German Sport University Cologne

Institute of Sport History

Module: DEV9 – Sport Polities: Values, Frameworks and Institutions

Community Sports, Club Systems and Federations
Supervisor: Dr. Ansgar Molzberger
Winter Term 2020/2021

Term Paper

The European Olympic Academies:

Development and Structure of an Emerging Cooperation of Olympic
Academies in Europe.

Submission Date: 31 March 2021

Sönke Schadwinkel
Student ID: 525315
M.A. International Sport Development and Politics
Semester No. 3
Lößweg 5
50933 Köln-Müngersdorf
[email protected]
 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

Table of Contents
1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1

2 Historical Context ................................................................................................................... 3

3 Main Part ................................................................................................................................. 6

3.1 From the Conference in Eltville to the Foundation in Ljubljana ..................................... 6
3.2 The Structure of the EOA................................................................................................ 11

4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 15

Bibliography ............................................................................................................................. 17

List of Abbreviations

DOA Deutsche Olympische Akademie (German Olympic Academy)

DOSB Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (German Olympic Sports Confederation)

EOA European Olympic Academies

EOC European Olympic Committees

HOC Hellenic Olympic Committee

IC Initiative Committee

ICSSPE International Council of Sport Science and Physical Exercise

IOA International Olympic Academy

IOAPA International Olympic Academy Participants Association

IOC International Olympic Committee

NOA National Olympic Academy

NOC National Olympic Committee

 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

1 Introduction

The Olympic movement finds itself in a constant state of crisis. In the past, both World Wars,
boycotts during the Cold War and terrorism posed immense challenges to the Olympic Games.
At present, numerous issues still continue to threaten this movement: commercialisation and
doping, exploding costs for ever more gigantic Games, decreasing acceptance in western
societies, seen by failing bid referenda, to only name a few.

When Pierre de Coubertin created the idea of the modern Olympic Games by founding the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, he embraced it with a philosophy called
Olympism. The time was marked by rising nationalism and industrialisation also peace
movements. The pedagogue Coubertin saw in sport a possibility for international
understanding, allowing people from all over the world to compete in sports competitions
instead of on the battlefield. Sport had the right potential as a means of forming physical, moral
and intellectual abilities. Coubertin wrote: „Olympism can become a school for moral nobility
and purity as well as physical endurance and energy, but this can happen only if you continually
raise your concept of athletic honour and impartiality to the level of your muscular ability.“1

More than 125 years after the IOC’s founding, the question of the Olympic idea is more relevant
than ever in the context of ongoing societal changes. What is the role of Olympic education in
the age of social networks and declining physical activity among young people? How can the
Olympic Games contribute to a peaceful world in times of trade wars and rising nationalism?2
These are two exemplary questions to demonstrate the need for a constant critical-constructive
engagement with the philosophy of Olympism.

To preserve the legacy of the Olympic Games and develop new ideas and meet future
challenges, Coubertin wanted an academy to devote itself to this very matter3. Later in the
1960s, the International Olympic Academy (IOA) was initially established to take on such a
role. National Olympic Academies (NOAs) followed in order to have an institution
collaborating with the NOC at the national level to apply the Olympic idea in a local context.

1
N. Müller, Pierre De Coubertin Olympism: Selected Writings 32 (International Olympic Committee Lausanne,
2000), 560.
2
G. Doll-Tepper, “Inspiring the World with Olympism,” in 50 Years International Olympic
Academy: Inspirations and Memories (IOA 1961-2011), ed. International Olympic Academy (Athens, 2011).
3
International Olympic Academy, The International Olympic Academy: A History of an Olympic Institution
(Athens, 2011), 22.
1
 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

The Olympic Charter4, a set of rules and guidelines for the Olympic Games and Olympic
Movement, states in Rule 17 that the IOC shall “encourage and support the activities of the IOA
and other institutions which dedicate themselves to Olympic education”. Furthermore, Rule 27,
2, 1-2 refers specifically to National Olympic Academies:

“The NOCs’ role is: to promote the fundamental principles and values of
Olympism in their countries […] by promoting Olympic educational programmes
[…] as well as by encouraging the creation of institutions dedicated to Olympic
education, such as National Olympic Academies […].”
Olympic Charter, Rule 27.5

This passage concludes the relevance of such institutions like the IOA or NOAs and thus
anchors them within the Olympic Movement.

