🌈 TRANSPORTACTION! transnational meeting: learning, cooperation and inclusion in sport

The Erasmus+ Sport project TRANSPORTACTION! reached an important milestone with the implementation of its Transnational Meeting in Portugal, bringing together the partner organisations from Italy, Spain and Portugal for a shared training and cooperation experience.

The meeting represented a key step in the development of the project, which aims to strengthen the competences of grassroots sport organisations in welcoming and including transgender, gender diverse and intersex people in daily sport practice. Through training, exchange of experiences and collaborative work, the partners continued to build a common European approach to make sport environments safer, more respectful and more accessible for everyone.

🤝 A meeting focused on learning, cooperation and practical work

The Transnational Meeting was designed as a practical and participatory moment of the project. During the meeting, participants were involved in different training and workshop activities aimed at connecting theoretical knowledge with concrete tools for sport organisations.

The activities carried out included:

✅ Training session on gender identity and inclusion in sportParticipants explored key concepts related to gender identity, transgender, gender diverse and intersex people, and the importance of creating safe and respectful sport environments.

✅ Discussion on stereotypes and barriers in grassroots sportThe partners reflected on the stereotypes, cultural resistance and lack of knowledge that can limit the participation of transgender, gender diverse and intersex people in sport.

✅ Workshop on inclusive communicationParticipants worked on how coaches, instructors and sport managers can use respectful language, inclusive communication and welcoming practices in daily interactions with athletes.

✅ Workshop on the management of common spacesThe meeting included a practical reflection on how sport organisations can manage spaces such as changing rooms, reception areas and training environments in a way that respects privacy, safety and dignity.

✅ Laboratory on adapted training practicesThe partners discussed how functional training and weightlifting activities can be adapted to different needs, physical conditions and personal experiences, without losing safety, quality and motivation.

✅ Group work on future educational materialsParticipants contributed to the development of the project’s future learning resources, including contents for the e-learning platform, glossaries, infographics, educational papers and practical tools for grassroots sport organisations.

🧠 Understanding barriers to inclusion in sport

One of the central themes of the meeting was the need to recognise how stereotypes, lack of knowledge and cultural resistance can affect the participation of transgender, gender diverse and intersex people in sport.

Grassroots sport organisations are often the first point of access to physical activity, socialisation and community life. For this reason, they have a strong educational and social responsibility. However, many coaches, trainers and sport managers do not always have the tools to respond properly to the needs of people with different gender identities.

Through the activities carried out during the meeting, participants reflected on how sport can become either a space of exclusion or a powerful tool for inclusion, depending on the awareness, language, practices and decisions adopted by the organisations involved.

🛠️ From training to practical tools

The Transnational Meeting also contributed to the development of the project’s educational materials and e-learning contents. Participants started working on resources that will later become part of the TRANSPORTACTION! learning platform, including educational papers, self-assessment quizzes, glossaries, infographics and practical tools for sport organisations.

These materials will support coaches, instructors and gym managers in understanding key concepts related to gender identity, inclusive communication, respectful interaction, management of common spaces and adaptation of training practices.

The aim is not only to raise awareness, but to provide concrete and replicable instruments that can be used by sport organisations beyond the project partnership.

🇪🇺 A European partnership for inclusive sport

The meeting also strengthened the cooperation between the three partner organisations: ASD CrossFit Montesacro from Italy, DESES-3 from Spain and DESI – Associação Desporto para a Educação e Saúde from Portugal.

Each organisation brought its own experience, local perspective and knowledge of sport as a tool for education, inclusion and community development. This exchange is one of the most important elements of TRANSPORTACTION!, because it allows the project to combine different contexts and approaches while working towards a shared objective: making grassroots sport more inclusive, safe and welcoming.

🚀 Next steps

After the Transnational Meeting, the partners will continue working on the development of the e-learning platform and the educational contents. The next phase of the project will focus on preparing the Local Meetings, where the methodologies and tools developed at transnational level will be tested and shared within the local communities of each partner organisation.

TRANSPORTACTION! will continue to promote a culture of respect, inclusion and equality in sport, supporting grassroots organisations in becoming active agents of social change.

The project confirms a simple but essential idea: sport can truly include everyone, but inclusion requires awareness, training, responsibility and concrete action.