Play for Life kick-off meeting: coordination, roles and official project launch

In January 2026, the partners of the Play for Life – PFL project met online for the official Kick-off Meeting, marking the beginning of the project activities.

The meeting represented the first formal coordination moment of the partnership and was essential to create a shared operational framework among the organisations involved.

During the meeting, the partners discussed the general objectives of Play for Life, the role of sport in preventing youth substance abuse and the expected contribution of each organisation. The discussion helped all partners align around the same educational and social mission: supporting young people through sport and strengthening the role of sport youth workers as positive reference figures.

A central part of the meeting was dedicated to the project work plan. The partners reviewed the timeline, the main activities, the expected results and the responsibilities connected to each phase of implementation.

The meeting also allowed the consortium to define the internal coordination methods. The partners agreed on communication channels, monitoring procedures, document-sharing tools and decision-making processes. This was an important step to ensure transparent cooperation and smooth implementation during the following months.

Another key topic was the preparation of the future transnational activities. The partners started discussing the structure of the first in-person meeting, which would focus on training, workshops and laboratories connected to youth substance abuse prevention through sport.

The kick-off meeting also gave the partners the opportunity to reflect on the educational framework of the project. The consortium started to define how the future Play for Life Method, the advocacy campaign and the practical tools would be developed.

This first meeting was not only an administrative step, but also a moment of shared vision. It helped the partnership build a common language and clarify how each organisation would contribute to the success of the project.

At the end of the meeting, the partners had a clearer roadmap, defined responsibilities and a common understanding of the next steps.

With the January 2026 kick-off meeting, Play for Life officially started its European journey, based on cooperation, education and the belief that sport can become a powerful tool to prevent youth substance abuse.