The promotion of school sports by ISF through its international events is no longer confined solely to playing fields and stadiums; it now also encompasses the transmission of knowledge through workshops, catering to both young athletes and adults alike.

Children must have the necessary education  about safeguarding in sport and antidoping

Given ISF's role in promoting school sports and bringing together thousands of young individuals during major international sports events, it has become imperative for ISF to raise awareness among youth about crucial topics, such as safeguarding in sport and antidoping. Indeed, the concept of safeguarding, which involves protecting both adults and young individuals who could be hurt emotionally or physically, as well as antidoping issues, are pressing concerns in the realm of sports, even within the school environment.

ISF firmly believes that children possess and must have the inner resources to understand, identify, and respond to negative behaviors such as racism, gender inequality, violence, and abuse through these workshops. The challenge for ISF is finding the right way to convey difficult ideas and present complex topics to young individuals so they can comprehend and effectively address these problems. Raising awareness among participants and enabling them to share their knowledge with peers in their home countries are also key elements of the program.

Thus, during this year's WSC Football in Rabat, Morocco, and U15 Gymnasiade in Rio de Janeiro, athletes from around the world had the opportunity to attend workshops delivered over the course of the competition days by several  experts in anti-doping and safeguarding, including the ISF Integrity Committee Chair Sophie Bordet and ISF Anti-Doping expert Ms. Renata Kopczyk.

Whoever said that acquiring knowledge is reserved only for the young?

The ISF Academy has recently taken on another challenge: to train Physical Education teachers, giving them the opportunity to update their knowledge and learn new teaching skills related to certain sports. During the WSC Football Morocco 2023, the ISF Academy, in partnership with FIFA Football for School, organized a workshop aimed at providing pedagogical tools and innovative exercises to better engage young individuals in football and develop life skills through the sport. This workshop, a resounding success, brought together 80 PE teachers from Morocco and 70 coaches from 30 different countries who eagerly participated in the event.

This initiative continued in Brazil during the U15 Gymnasiade Brazil 2023: the ISF Academy organised in collaboration with three International Sports Federation, namely UWW, FIBA and BWF, a series of courses for physical education teachers from the Rio De Janeiro community.

Over the week of the competitions, more than 60  physical education teachers participated in three workshops: the BWF Badminton Course featuring the Shuttle Time program, the UWW  Workshop with the outstanding Wrestle4Fun program, and the FIBA Workshop.

Through these educational programs, ISF strongly believes in the importance of these moments of exchange and sharing, designed for both children and adults, providing the right steps to develop school sports and their values worldwide.