„Sport Students’ MeetUp 2024” behind us!
Success of the 2nd Edition of Sport Student’s MeetUp – The Largest Event for Students Interested in the Sports Industry!
On Saturday, October 5th, the second edition of the nationwide meeting “Sport Students’ MeetUp” took place at the prestigious Legia Training Center in Książenice. The event, organized by the Institute for Sport Governance (ISG), brought together representatives from sports organizations, businesses, academia, as well as members of six student research groups from across Poland.
Among the participants were representatives from the following student organizations:
- Koło Naukowe Prawa Sportowego „Ius et Sport” z Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego,
- Koło Naukowe Managerów Sportu z Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego,
- Koło Naukowe Prawa Sportowego „Lex Sportiva” z Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu,
- Koło Naukowe Prawa Sportowego z Uniwersytetu Śląskiego,
- Studenckie Koło Business to Sport z Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego,
- Koło Prawa Sportowego Towarzystwa Biblioteki Słuchaczów Prawa Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego.
Event Overview
The meeting began at 11:00 AM with a speech by Rafał Kaszubski, Marketing and Project Manager at ISG, who outlined the event’s main goals, emphasizing the importance of young people’s involvement in the professionalization of the sports industry in Poland. Following this, Jakub Myszkorowski, Head of Development Projects at Legia Training Center, spoke about his career and the Legia Sport Business Programme. After the introduction, participants had the opportunity to tour the state-of-the-art training facility, including training halls, the gym, and the locker rooms of the Legia Warsaw team.
The Content Segment
After a brief coffee break, it was time for the main content segment of the MeetUp, consisting of four presentations on various topics.
The first speaker was Grzegorz Łagowski, International Sponsorship and Communications Manager at InPost, which served as the event’s honorary patron. In his presentation titled “Networking, Initiative, and Rolling Up Your Sleeves: Working in Sports,” Grzegorz shared his early experiences in the sports industry, his first job interview, the importance of marketing in sports, InPost’s mission, and offered key advice for young professionals just starting their journey in the field. Notably, Grzegorz was once a member of the student organization “GetReady” at the Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw, so he understood well the challenges and tasks faced by the event participants.
The second presentation, titled “Failure – Are We in Trouble?” was delivered by the Managing Director of the Institute for Sport Governance, Piotr Popławski. His talk focused on making participants aware of the importance of perseverance and not giving up when pursuing their dreams and professional goals. The topic resonated well with the audience, who asked several intriguing questions after the presentation.
The next speaker was another expert with experience in student research groups, Maciej Zielpucha, who also served as Vice President of the Sports Law Research Group “Ius et Sport” at the University of Warsaw for two years. Currently a junior lawyer at Legia Warsaw, Maciej discussed “The Responsibility of Football Clubs for Fan Behavior,” using six case studies from recent years decided by the FIFA Tribunal.
The final presentation, titled “Sustainable Development or Sports Development? – The Impact of Sports on the Environment,” was delivered by Monika Chlebek, Project Coordinator at ISG. Monika briefly introduced several projects led by the Institute for Sport Governance, such as the Environmental Conservation Opportunities and Sport in Natura 2000 Sites (ECOS), Sport Transparency Index (STI), and Female Sport Coaching Programme (FemCoach). She focused on the ECOS N2K project, dedicated to environmental protection, as a key reference point to illustrate the various ways sports and physical activities can impact the natural environment.
Networking, Match, and Lunch
After the content segment, it was time for integration. Participants had the opportunity to play a football match on the professional field at Legia Training Center. The game ended in a 3:3 draw, with the winner decided by penalty kicks. The event partner, OSHEE, ensured the players stayed hydrated.
For those who didn’t participate in the match, this time was dedicated to networking and discussing future projects and collaborations.
Presentations by Students’ Organizations
The final agenda item was the presentations by student research groups. Each student organization presented its profile and the projects they had completed in recent years.
Piotr Iwańczyk, a representative of the Polish Institute of Sports Diplomacy, which served as the event’s academic patron, also gave a short speech. Piotr presented PIDS’s mission and emphasized the potential for collaboration with the student community.
The event was concluded with a few closing remarks by Rafał Kaszubski.
Partners of SSM24
This year’s event attracted a fantastic group of partners, including:
- Main Partner – Legia Training Center,
- Honorary Patron – InPost,
- Media Partners:
- Match Patrons:
- Academic Patrons:
Conclusion
Sport Students’ MeetUp 2024, the largest and only event of its kind in Poland, and perhaps the world, is more than just a classic industry conference. Organized by ISG, the event’s participants shared common goals – integration, education, and the development of Polish sports. However, achieving these goals requires more than just a few valuable presentations. It also demands the right conditions for discussion, a diverse agenda, and an element of entertainment, such as this year’s football match. These elements kept participants engaged and satisfied throughout the day, and the cooperation and openness to dialogue expressed at the end of the event provide great hope for the future of the Polish sports industry.
Sport Students’ MeetUp 2024 achieved great success, but ambitions are even higher. What awaits participants in the next edition? We’ll find out in a few months.
