PrePLAY – multinational doping prevention project.
On 27-28 January 2015 representatives of the NADOs of Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, and Croatia and the Maltese Olympic Committee as well as representatives from the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organisations and the German Olympic Sports Confederation have met in Adergas, Slovenia, for the kick-off meeting of “prePLAY”.
“prePLAY” is a multinational doping prevention project initiated by the Slovenian Anti-Doping Organisation (SLOADO), which – in collaboration with organizations from four other European countries – will be implemented in Slovenia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, and Croatia. The main purpose of “prePLAY” is the creation of a transnational network of young athletes who have knowledge about anti-doping and who act as anti-doping ambassadors for the fight against doping in sport. The innovative aspects of this doping prevention project are the focus on grassroots-level sport, the transfer of knowledge through anti-doping ambassadors, the peer-to-peer character of the project, the focus on education to prevent the use of doping, and the opportunity for retired young athletes to act as anti-doping ambassadors.
Because of its multinational character and its emphasis on peer-to-peer education, “prePLAY” is one of 20 sport projects that has successfully applied for funds from the Erasmus+ program, which is an EU programme for education, training, youth and sport. In the field of sport, Erasmus+ provides financial support for several opportunities, including collaborative partnerships, non-profit European sports events, and actions that strengthen the evidence base for policy-making.
During the two-day meetings in Adergas, the “prePLAY” project team talked about the timetable and milestones of the two-year project and how it will be implemented in the participating countries. Major activities in 2015 will be the recruitment and initial training of the anti-doping ambassadors in each of the project countries as well as a joint education camp for all ambassadors in Slovenia in June. In 2016 the focus will then be on doping-prevention and awareness-raising activities and the organization of a Play True Day in each of the five countries.
