the Olympic movement and demanding greater involvement in decision-making processes that affect their lives both as athletes and human beings. This demonstrates the importance of involving all stakeholders in the elite sport sector that are responsible for the regulation and implementation of athletes’ social protection.
Against this backdrop, the aim of the SOPROS project is to promote integrity and values in sport by assessing, evaluating and implementing athletes’ social protection in Olympic sports. It can be understood as a deepening of the Erasmus+ EMPLOYS project in the area of athletes’ social protection, which is one of six core dimensions of the employment relations of athletes in Olympic sports. It will build on the solid foundation and findings of the EMPLOYS project and take the next steps toward setting a framework for the implementation of concrete actions for athletes in the specific policy field of social protection. The project consortium involves four academic partners involved in the research and study of sport governance, sport politics and sport law, as well as five policy partners with significant expertise in athletes’ employment and social relations.
Overall, the SOPROS project will:
- develop practicable Self-Assessment Tools (one each for athletes, sport governing bodies, and public authorities) to collect unique data about athletes’ social protection in Olympic sports;
- analyse and present this data in an Evaluation Report;
- develop a Manual for the Implementation of Athletes’ Social Protection;
- pilot a process of negotiations in Olympic elite sports and provide analytical and practical insights into its benefits and challenges; and
- host two rounds of National Workshops, one EU-Level Multi-Stakeholder Workshop and three public Conferences.
For more information, please refer to the Project Description and Concept Note.
Academic Partners
- University of Rijeka (Pravi Fakultet Sveucilista u Rijeci), Croatia
- Sport Revoluition Alliance, Portugal
- Edge Hill University, Great Britain
- Institute for Sport Governance, Poland
Policy Partners
- European Elite Athletes Association (EU Athletes), Netherlands
- European Olympic Academies (EOA), Germany
- Association of Sport Employers (EASE), France
Associated Partners
International Labour Organization (ILO), Switzerland
Conferences
Retrospection
On April 8th until 9th, 2024, the SOPROS project team welcomed stakeholders from a variety of countries and organizations to the first public conference of the project. The event, titled "Athletes' Social Protection: Current Solutions and Future Needs", brought together experts and stakeholders from sport governance, politics, and academia to discuss the different approaches toward and future needs of athletes' social protection in European countries.
The conference began with an introduction by Professor Jürgen Mittag to the topic of athletes' rights and welfare as well as to the background and context of the SOPROS project. Maximilian Seltmann, Lorenz Fiege, and Jennifer Edwards then provided a brief overview of the SOPROS project's goals and interim conclusions, as well as presented the Self-Assessment Tools and Toolkits for athletes and stakeholders, which aim to systematically assess the current status quo of national legislation and policies protecting athletes in Olympic sports against social risks. The next steps of the SOPROS project, including the launch of the Tools and Toolkits, the data collection phase, and the future Evaluation Report, were also outlined, and the next conference in Croatia in April 2025 was announced.
Next, Elodie Mangez from the European Association of Sport Employers chaired a panel titled "Solutions and Needs at the National Level." Representatives from the German Bundeswehr (German Federal Armed Forces), independent athletes’ associations (Athleten Deutschland, Union Nationale des Sportifs de Haut Niveau), and the National Olympic Committees of Belgium, Croatia, Germany and Portugal each presented their organization's role in supporting elite athletes, including how it contributes to the development and implementation of social protection measures for elite athletes. The panel also discussed which social protection measures are most crucial for ensuring the safety and security of athletes throughout and after their careers, which other stakeholders they believe should play a significant role in promoting social protection for athletes within their countries, and what potential roles transnational and international entities could play in coordinating and advancing social protection initiatives for athletes.
After lunch, Professor Vanja Smokvina from the University of Rijeka, provided an overview of social dialogue in sport at the European and global levels and how it may serve as tool to raise the level of athletes’ social protection. Professor Smokvina also discussed the possible future of minimum labour standards in sport, and highlighted the importance of coordination and cooperation in working toward that future.
The day concluded with a panel titled "Transnational Perspectives on Athletes' Social Protection", which was chaired by Anna Semenova from EU Athletes. Representatives from the ILO, World Players Association, and the European Olympic Committees presented to what extent their organizations are involved in the development, coordination, or implementation of social protection measures for elite athletes, and evaluated the possibility of transnational coordination and harmonization of athletes’ social protection.
The first SOPROS conference was a valuable source of information and details about the current landscape of athletes' social protection in Europe, and we are extremely grateful to all the panellists and participants who joined us both in Cologne and online to present their organizations, share their first-hand experiences, and ask important questions. This input helps the SOPROS project move closer to its ultimate goal of promoting integrity and values in sport by assessing, evaluating, and implementing athletes’ social protection in Olympic sports.
SOPROS is an Erasmus+ project and runs from January 2023 to December 2025. The SOPROS project team contains both academic and policy partners and is comprised of the German Sport University, Edge Hill University, the University of Rijeka, the Institute for Sport Governance, Sport Evolution Alliance, EU Athletes, the European Association of Sport Employers, European Olympic Academies, and the International Labour Organization.
