Over 70 Croatian Coaches Attended the Second Day of the Croatian Olympic Committee’s Education on Safe Sport Environments

After the first day, which was marked by the participation of over 100 athletes, the second day focused on education for coaches, attracting more than 70 participants.

In the opening remarks, Neven Šavora, Director of the Croatian Olympic Committee’s Office for National Sports Federations and Development Programmes, and Morana Paliković Gruden, initiator of the project and President of the Committee’s Gender Equality in Sport Commission, invited the coaches to contribute to the project with their ideas and proposals. Four lectures followed, delivered by distinguished experts closely connected to the thematic area.

The second day began with a lecture by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zrinka Greblo Jurakić from the Department of Psychology at the Faculty of Croatian Studies in Zagreb, on the topic “Safe Sport – The Foundation of Athletes’ Personal and Professional Development.” Like the day before with the athletes, she first highlighted both the positive and negative effects of sport, stressing that the imperative of results must never come at the expense of athletes’ well-being. Speaking about the types of violence and their potential consequences, she conveyed the message that only a safe sporting environment can lead to top-level performance. She concluded by encouraging coaches to familiarize themselves with the rights and mechanisms for protection against all forms of violence.

The Ombudsperson for Children, Helenca Pirnat Dragičević, and clinical psychologist Ella Selak Bagarić, Head of the Youth Health Centre, presented on the topic “Recognising Violence Among Athletes – Cyberbullying and Sexual Violence.” As coaches are defined as key bearers of culture, safety, and dignity in sport, the lecture aimed to motivate, encourage, and empower them to actively contribute to building sports environments that are developmentally stimulating, emotionally safe, and legally compliant for children and youth. During the presentation, an anonymous survey was conducted on the biggest risks to children's safety in sport. The answers were very concrete: incompetent coaches, peer violence, overambitious parents, pressure from coaches and parents to achieve results, and exhausted coaches who also serve as drivers on long trips...

Dr. Igor Jukić, Director of the Centre for Research and Development of Elite Sports Preparation, spoke on the dual role of the coach: “The Sports Coach – Provider and Seeker of Protection.” Regarding the relationship with athletes, he laid out an “evolutionary” process: person – athlete – player – winner. He pointed out that the increasing number of competitions today is reducing training time, posing a threat to athletes’ health, and noted that a more democratic coaching style (even if less popular in practice) can result in fewer injuries. He emphasized communication and striving for harmony as the foundation of everything. He concluded that coaches also have the right to a safe environment, free from social pressure and pressures from fans, parents, and journalists.

The two-day education concluded with a lecture by mental coach Sandra Đurijanček titled “Recognising and Coping With Stress and Pressure to Achieve Results.” After introducing the coaches to mental training, types and consequences of stress, circles of control, focus, and intensity, she offered many useful tips. She emphasized the importance of setting attainable goals that can gradually increase; supporting athletes with praise even for small improvements; and encouraging and motivating them towards further goals without creating pressure. Since mistakes are a natural part of the process and performance can never be 100% all the time, she advised avoiding critical tones in communication and instead using recap-oriented language: What could have been done better?

The Zagreb education “Safe Sport Days – A Place Where Conversation Begins” is just the beginning of the Croatian Olympic Committee’s long-term project to create a safe sporting environment and new standards in Croatian sport.