About

the SERVE project.

A brief introduction to the project goals and expected results.

SERVE (№101050341 — SERVE — ERASMUS-SPORT-2021-SCP) is a two years project, co-funded by the EC Erasmus + programme in the field of Sport (2022 – 2024).The project is coordinated by the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation in partnership with the Bulgarian National Sport Academy, the University of Vienna, the Serbian Volleyball Federation and the Croatian Volleyball Federation.

SERVE  is a joint idea of leading European stakeholders in sports and education inspired by the common will to strengthen the recovery and support crisis resilience of the sports and education sectors during and in the aftermath of the COVID 19 pandemic. SERVE is Smart Education Resources in Volleyball Environment. The project is engrained into the general needs of the project participating countries' (PPC) volleyball environments, calling for new policies, practices, and actions for sustainable and perspective volleyball development.

SERVE main objective is to promote education in and through sports and encourage dual career (DC) of athletes by setting up a Trans -European network of three national volleyball sports federations and two leading sports science Universities from 4 European countries to develop, elaborate, test and evaluate a sustainable European educational and training model in Volleyball SERVE to increase skills in grassroots sports, school education and recreational family sports and provide a new dual career path for sports talents. SERVE new model includes elaborating a brand new European sports federation - based comprehensive eLearning program and a mobile application on How to play Volleyball as a hybrid digital tool based on VOLLEY science, data, and media. SERVE program targets grassroots sports club athletes, including 300 children and adolescents 9-19 years of age, 30 volleyball coaches, PE teachers, and students, as well as recreational volleyball players. SERVE will include volleyball sports people from different ages and from diverse cultural, social, and economic backgrounds living in remote areas or facing socio-economic difficulties whereas social inclusion and gender equality principles are embedded in all project activities. SERVE is designed fully in line with the European green policies as foresees the green approach to be applied during the whole project lifecycle.

SERVE eLearning program embraces athletes from 9-19 separated in age target groups, volunteering  coaches and athletes which will take part in Dual Career module. The program will include the following  units:

UNIT 1

Module 1 for athletes aged 9-14 years the focus will be on the main elements of the volleyball game 

and values of sport:

Part 1: The history of Volleyball and rules of the game with animations

Part 2: Main elements in Volleyball game with videos showing skills and interactive quiz

Part 3: Values of sport

Module 2 for athletes aged 15-19 years the content will be more specific including tactical, 

technical and sport science specific content:

Part 1: Sports science behind Volleyball and qualitative biomechanical analysis in the Volleyball game;

Part 2: STEM volleyball;

Part 3: Basic Technical Skills and Basic Tactics;

Part 4: Digital technologies in Volleyball;

Part 5: Team motivation and soft skills development;

Module 3 for volunteering coaches, the content will include opportunities and technologies like 

VR etc. for improving the training in Volleyball:

Part 1: Basic unified methodical instructions on how to train 9 – 14 and 15 – 19 years old players;

Part 2: Digital technologies in analysing and improving the training;

Part 3: Latest trends in Volleyball coaching based on data and sports science;

Part 4: Dual Career skills

UNIT 2

Special DC module: Outdoor education managers basics for schools including 3 parts: 

Part 1: Outdoor education manager for secondary schools: Role & Principals;

Part 2: Basic skills to integrate outdoor education activities in education programs;

Part 3. Life skills through volleyball;

The new eLearning program will be delivered to 300 athletes and 30 coaches in 30 EU volleyball clubs in  PPC, focusing on increasing grassroots sports people education and training skills. SERVE new program,  Unit 1, will be elaborated in 3 modules whereas the first two modules target different aged athletes target  groups and the third module focuses on the coaches. Unit 1 is based on the pre-project extensive study  on the existing Volleyball training club-based programs and the needs of the athletes and coaches. The partnership has evaluated the main strengths and weaknesses of the nowadays training resources and practices in grassroots Volleyball. The existing grassroots training programs are based on the recent  Volleyball sports methodologies and techniques not including latest SCIENTIFIC and BIG DATA  developments, as well as multimedia and digital approach. However, there is an ultimate need to improve  them with new scientific content, holistic athletes’ development approach integrated into an interactive  multimedia eLearning program. 

SERVE specific project objectives are as follows:

1. То explore and disseminate best European practices in integrating digital platforms, tools and apps in  an interactive educational programs to promote and teach volleyball at European schools and sports  clubs;

2. To study, identify, promote and share good practices in DCA (dual career of athletes) at sports  federation and sports club base, more specifically aiming to introduce outdoor education manager’s  competencies to talented sports athletes and to increase outdoor education managers’’ capacities in European grassroots Volleyball. 

3. To elaborate, pilot, disseminate and evaluate an innovative eLearning program in EU volleyball clubs  and schools based on the integration of volleyball sport in physical and science formal and non-formal  education, using the latest innovative sports technologies, gamification, and peer-to-peer learning with  300 athletes and 30 coaches from Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia. To draft a New Volleyball training  guidelines including coaches module at federation base and transfer it among Volleyball federations and  clubs in 3 PPC.

4. To increase the European volleyball sports organizations’ competencies in elaborating DCA programs  based on eLearning education. To raise the awareness of the sports organizations’ employees and  managers in DCA.

5. To draw conclusions from DC pilot actions and draft a Policy Recommendation Report, transferable to  any Volleyball or other interested sport organization (Transferability Plan).

6. To raise the awareness about the importance of studying among talented young volleyball athletes  through STEM Volleyball part in the program, as well as to provide new dual career path for them as  outdoor education managers through SERVE DC module thus promoting the EU Dual career of athletes’  guidelines; 

7. To encourage the cross-sectoral collaboration between EU sports clubs and schools in the integration  of sports in education activities for the students; 

8. To raise digital skill sets, scientific knowledge and social skills of athletes, coaches, students and  teachers, as well as the adolescents’ creative thinking and educational skills through SERVE program and  platform, EUTeen Lab program, and the How to Play Volleyball mobile application.