{"id":7445,"date":"2022-08-21T02:19:30","date_gmt":"2022-08-21T02:19:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/akademija.unisport.hr\/o-akademiji\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T11:44:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T11:44:16","slug":"about-academy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/akademija.unisport.hr\/en\/about-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"About Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Volunteering has always been an integral part of sports systems, starting from smaller non-profit organizations (clubs) that are initiated and run by volunteers, to umbrella sports organizations that would not be able to organize major sporting events and manifestations without the help of volunteers.<\/p>

The Croatian Academic Sports Federation (HASS) is particularly dedicated to its volunteer program, which operates throughout the entire year and has, for many years, been developing high-quality personnel who are part of the HASS family.<\/p>

Inspired by FISU\u2019s program FISU Student Ambassadors and Volunteers & Leadership Academy (FVLA), in which representatives of HASS and Croatia have participated every year since its inception in 2017, and based on experience in implementing volunteer programs at more than twenty major international sports competitions, work was diligently carried out in 2022 to prepare a national volunteering and leadership academy called UniSport ViLA.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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History of ViLA<\/h2><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The European Universities Games Zagreb \u2013 Rijeka 2016, held from July 12 to 25, 2016, achieved significant success in the field of organizing and executing sporting events in Croatia. The Games began with an opening ceremony in Zagreb, which was watched by around 9,000 spectators and broadcast live on Croatian national television (HRT). However, for the volunteers themselves, the program started much earlier.<\/p>

The volunteer program, originally named “Students for Students”, meant much more to many participants than just a name or a number on paper. It brought together 1,441 interested volunteers, who began their involvement in April 2015 in organizing the largest multi-sport event in Europe in 2016. Their dedication and invaluable contribution are confirmed by an impressive 110,296 volunteer hours completed (from April 2016 to November 2017).<\/p>

From the very beginning, volunteers were included in various organizational processes in order to improve their skills, develop their own sports values, and gain new professional knowledge needed for working in an organizational team. Beyond the impressive numbers, filled-out surveys, media articles, and countless photos and videos that still bring a lump to the throat of every participant, the true value and long-term impact of this volunteer program are confirmed by its main actors. The personal stories of volunteers testify to the significance of the program in the lives of both the volunteers and their team leaders.<\/p>

This program proved that it is possible to involve a large number of volunteers in continuous 20-day activities in two different cities; that it is possible to engage university students, high schoolers, older elementary students, working adults, retirees, parents, and children \u2014 all in the same project through sport. That it is possible to unite all generations with the same goal: personal and social development.<\/p>

And don\u2019t forget the motto of the Games \u2013 \u201cThe heart believes, the mind achieves!\u201d
According to their own experience, the ESI 2016 volunteers adapted it to:
\u201cThe heart believes, the volunteer achieves!\u201d \u2013 and we wholeheartedly and proudly agree with that!<\/p>

The Association of the European Universities Games Zagreb \u2013 Rijeka 2016 was awarded the National Award for the implementation of this volunteer program. As a legacy for new generations, we have left behind an academy where anyone can develop their skills.<\/p>

The first Volunteer Academy, which brought together 40 participants, was held in spring 2023, and after five weeks of online education and practical assignments, participants had the opportunity to volunteer at the largest sporting event of the Croatian Academic Sports Federation \u2013 UniSport Finals 2023.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Goals of ViLA <\/h2><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Knowledge and experience will be implemented into this academy with the aim of educating young people interested in a career in sports and sports management, as well as encouraging the growth of the number of volunteers in sports. We aim to encourage further development of the volunteer base in order to bring together all sports volunteering opportunities in one place, and to continue the tradition of well-organized sports projects that focus on volunteers. ViLA is envisioned as a hub for connecting organized sports volunteering programs, where both organizers and volunteers can enhance their skills and share experiences.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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What will the participants learn?<\/h2><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Through general and specialized event management workshops volunteers will gain fundamental knowledge about organizing large international sports events, volunteering as an integral part of these events, and will have the opportunity to actively participate in organizing events run by the Croatian Academic Sports Federation. The lecturers will be individuals with significant experience in leadership positions within sports management, and the workshops will take place over a period of six months.<\/p>

Volunteers affiliated with UniSport HR have been successfully participating in the organization of sports events throughout Croatia for many years. In addition to events like EuroBasket, Davis Cup, the European and World Handball Championships, the European University Games, and other European and World university championships, in 2022 our volunteers also took part in the European Water Polo Championship in Split. It is important to note that not only did our volunteers participate in this fantastic event, but the UniSport HR team, upon invitation from the Croatian Water Polo Federation, was actively involved in the complete organization and execution of the\u00a0championship.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Volunteering has always been an integral part of sports systems, starting from smaller non-profit organizations (clubs) that are initiated and run by volunteers, to umbrella sports organizations that would not be able to organize major sporting events and manifestations without the help of volunteers. 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