The international project New Miracle on women’s leadership in sport initiated by the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania (LNOC) has reached its final stage. This week, more than 100 participants gathered in five European countries for the final session of the national training.
“This project is our unique initiative, born out of a perceived shortage of female professionals in leadership positions in sports management. We are facing this challenge not only in Lithuania, it is rather a global question that is increasingly being asked in the International Sports Arena.
I hope that this project has provided the participants with knowledge and skills that will not only inspire them, but also help them achieve high career goals,” said Agnė Vanagienė, one of the organisers of the project and Deputy Director of the LNOC Olympic Sport.
I hope that this project has provided the participants with knowledge and skills that will not only inspire them, but also help them achieve high career goals,” said Agnė Vanagienė, one of the organisers of the project and Deputy Director of the LNOC Olympic Sport.
The National Olympic Committees of Italy, Latvia, Estonia and Slovakia have also joined the Lithuanian initiative. In preparation for this project, a free training programme has been created as well as an exclusive mentoring platform for aspiring femaile sports managers where project participants have the opportunity to get advice from experienced colleagues and improve their collaboration skills.
“I am very happy to have had the opportunity to participate in this training. Here, not only did I deepen my knowledge in areas such as communication, leadership, strategic thinking, or find answers to the questions I raised for myself, but also, most importantly, I had the opportunity to share my experience, questions, concerns, everyday challenges and find solutions together with other participants from different organisations.
I think this made it clear to everyone that we are not alone in the challenges facing us, but we also gained new insights and ideas among like-minded people. This training was a great opportunity to broaden our horizons and inspire us to move forward and continue to achieve our goals,” said Alisa Česnulevičiūtė, Secretary General of the Lithuanian Volleyball Federation.
Alisa Česnulevičiūtė (Sauliaus Čirbos nuotr.).
During the two days of training this week, the project participants have been gaining more knowledge about project management. Together with the experienced business consultant Lauras Balaiša, they not only studied the theoretical side of the topic, but also performed a useful practical task.
“Working in groups, the participants were tasked with creating a project for a sports club, from the organisation’s strategy, to the planned turnover, to the visual identity and marketing plan. We are delighted that they have gained the necessary knowledge during the project and have been able to creatively tackle this task. It was very interesting to listen to the presentations of this project,” said Ms Vanagienė.
Agnė Vanagienė (Sauliaus Čirbos nuotr.).
Sports managers from sports federations, clubs and organisations who participated in the initiative also had the opportunity to consult with experienced colleagues. LNOC sports administrators with many years of experience were among the experts who became mentors. . Agnė Vanagienė is one of the mission leaders of the Lithuanian Olympic teams and Vaida Mačianskienė, the LNOC’s Director of Foreign Relations, is well acquainted with the activities of not only Lithuanian but also foreign sports organisations.
In early October, the final international session will be held in Vilnius, with the attendance of selected participants from all five countries participating in the initiative.