For more information about the approach and methodology of the SOPROS project, please refer to the Concept Note.
Download the Conference Programme
National Workshops
On June 21, 2023, eleven stakeholders from the German sports landscape met at the German Sport University Cologne for the first of the SOPROS project’s National Workshops. The goal of the National Workshop was twofold: first, to facilitate an exchange of ideas and opinions of the participants regarding the social protection situations of German elite athletes in Olympic sports; and second, to introduce the participants to the Self-Assessment Tools developed as part of the project, and get feedback and comments about the Tools. The workshop group included representatives from the German Federal Military (Bundeswehr), the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Athletes Germany (Athleten Deutschland), the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia (Staatskanzlei NRW), Olympic Training Center Cologne (OSP Köln), Freiburger Kreis, and the North Rhine Athletics Association (Leichtathletik-Verband Nordrhein).
The workshop participants were first introduced to the structure and timeline of the SOPROS project, and made familiar with its goal of assessing athletes’ social protection coverage to identify potential gaps and come up with potential policy recommendations. Next came a lively discussion regarding what types of activities in the field of social protection their organization is currently carrying out, how they estimate the current social protection measures for elite athletes in Olympic sports in Germany and which concrete needs they see, and what types of debates are being held surrounding the topic.
After a short coffee break, the workshop participants were introduced to the Self-Assessment Tools—one Tool for athletes, and one Tool for stakeholders—and walked through the overall concept as well as the back-end design of each Tool. The three components—athletes’ entitlement to statutory and athlete-specific social protection measures, the provision of athlete-specific measures, and athletes’ perception of the level of social protection—were detailed at length. In a second discussion round, participants were asked for their feedback and comments regarding the potential value of the Tools and their intended output, as well as possible challenges regarding the creation and implementation of the Tools.
Both discussion rounds generated valuable information regarding the current challenges and future opportunities in the area of social protection for elite athletes in Olympic sports. Feedback received from the diverse group of stakeholders will undoubtably provide an excellent basis for the next steps of the SOPROS project.
Warsaw, Poland - 4 October 2023
On October 4, 2023, at the office of the Institute for Sport Governance foundation in Warsaw, a workshop on social protection of athletes of Olympic disciplines in Poland was held, led by Dr Paweł Zembura. The workshop is part of the SOPROS project, which aims to better understand and strengthen the social protection of athletes in European countries.
The participants were important stakeholders in the sports sports system in Poland: representatives of the Institute of Sport - the National Research Institute, the Polish Olympic Committee, the Central Military Sports Team, the Polish Sailing Association, the Academic Sports Association and the Capital City of Warsaw. Some other invited stakeholders withdrew right before the event or were preoccupied with other activities.
During the workshops, talks included:
1. current activities in the field of social protection of athletes in Poland;
2. weaknesses of the sports system in Poland in terms of protection of players and their inclusion in decision-making processes;
3. the development of self-assessment tools to help athletes (and stakeholders) better plan and understand their social protection.
The basic characteristic of the sports system in the context of social protection of athletes is the Ministry of Sport and Tourism scholarship system serves as a "base", an instrument that is supposed to "reward" and protect players. Its limited nature, in the context of social protection for athletes, affects their difficult situation. The outcomes of this situation were discussed at the workshop. It turned out that some of the stakeholders have individual mechanisms for (usually ad hoc) support for athletes, and organizations’ representatives are often not aware of other opportunities available to athletes in the system.
Workshop participants believe in the need for "top-down" regulations regarding the increased role of athletes in the sports system, as well as regarding improved social protection of athletes. Bottom-up processes do not work as athletes in the Polish sports system have very little to say - the athletes’ commissions at sports associations act ostensibly and "consultatively", the sport associations also have control over the players, which results from the regulations in the Sports Act, and the players themselves rarely get involved in matters related to decision-making in the sports system (and not on a strategic level).
Lisbon, Portugal - 20 October 2023
A workshop on social protection for Portuguese Olympic sports athletes was held on October 20, 2023, at the Jamor Swimming Pool Complex auditorium in Cruz Quebrada, Lisbon, Portugal. The workshop was organized as a part of the SOPROS project, which aims to improve social protection for athletes in various European countries. The workshop was led by Luiz Haas, Dr. Tiago Ribeiro, and André Calapez.
Representatives of stakeholders in the sports system in Portugal participated in the workshop. The event was attended by organizations such as the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, Sport Foundation Portugal, Olympic Athletes Commission of the Portuguese Olympic Committee, a national sports federation, and an expert in sports law.
During the meeting, the participants discussed several pressing issues affecting athletes, including challenges that extend into both their personal and professional lives. These issues included a lack of legal protections, financial insecurity, dual career balancing, varying sport typologies, and gaps in post-career transition. The lack of legal frameworks and protections for athletes was identified as a significant challenge that needs to be addressed. The group emphasized the need to establish fair treatment and safeguard athletes' rights. The prevalent issues of irregular income and brief career span in sports were also discussed, and the group emphasized the need to formulate strategies to provide athletes with greater financial stability and security. The intricate task of harmonizing sporting careers with education and the pursuit of a second career was identified as another significant challenge that athletes commonly face. Different sports come with distinct needs and requirements for social support. Therefore, tailoring support systems to the specific demands of each sport emerged as a key consideration during the meeting. The transition period after concluding a sports career was identified as a critical phase where athletes often encounter challenges. Participants underscored the importance of establishing robust post-career support systems to help athletes navigate this period more successfully. The first part of the workshop highlighted the necessity of comprehensive and tailored support structures for athletes. Addressing legal, financial, educational, and transitional aspects is crucial for fostering a more sustainable and supportive environment for athletes across diverse sports.
