The TENNIS CHALLENGE FOR THE BALKANS project aims to address the limited cross-border cooperation and exchange opportunities among youth tennis players and their coaches in the Visegrad and Western Balkan regions. Despite the strong sporting traditions in these countries, there is a lack of structured initiatives that support the development of both athletic and personal competencies of young tennis talents through international collaboration, capacity building, and knowledge sharing.
This project particularly targets the gap in access to educational and networking opportunities for young athletes and their trainers, who often operate in isolated national environments without broader exposure to different coaching philosophies, soft-skill development, and multicultural teamwork experiences.
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Current Situation We Wish to Change
Currently, tennis development in Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, Serbia, and Montenegro is largely confined within national systems, with limited opportunities for youth mobility and regional integration. Most young players aged 12–16 primarily train and compete within their own countries, missing out on valuable international experience, which is crucial at this formative stage of their development.
Trainers and coaches, too, rarely participate in transnational exchanges that could help them upgrade their methodologies, learn from best practices, and build professional networks across borders. Additionally, existing training formats often focus predominantly on technical and physical preparation, with insufficient emphasis on soft skills such as leadership, communication, teamwork, and intercultural understanding — all of which are essential for holistic athlete development.
The project seeks to change this situation by creating a unique, inclusive, and educational international tennis camp that brings together young players and coaches from five countries in a shared environment of mutual learning, intercultural dialogue, and skill-building — both on and off the court
