From Awareness to Action: BTBC Partners Meet in Madrid for the Transnational Training Meeting

BREAK THE BULLY CYCLE (BTBC) is a project co-funded by the European Union.

On 29 September 2026, the partners of BTBC – Break the Bully Cycle met in Madrid, Spain, for the project’s Transnational Training Meeting, an important step in turning the objectives of the project into practical tools, shared approaches and concrete actions for safer and more inclusive sport environments.

The meeting brought together 16 participants, four from each partner organisation: ASD Sparta Calcio from Italy, Brainstorming from Spain, Sportsroom from Bulgaria and YMCAROMA from Italy.

Young athletes, coaches and staff from the participating organisations worked together through training sessions, workshops, discussions and practical activities focused on bullying prevention, inclusion and the role of coaches and sport organisations in supporting young people.

Understanding bullying: from the classroom to the sports field

The first part of the meeting focused on understanding what bullying really means and how it can appear in sport.

Participants explored different forms of bullying, including physical, verbal, psychological and online bullying, starting from data and examples related to the European context.

Particular attention was given to the dynamics that can develop inside a group or a sports team.

A joke, a conflict, an act of exclusion and bullying are not always the same thing. Learning to recognise the differences is therefore essential for coaches and sports staff who work with young people every day.

Through real-life situations, group discussions and simulations, participants reflected on the signs that can help identify problematic behaviours and on the psychological and social impact bullying can have on young athletes.

Recognise, react and support

Understanding bullying is only the first step.

The second challenge is knowing how to react when something happens.

During the training, participants worked on different scenarios and discussed the actions a coach or sports organisation can take when faced with bullying, exclusion or difficult group dynamics.

The workshops encouraged participants to ask practical questions:

What do we notice?

What should we do immediately?

How can we support the young person involved?

And what should happen afterwards?

Through role-playing and collaborative work, participants explored intervention strategies aimed at protecting young people while also preventing situations from escalating.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of having clear and shared procedures inside sports organisations, so that coaches and staff do not have to improvise when facing sensitive situations.

Sport for everyone: recognising and breaking down barriers

The Madrid meeting also looked beyond bullying itself.

Creating safe sport environments also means ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate.

Participants explored some of the barriers that can limit access to sport for vulnerable groups, including young people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, people with disabilities and young people with different cultural or ethnic backgrounds.

The groups worked together to identify physical, organisational and communication barriers and to explore possible ways of making sports activities more accessible and inclusive.

The aim was not simply to discuss inclusion as a principle, but to understand how it can influence the everyday organisation of training sessions, communication, facilities and team activities.

Inclusion and respect in action

Inclusion was then brought directly into practice through cooperative activities, group exercises and problem-solving.

Participants reflected on how games and sports activities can be adapted to encourage participation, empathy and collaboration rather than exclusion.

The activities showed how even small changes in the way a coach organises a game, creates teams, communicates instructions or manages competition can influence the experience of young athletes.

Sport can therefore become a powerful space for learning how to cooperate with others, respect differences and build positive relationships.

Coaches as empathetic leaders

Another important focus of the meeting was the role of coaches and sports educators as leaders.

Working with adolescents means dealing with a period characterised by significant emotional, social and personal changes.

For this reason, technical knowledge alone is not enough.

Coaches also need the ability to listen, communicate, manage conflicts and understand the needs of young people.

Participants explored the concept of empathetic leadership, discussing strategies that can help create positive team environments where young athletes feel respected, supported and able to express themselves.

Through practical situations and group reflection, the workshop encouraged coaches and staff to consider how their communication and behaviour can influence the wider dynamics of a team.

Looking at the future of sport

The final part of the training connected the BTBC approach with two other important dimensions of contemporary sport: digital innovation and sustainability.

Participants explored digital tools that can support coaches in monitoring activities and athletes' progress, while also reflecting on how technology can improve the organisation and efficiency of training.

At the same time, the workshop introduced practical approaches for reducing the environmental impact of sports activities, from more sustainable organisational choices to the use of reusable and eco-friendly materials.

The discussion showed how safer and more inclusive sport can also be smarter and more sustainable sport.

From Madrid to local sports communities

The Transnational Training Meeting was not only an opportunity to learn.

It was a space to exchange experiences, compare different perspectives and build a common approach between organisations from three European countries.

The methods, reflections and activities developed during the meeting will now support the next stages of BTBC and the local activities that the partners will implement within their own communities.

The goal is to transfer what was shared in Madrid into the everyday work of sports clubs, reaching coaches, staff, young athletes and local stakeholders.

Because breaking the bullying cycle does not depend on one single workshop or one single organisation.

It starts by creating a shared culture in which sport becomes a place where every young person can feel safe, included, respected and supported.