After the coffee break, the participants were introduced to a proposed self-assessment tool designed for athletes and sports organizations. The tool was presented in the context of social security in Olympic sports. The participants shared their initial impressions of the proposed tool. They suggested that the tool should be designed to empower athletes by providing them with a clear understanding of their social rights, taking into consideration their professional situation and context. It is important that the tool provides awareness of specific 'grey areas' where athletes need to focus their efforts. This includes linking the provider of specific rights to the appropriate organization. Participants also suggested that the tool should allow athletes to simulate different situations and personalize their life-plans to improve their social rights and protections.
Edge Hill, United Kingdom - 16 November 2023
The first UK National Workshop was held online on 16 November 2023 and was attended by representatives of UK Sport and the British Elite Athletes Association (BEAA), which
are two key stakeholders in elite sport in the UK. UK Sport is a non-departmental public body, accountable to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) that supports
elite athletes and sports governing bodies to compete and win medals at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The BEAA is the independent representative body for elite athletes. Invitations were also sent to individual sports governing bodies and DCMS, with three organisations confirming that they were unable to attend due to time and resource constraints.
In keeping with the other national workshops, the goal of the UK national workshop was two-fold, namely: to facilitate a discussion on the social protection
measures provided to elite athletes in the UK and to introduce the self-assessment tools that will be developed as part of the SOPROS Project. The workshop commenced with an overview of the project background, such as the findings of the EMPLOYS Project regarding social protection measures and the need for further research into this important area. It introduced the ILO framework upon which the SOPROS Project is based and highlighted the Project’s objectives.
The workshop participants were joined by Mr Jari Lämsä, Chief Specialist of the Finnish Institute for High Performance Sport, who gave a short presentation on the social protection measures extended to elite athletes in Finland. His presentation provided a country comparison and covered the organisation of sport in Finland, the funding provided to Finnish elite athletes, including pension provision, and the Finnish government and elite sport’s focus on strengthening the athletes’ voice and potentially fixing “deficiencies in social, unemployment and pension security for athletes”
After Mr Lämsä’s presentation, the workshop continued with a discussion regarding: the social protection measures that UK Sport and the BEAA implement, promote or recommend for elite athletes; the measures (if any) that each organisation intends to implement, promote or recommend for elite athletes, and if none are currently proposed, the measures that the organisations consider important for elite athletes; and the manner in which social protection measures are introduced e.g., through structured dialogue and/or consultation, and the form that consultation or other dialogue may take.
The workshop concluded with the organisers introducing and seeking feedback regarding the proposed self-assessment tools, and the value these would have in the industry. The participants were enthusiastic about the tools and the value that these would bring to the industry, together with the challenges of engaging athletes and others to use the tools.
Zagreb, Croatia - 21 November 2023
On Tuesday, 21 November 2023, a workshop on the social status of athletes in Olympic sports was held at the headquarters of the Croatian Volleyball Federation in Zagreb. The workshop was organised by the University of Rijeka, Faculty of Law and its Centre for Sports Law, Sports Policies and Sports Diplomacy - the head of the centre and regional coordinator of the project, Assoc. Prof. Vanja Smokvina.
Participants included Tomislav Družak, State Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the Republic of Croatia; Josipa Klišanin, Head of the Labour Sector at the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy of the Republic of Croatia; Biserka Vrbek, prof. Romana Caput Jogunica and Snježana Pejčić on behalf of the Croatian Olympic Committee along with Blanka Vlašić, President of the NOC of CRoatia Athletes' Commission; Frane Žanić, President and Valentina Bifflin, Director of the Croatian Volleyball Federation; Zoran Primorac, President of the Croatian Table Tennis Federation; Luka Jakovčev on behalf of the Croatian Water Polo Federation; athlete Bruno Erent on behalf of the Croatian Athletics Federation; Mario Jurić, President of the Croatian "Football Union"; Marija Anzulović on behalf of the Croatian Olympic Club; Suzana Šop, Secretary General of the Sports Association of the City of Zagreb and Katja Luketić, Secretary of the Sports Association of Primorje - Gorski Kotar County.
The aim of the workshop was to present the SOPROS project to sports stakeholders and athletes, discuss the issue of social and legal status of athletes in Olympic sports in the Republic of Croatia and present the self-assessment tools that the project team members will use to collect data from sports stakeholders in order to draw their conclusions and proposals for improving the status of athletes at the level of the European Union and Member States with the support of partners - the International Labour Organisation (ILO), EU Athletes (Athletes' Associations); EASE (Association of Employers in Sport) and the European Olympic Academies as project partners.
Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.