AI-Powered Solutions to Prevent Dropout in Girls'
Basketball
Time frame: 2025 – 2027 Role: coordinator
Type: Erasmus+ collaborative partnership
Why the SmartPlay Project Matters?
The main goal of the SmartPlay project is to reduce the dropout rate among female adolescents (girls aged 12–18) in sports clubs and to encourage their long-term participation in sport and physical activity. As young people grow older, their motivation and opportunities to stay active often decrease. This decline is especially noticeable among girls, making it essential to develop targeted strategies that support them in continuing organized sport for as long as possible.
Research shows
Research shows that young athletes stop participating in sports for several common reasons, including:
Feeling they are not good enough
Difficulty balancing sport, school, and private life
Boredom or loss of interest in sport
Negative experiences during training or competitions
For girls in particular, additional challenges often play a role, such as:
Lack of confidence and feeling self-conscious
Physical and emotional challenges related to menstrual cycles, which can affect training and performance
From 16 to 18 January, partners of the SmartPlay project held their first in-person meeting in Ljubljana, Slovenia, marking the official start of an innovative European initiative aimed at keeping...