Taking advantage of the meetings of the Pan American Sports Organization in Miami, Olympic Solidarity held important workshops for the NOC representatives in attendance.
“We had a very positive response. They now have new knowledge and will be able to use different programs to achieve their goals,” said Joanna Zipser-Graves of IOC Olympic Solidarity.
Olympic Solidarity of the International Olympic Committee and Panam Sports represent two of the most important support organizations for the development of sport in the Americas.
Millions of dollars are allocated annually to different programs to aid the National Olympic Committees. Each NOC can apply and allocate these resources for infrastructure, athlete support, training and hiring of coaches and many other needs. The joint work of these two organizations is key when guiding the leaders of the Olympic Committees of the Americas.
Olympic Solidarity was invited to carry out a series of workshops for all the participants of the NOC meetings organized by Panam Sports in the Miami office. The objective of the sessions was to allow the IOC to learn about the reality of the countries of the continent and guide them to access the best programs for their sports development.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for us to meet with almost all of the NOCs, to talk to them and ask about their priorities and challenges. We were invited by Panam Sports and we are very grateful for this opportunity because it is very important for the work we do, to understand the situation of each country. In addition, we decided to organize workshops where we can explain in more detail all of the programs of Olympic Solidarity and the opportunities that are available to the NOCs. Not only of the worldwide programs that we manage from Lausanne but also the programs that Panam Sports offers to the NOCs and how they can be used together in combination to guarantee the best possible impact for them,” said Joanna Zipser-Graves of IOC Olympic Solidarity.
The Olympic Solidarity workshops, facilitated by a joint team from Olympic Solidarity and Panam Sports, focused on how the World Olympic Solidarity Programs (managed from Lausanne) and the Continental Programs (managed by Panam Sports) complement each other in responding to the particular needs of the NOCs. These include the areas of Management and Capacity Development, Athletes and Sports Development and Olympic Values. Topics were illustrated, where possible, with examples including NOC-specific software and useful tips on RELAY (Olympic Solidarity’s reporting and application platform). The workshops concluded with a presentation of the IOC’s new Hospitality & Ticketing model.
“The response was very positive. Everyone was very interested and participative telling us about their experiences in the workshops. I think that with all the information that we now have, either through the individual meetings or through the workshops, we have a global picture. We know your challenges and your priorities and so now we can focus and help more with our programs to meet your needs. They now have new knowledge and will be able to use different programs to achieve their goals,” concluded Zipser-Graves.
