GameMind Kick-off Meeting in Belgrade

In the welcoming atmosphere of the Moxy Hotel in Belgrade, the first kick-off meeting was held, officially launching the GameMind – Building Mental Strength in Sport project. This Erasmus+ initiative is dedicated to enhancing mental health in women’s sport, with a strong focus on empowering athletes, coaches, and club staff through innovative approaches to mental preparation.

The meeting brought together project partners who were introduced to the main objectives, expected results, and the broader impact envisioned for the project. Particular emphasis was placed on activities designed to strengthen female athletes’ mental skills and to equip coaches and support staff with tools for providing high-quality, gender-sensitive mental preparation.
Discussions also covered the project’s structure, timeline, and the distribution of roles and responsibilities among partner organizations. Clear communication and reporting mechanisms were established, ensuring effective coordination and continuous monitoring of progress throughout the project’s duration.

The hosts in Belgrade played a key role in shaping the meeting:

Katarina Ilic guided participants through all aspects of logistics and project implementation.
Sanja Malagurski, project PR and former professional volleyball player, emphasized the importance of raising awareness and building trust among athletes to encourage them to invest in their mental preparation and performance. She highlighted the need to establish open and strong communication from the very beginning.
Nikolina Lutovac, former successful handball player and now a mental coach, will serve as coordinator of all trainers and the program itself, bringing valuable experience to the project’s implementation.
The kick-off concluded on a positive note, with partners united in their commitment to supporting women in sport and advancing mental strength as a foundation for success.

Project partners include:

Women’s Handball Club Partizan (Serbia)
Volley Millenium Brescia (Italy)
Yanta Volleyball Skopje (North Macedonia)
Foundation Real Club Deportivo de la Coruña SAD (Spain)
Women’s Volleyball Club Srem (Serbia)
Mental Coach NL – Nikolina Lutovac (France)
Society Support Alliance (Serbia)