On a warm autumn day LSIIDP carried out a workout on a topic: "Best Practices and Best Examples by Known People in the Field of Sports". The workout was organised for sports specialists and coaches. Among the invited speakers were not only famous athletes, but also politicians, because it was elections' period in Latvia at the time, and representatives from the most influential eight political parties were expressing their views on the youth sports in the country. It was important for the youth sports representatives - sports school and sports club employees, to hear the promises of the politicians, keep them in mind and later use in practice. Among the eight politicians there were one of the best youth basketball coaches of Latvia Varis Krūmiņš, who has trained the national boys' team of Latvia and led them through U-16 European championship, a basketball athlete and a famous musician now (after a trauma he had to leave the basketball career) Andris Kivics, and a famous ex-motorist Artis Rasmanis.

Please find the moments of the event here

On the 13th - 14th June, 2018 LSIIDP carried out a workout on a topic: "Human Brains’ Operation During Physical Activities and Outside Them in Childhood, Teenager and Youth Ages". The first day was devoted to a theoretical issues, and the second day to practical issues. Within the two-day workout sports specialists, coaches and several family members learned of how to boost a memory, improve concentration on physical activities, improve mental health, enhance creativity, slow a cognitive decline and always keep moving, never sit still, be mobile and strive for the best. The workout was so successful that three regions (out of five) of Latvia invited the lector Arturs Pilkevics to their regional workouts with more coaches. So the theme turned out to be very popular, necessary and up-to-date.

The nice summer has almost come to an end and this is what we have managed with the youngest athletes within the project ICY (590413). Together with eldest and experienced athletes the young ones have got the opportunity to try catching them up during the whole summer. As Limbazi canoe base is considered the best base in Latvia and the only one with a status of "National", we are glad to have athletes of the National Team holding their practices here as well. Within the August the young athletes had also an opportunity to practice in "the same waters" together with an Olympian Aleksejs Rumjancevs and a kayak quarter preparing for the World Championship which will be held during 23rd - 26th august, 2018.
The young athletes started their summer activities at the end of June with a two-week summer camp and continued by everyday sports activities in canoe. Another two-week sports camp was held at the end of July, and the summer was ended up by everyday practices in canoe till the 31st August. And starting from September 1st till May 31st, during the school year, the mew trainees shall be provided the transport service to and from sports base on definite workdays after the secondary schools' lessons, Out-of-swimming/paddling season’s time the young trainees shall be educated and taught physical exercises in a gymnastic hall, running, skiing and skating (if possible).

Please find all this in the VIDEO: HERE

The first seminar "How to use and and avoid misuse of brain's capacity in sports and outside" was aimed at developing Audentes sport gymnasium student athletes’ knowledge on how the brain works, what are the factors influencing it’s optimal functioning and how to use the brain for optimal development. In addition, the seminar covered the influence of digital world and especially smart phone usage, on the brain and overall everyday functioning. The topics were introduced by two experts in psychology- one of them working daily with children and youngsters as a psychologist and the other doing research in psychology with a specific focus on learning and brain.
During the seminar, the student athletes were involved in discussions and self-analysis exercises to become more aware of their own bheavioral patterns and link the new knowledge to their everyday situations in sports and outside. The topics more specifically addressed attentional capacity and how to direct it more efficiently on the task at hand, the benefit of getting out of one’s comfort zone and developing growth-oriented mindset. Regarding the smart phone usage, the youngsters learned about the negative consequences of excessive usage of smart phones and how to use dr Siegel’s 7 everyday activitites that support health, mental wellbeing and brain development.

Please find the description of the seminar in Estonan and photos HERE