The prestigious TIME-OUT 2.0 program is now officially underway, with 52 participants from across Europe and beyond engaged in the opening seminar of the project via video conference on Monday.
Launched as a sequel to the hugely successful TIME-OUT initiative and co-funded by the European Union's Erasmus+ Sport program, the project aims to promote education in and through sport by developing skills that athletes will utilize in their future careers away from the court.
The opening seminar of TIME-OUT 2.0 focused on the introduction to the modules for the Business of Sport led by FIBA experts, as well as an overview of the Leadership & Management course by the Business School of Northumbria University.
One of the most powerful tools being used in TIME-OUT 2.0 is that participants can learn from the experience of the graduates from the original TIME-OUT program as part of the Understanding an Athlete's Lifestyle course, where they will get tips from their peers and learn how to mentor other players.
Indeed, the opening seminar includes guest speakers such as former Italian national team star Raffaella Masciadri, who is currently President of the Italian Olympic Committee's (CONI) Athlete Commission, and a member of the FIBA Players' Commission, and former Czech national team captain Pavel Pumprla.
The participants, who represent 28 European National Federations, will also enjoy input from Kady Kanoute Tounkara, an IOC Career and Steering Committee Member, and also the Chairperson of the WADA Athletes Education Committee.
Following the tip-off session of TIME-OUT 2.0, the players will move to online learning before attending the second seminar, planned for the end of August in Prague, Czech Republic.
The Basketball Federation of Kosovo in this prestigious program is represented by Granit Rugova, National Teams Director. This project is unique and targets elite players who have retired recently from basketball and who want to continue their careers in the sport off the court, and consists of an impressive list of honored names, including Olympic and European champions and at the club level.
It should be noted that earlier this program was completed by Elvira Dushku, Secretary General of KBF, graduating in the 2017/2018 generation.