InYA – Invisible Young Athletes: Key Findings Report (Project Deliverable)

This Zenodo record is a project deliverable from the Erasmus+ project Invisible Young Athletes (InYA) (101134379; ERASMUS-SPORT-2023-SSCP). It summarises key findings from the scientific manuscript “Invisible Young Athletes: What About Them?”, submitted to the journal Socialno delo and currently under peer review. The full manuscript text is not publicly available at this stage.

Structured interviews were conducted with 42 participants from inclusive judo clubs in Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia (13 judoka, 12 parents, 13 coaches, 4 experts). Eleven interview questions were grouped into five thematic domains and analysed using a combined deductive–inductive thematic approach.

Key findings: (1) friendships, feeling accepted and belonging are primary motivators for participation and persistence in judo; (2) inclusive judo is perceived as a safe space and often as a “last chance” after negative experiences in other sports; (3) smaller groups, individualised and playful teaching, and realistic non-exclusive expectations are emphasised; (4) programmes can rebuild self-esteem, social networks and physical literacy; (5) access to inclusive programmes and information remains uneven and is shaped by result-oriented funding and allocation of facilities; (6) long-term impact requires stable funding, systematic coach education, recognition of non-competitive pathways, and better visibility of inclusive programmes in policy and practice.

Related output (video): A 10-minute video produced during the InYA Inclusive Sports Camp (21–28 June 2025, Slovenia; 22 participants from Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia) documenting inclusive sport practice and the role of the coach and support companions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfwxEszQ1Jg 

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