On November 12, 2024, the Moving People – Moving Europe conference in Ljubljana hosted a workshop that marked the culmination of the DigiFit project, funded by the EU Erasmus+ programme. With the theme “Fit for the Digital Age: Work Smarter, Improve Performance, Strengthen Community,” the workshop brought together stakeholders, experts, and project partners to reflect on the transformative potential of digitalisation in grassroots sports.

Over 26 months, DigiFit has aimed to equip grassroots organisations with the tools and mindset needed to adapt, thrive, and innovate in an increasingly digital world. Led by the International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA) and supported by partners from France, Ireland, Portugal, Denmark, and Belgium, DigiFit has worked diligently to tackle challenges in three key areas: smarter working, improved performance, and stronger communities.

The workshop provided a platform to share the project’s learnings, pilot experiences, and enduring questions. As ISCA's Project Manager in charge of online learning experience Carole Ponchon shared during her opening remarks, “This is a spotlight on those who create stories. Digital transformation is not just about tools—it’s about mindset, resilience, and adaptability.”

The session began with an inspiring keynote on “Digitalisation and Grassroots Sport: What Links Them Both?” by Miikka Neuvonen, who explored the connection between digitalisation and grassroots sports. His insights resonated with participants as he highlighted the core challenges for digital transformation for grassroots sports organisations—time, funding, and focus.

Participants then delved into a hands-on exercise with LEGO, guided by Sinead Moynihan and Briony Supple (PhD) from University College Cork who offered a roadmap to develop an “innovator mindset.” They encouraged the workshop participants to find their “superpower” for change through flexible thinking, creative problem-solving, and openness to disruption.

Building from LEGO details their ideas about imaginary new sports or mobile applications, attendees tapped into their storytelling skills, discovering how metaphor and creativity can inform digital innovation. The activity sparked discussions about the balance between technical solutions and community storytelling—a hallmark of DigiFit’s approach.

Real-Life Lessons: Fireside Panel Discussion

A highlight of the workshop was a fireside chat led by Nico Lorenzutti from UCC Ireland, featuring representatives from DigiFit’s pilot teams. They shared candid reflections on their journeys with digital transformation:

• Bruno Bidara (Portugal): Our local community had no digital tools to support us before DigiFit. Starting with something as simple as Facebook, we realised the importance of identifying our focus early.
• Christina Tsiligkii (Greece): After 15 years of using digital tools, DigiFit allowed us to refine specific areas, like developing an app for reselling season tickets. It’s been transformational for community engagement.
• Ketlin Suvi (Estonia): Even in a highly digitalised country, we found ourselves relying on Excel for event registrations. DigiFit inspired us to streamline and innovate further.
• Nova Fattal (Belgium): As a solution provider with over 100,000 users, DigiFit gave us invaluable feedback on how to enhance our app’s social and operational impact.
• Eric Bosc (France): No journey towards transformation is a failure, there are always learnings. Thus, one piece of advice from his story (getting stuck with a lack of agility and flexibility from the organisation’s governance and internal power struggles) is to make sure to enter a digital transformation journey not only with good intentions but for the right reasons and while including all relevant internal stakeholders.  
• Renata Baptista (Portugal): It's been a year of overcoming, learning and achievements! My role as mentor was to help Bruno and his team get new perspectives and a sense of focus.

Their stories underscored the diversity of challenges and solutions, yet all shared a common thread: the power of focus, adaptability, and collaboration.

Building Change-Ready Organisations

One recurring theme was the need for grassroots organisations to become change-ready. As it was offered in the last part of the presentation as food for thought, “This goes beyond deploying a new tool or process—it means building a culture that is ready, willing, and able to adapt to any change.”

As DigiFit wraps up, its legacy lies in demonstrating that digital transformation is not just about technology but about people. By fostering collaboration, storytelling, and resilience, it has empowered grassroots organisations to embrace the future with confidence.

The Moving People – Moving Europe conference provided the perfect stage for this celebration of innovation. DigiFit’s journey may have concluded, but its lessons will continue to shape a smarter, more connected, and community-driven future for grassroots sport.

Find out more about the project: https://digifit.isca.org/ 

Project partners: ISCA – International Sport and Culture Association (lead coordinator), IDPJ – Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (Portugal), UCC – University College of Cork (Ireland), DGI Impact (Denmark), PRN SI – National Sport Innovations Resource Center (France), EPSI – European Platform on Sport Innovation, Belgium).

The DigiFit project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.