This focus group discussion is part of the YouthSportCV project, a European initiative designed to bridge the gap between athletic development and employability.
Introduction: Where Sport Meets Professional Development
In Athens, at the headquarters of the Greek Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, the YouthSportCV focus group discussion took place. Ten people- coaches from different sports, teachers, parents, and a young athlete- gathered to share their perspectives on how sport develops the soft skills young people need to succeed not just on the field, but in life and work.
For Greece, one of three pilot countries in this project, this discussion turned out to be extremely interesting, telling from the interest all participants showed, their interaction and the various information and insights they exchanged during the session.
Who Was in the Room?
The focus group, conducted according to the YouthSportCV methodology developed by EUSA Institute, brought together a diverse group of stakeholders:
- 3 individual sports coaches
- 3 team sports coaches
- 2 physical education teachers
- 1 parent
- 1 youngster (former athlete)
The discussion took place in a circle layout, deliberately arranged to facilitate equal participation and open dialogue and lasted 90 minutes. The session was moderated and facilitated by Michalis Nochos and Theodora Alexandropoulou from the General Secretariat of Sports, Department of International Affairs, EU Policies, Olympic Matters, Sports and Cultural Promotion.
The Greek Ministry has a critical role in youth sport development. Beyond policy-making, the Ministry is responsible for developing and overseeing Coaching Schools. These schools provide scientific and practical knowledge in coaching, sports nutrition, physiology, and psychology, and successful completion provides the legal license to practice as a coach in Greece.
The Core Insight: Coaches Are Educators First
What emerged almost immediately from the discussion was this notable statement: coaches are educators, not just technical trainers.
The participants emphasised that soft skills are undoubtedly important for young people’s character and personality development, and they will play a significant role in the job market. But more than that, they stressed something that often goes unrecognised in sport: The coach, apart from the sporting expertise, is a pedagogue who cultivates personalities and completes a young person’s personal character. The coach often takes over the role of a psychologist and has multiple functions and responsibilities towards his/her athletes in the sporting environment.
The coaches in the room spoke candidly about the realities of their work, managing different personalities, handling team losses, navigating tensions between athletes, and responding to discipline issues. They talked about banning athletes from training with others or excluding them from games when behaviour required intervention. They mentioned parents’ lack of concern despite coaches’ efforts to help.
These weren’t just coaching challenges. These were educational and developmental challenges, moments where coaches were shaping character, teaching responsibility, and building resilience.
What Skills Matter Most? The Ranking Exercise
When the group engaged in the ranking exercise, identifying the top 3 skills for sporting success versus the top 3 for employability, there was significant overlap, but also important distinctions.
- For Sporting Success:
Discipline emerged as fundamental. “Discipline reflects the athlete’s ability to learn the importance of responsibility, set goals, remain committed, respect rules and follow a consistent path of effort and improvement. Discipline teaches athletes that success is the result of continuous work, patience and the ability to overcome challenges and setbacks.”
Leadership was the second priority: “It is developed through cooperation, teamwork and the shared pursuit of common objectives. Sport encourages individuals to take initiative, communicate effectively, inspire others and make decisions under pressure.”
Self-confidence/Self-esteem- rounded out the top three: “This skill is strengthened as athletes recognise their progress, overcome difficulties and discover their own abilities. Sport provides opportunities for individuals to challenge themselves, build confidence in their skills and develop a positive perception of their personal value.”
- For Employability:
Interestingly, Discipline appeared again as the number-one skill, but with a workplace emphasis: “A key element for professional success, as it enables employees to remain focused, organised, committed to their duties, be consistent and reliable, respect the deadlines and maintain high standards of performance.”
Responsibility took second place: “A responsible employee understands his role within an organisation, respects commitments and contributes positively to the achievement of common objectives. Responsibility also involves accountability, ethical behaviour, cooperation with colleagues and the willingness to learn from both successes and mistakes.”
Goal-setting completes the employability trio: “It is essential for personal and professional development, as it helps individuals define clear objectives and create effective strategies to achieve them. In workplace environments, this skill supports productivity, problem-solving and long-term career growth.”
Other skills mentioned as valuable included communication, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving, but after exchanging views and experiences, participants concluded that the three they identified were most universally applicable across professions. Discipline appears as the common bridge between sport and the workplace, showing how values cultivated through sport participation can later be transferred into professional and social contexts.
The Real Problem: How Do You Measure Growth?
When the conversation turned to the challenges of assessing soft skills, the group identified a problem that goes to the heart of why YouthSportCV exists. “Sport performance is easy to measure; personal development is much harder to capture.”
This statement, captured during the focus group, became one of the key arguments supporting the entire project.
Some of the barriers noted were: lack of standardised assessment methods, Time constraints, Cultural gaps, and the need for collaboration.
The participants arrived at a shared conclusion: there is a critical need for “a simple, reliable and commonly accepted assessment tool that can recognise and validate the soft skills acquired through sport and make them visible for future educational and professional opportunities.”
This is exactly what the YouthSportCV project is building.
What the YouthSportCV Platform Needs to Do
When asked what features would make the YouthSportCV Platform valuable, participants were clear and practical. They emphasised that the tool must be: Simple and accessible, Multi-perspective assessment, focused on real-world connection and Inclusive of support networks.
What This Means for the YouthSportCV Project
The Greece focus group discussion revealed that coaches already understand soft skills’ value. They just don’t have tools to recognise and validate them.
What they need is exactly what YouthSportCV is building: a practical platform that:
– Makes these skills visible
– Validates them formally
– Helps young people (especially NEETs) understand their own career value
A Final Thought from the Discussion
“The role of sport and especially the role of the coach goes beyond performance and results. Coaches are not only responsible for developing better athletes, but also for supporting young people in becoming more responsible, self-aware and prepared for future challenges in life and the workplace.”
This is the heart of the YouthSportCV project. It’s not about claiming that sport is the solution to youth unemployment. It’s about recognising what sport already does and giving young people the tools to claim it, value it, and use it.
Every time an athlete overcomes failure, demonstrates discipline, supports a teammate, takes responsibility, or shows up ready to work, they’re developing skills that matter. The YouthSportCV project is focused on helping them see it, name it, and use it.