B-FREE in Rijeka: From Research to Everyday Practice

5 October 2026 · Project update

How can research on bullying help coaches and clubs in their everyday work? This question connects the next stages of B-FREE, following the project's second transnational meeting in Rijeka, Croatia, on 24 September 2026, hosted by Rijeka Sports Association.

B-FREE — Team Up for Respect: Promoting Bully-Free Zones in Grassroots Sports brings partners together to address bullying and support safer, more inclusive sporting environments. The meeting brought the partnership's research and practical development work into focus, with participants joining both in person and online.

Research as a foundation

The research phase, coordinated by Hacettepe University with contributions from the partnership, provides the foundation for the work ahead. The meeting included presentations on the research and proposed training content, connecting the evidence gathered with the needs of coaches and clubs.

For the project, the next task is to turn that work into resources that can be used in everyday sporting settings: helping adults recognise bullying, respond appropriately and support a culture of respect.

Sport Singularity's contribution

Sport Singularity has prepared the Best Practices and Guidelines and leads the Coach and Club Empowerment work package. Our contribution focuses on translating research into practical support for the people responsible for young athletes' everyday sporting experience.

The next-stage work covers the Sportera resource platform, coach training, practical club tools and age-appropriate pilot activities. These are areas of ongoing development, with the aim of helping coaches and clubs apply the project's work in their own settings.

Working together on the next steps

Moving from research to practice requires contributions across the partnership. The work ahead connects the research findings, guidance, training and planned pilot activities, keeping the needs of coaches, clubs and young participants in view.

We thank Rijeka Sports Association for hosting the meeting, Oslo Orcas IF for coordinating B-FREE, and all project partners for their contributions, in person and online.

Read about the project's beginnings in our B-FREE kick-off meeting update from Oslo.

EU funding acknowledgement

B-FREE is co-funded by the European Union.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are 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.