SPARK - Sport for Proper Nutrition, Attitude,

SPARK (Sport for Proper nutrition, Attitude, Relationships, and healthy Kids talent development) addresses urgent challenges in youth taekwondo, where pressure to meet ideal body standards and achieve rapid results leads to unhealthy weight control, injury risk, and psychological stress. SPARK promotes a health-first approach, replacing the harmful win-at-all-costs mindset with a sustainable and supportive athlete development culture. At the heart of SPARK is a holistic model that combines physical activity, healthy and sustainable nutrition, mental health care, and social support. Through on-site workshops for athletes aged 10 to 17, parents or guardians, and coaches, the project focuses on four key pillars: Proper Nutrition, ensuring balanced and sustainable diets that support both performance and well-being; Attitude, promoting mental health awareness and resilience; Relationships, encouraging the involvement of parents and guardians to build strong and supportive athlete communities; and Healthy Kids Talent Development, providing individual development plans tailored to the needs of each young athlete. A key output of the project is the Health First Taekwondo Charter, a practical guide to help clubs embed these health-centered principles into their daily training environments. The project also supports cross-border exchanges for selected athletes, creating opportunities for peer learning and sharing good practices between participating countries. SPARK directly contributes to the Erasmus plus priorities of inclusion, diversity, and promoting healthy lifestyles through sport. By combining education, stakeholder engagement, and innovative training structures, SPARK helps create a safer, healthier, and more inclusive grassroots sports culture that protects young athletes, sustainably nurtures their talent, and reinforces integrity and positive values as the foundation of sporting success. that is published through this page expresses the views of the project beneficiaries only and it does not represent the views of the European Union or the European Commission. It shall not be deemed to constitute legal or official notice on behalf of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for this content nor the use thereof made by any third parties. Page 2 of 2