This week marked the end of another sports administration training organised by the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania (LNOC) in cooperation with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Olympic Solidarity. This time, managers were deepening their knowledge with the help of experienced trainers.

“The training on sports administration covers three groups: coaches, managers and advanced professionals. There are some participants who complete one of our trainings and then apply for others. We are delighted that this initiative is really benefiting the participants and contributes to the development of Lithuanian sport.

As the National Olympic Committee, we focus on and care about the athletes and Olympic events. However, we understand that every athlete is surrounded by many people: coaches and physiotherapists, of course, are the closest ones, but there are also the administrative staff who develop the athletes, especially at the beginning of their careers. That is why we try to contribute to the development of sports administrators through various training courses,” said Agnė Vanagienė, the organiser of the training and LNOC Deputy Director for Olympic Sport.  

During the three-day training, 15 sports administrators studied time management, communication, and social media.

“These topics are very important to me as the organisation manager. The knowledge gained will help me work more productively and efficiently in my organisation and improve communication with the community. In addition, we learnt how to prioritize tasks, which is very important for efficiency at work,” said Arnoldas Januškevičius, President of the Lithuanian Blind Sports Federation.

Arnoldas Januškevičius.

Together with experienced trainers ‒ business consultant Lauras Balaiša and marketing expert Dominyka Venciūtė ‒ they not only learnt the theory, but also performed practical tasks.

“As far as the topics are concerned, I could single out time planning and setting priorities. These skills are important to be able to prioritise and get things done. I will also be able to apply in practice the knowledge from the social networking part. I have not been an active user of social networks so far, but I think that will change soon,” said Remalda Kergytė-Dauskurdienė, a marathon runner at the London Olympics, representing Šiauliai Athletics and Wellness Centre.

“In the contemporary world, a lot of our time is consumed by media and social networks. Sometimes we don’t notice how an hour passes by while immersed in them. But we can’t do without them either, therefore it is important to find the balance, to be able to control it, to be able to do everything on time and to get everything done.

Besides, as the trainer said, we Lithuanians as a nation are a bit shy and that often holds us back. We have to act like peacocks sometimes, to be happy and proud of our achievements and accomplishments. I would like to apply this to myself,” said Robertas Vėževičius, midfielder of football club Gargždai Banga.

Robertas Vėževičius.

The LNOC training is not only an opportunity for sports managers to improve their knowledge, but also for athletes to gain competences that could contribute to them aspiring for the next stage of their careers.

“I will take away knowledge that I will try to apply in my future career, not as a football player but rather as a sports manager. I got hooked because sports management is an area where I want to grow. I got more out of this training than I expected. I know that there are also advanced courses planned, and I hope I will be able to attend them if I am selected”, said Robertas Vėževičius.

Together with the IOC Olympic Solidarity, the LNOC organises three sports administration training courses a year. In addition to the training for coaches and managers that has already taken place this year, the LNOC will invite experienced practitioners and senior managers to an advanced training course in August.

The LNOC together with Olympic Solidarity has been organising sports administration training courses for managers since 2014.

Sauliaus Čirbos nuotr.