In this context, a new organisation formed in 2018: The European Olympic Academies (EOA)
is an association of European NOAs with the aim of promoting collaboration and exchange of
ideas. It has taken its place between the European Olympic Committees (EOC), the IOA and
the NOAs within the “Olympic Family” and campaigns to disseminate Olympism at the
European level. The purpose of this paper is to address the following questions: What are the
underlying drivers for the establishment of the European Olympic Academies? What was the
development towards its foundation? How is it structured, and how do these structures shape
its operations?

To reflect on these research questions, the current President of the EOA, Prof. Dr. Manfred
Lämmer, granted access to his files on the founding process and current operations of the EOA.
The files contain correspondence back to 2012, minutes of conferences and meetings, speeches
and more. A certain bias in the sources cannot be ruled out, as other board members’
correspondences could not be accessed. However, this was borne in mind when studying the
files. In addition to this, the EOA website was taken as a source, which contained several press
releases. To provide historical context, documents from the IOA website were considered,
which provided a thorough retrospective with its commemorative publications.

This term paper is structured as follows: After a thematic introduction from the Olympic
Movement to the European Olympic Academies, an overview of the context with the historical

4
Olympic Charter. In Force as from 17 July 2020, International Olympic Committee (2020).
5
Id.
2
 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

development of the Olympic Academies and their common structures and entanglements within
the “Olympic family” will be given. The main part attempts to respond to the research questions
based on the available source material. A summary and an outlook on further research
possibilities conclude the paper.

2 Historical Context

The concept of Olympic Academies is a practical manifestation of Pierre de Coubertin’s vision

of sport as an educative tool.6 It was not until his passing in 1937 that developments got into
motion culminating in the founding of the International Olympic Academy twenty years later.
The main driving forces were Carl Diem and Ioannis Ketseas. 7 On 12 April 1938, Carl Diem
published an article in the Reichssportblatt about creating an Olympic Academy.8 At the 40th
IOC Session 1947 in Stockholm, the founding of an Olympic Academy in Olympia was
proposed by Ioannis Ketseas.9 In 1955, the IOA was founded as a commission of the Hellenic
Olympic Committee (HOC) and started its first session in 1961.10 Sports historian Norbert
Müller recapitulated the facts surrounding the foundation by stating that the idea of the
Academy came from Coubertin, was brought to life by Carl Diem and that the Greeks,
especially Ioannis Ketseas, made a significant contribution to its realisation.11

“The International Olympic Academy enjoys the privilege of being the first
international educational Olympic Centre, whose main purpose is to study,
propagate and apply the principles of Olympism and sport all over the world.”
Spyros Capralos in 2011.12

6
Dikaia Chatziefstathiou, “Olympic Education and Beyond: Olympism and Value Legacies from the Olympic
and Paralympic Games,” Educational Review 64, no. 3 (2012), https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2012.696094.
7
International Olympic Academy, The International Olympic Academy.
8
C. Diem, “Coubertins Herz Im Ewigen Olympia,” Reichssportblatt, April 12, 1938.
9
International Olympic Academy, The International Olympic Academy.
10
International Olympic Academy, The International Olympic Academy.
11
N. Müller, “Die olympische Idee Pierre de Coubertins und Carl Diems in ihrer Auswirkung auf die
Internationale Olympische Akademie (IOA).: Eine quellengeschichtliche Untersuchung” (Dissertation, Karl-
Franzens-Universität, 1975).
12
International Olympic Academy, The International Olympic Academy, 6.
3
 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

Despite the question of whether it was really the “first” institution of its kind,13 this quote from
the President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee captures the essence of IOA’s goal.

In specific terms, the operations of the IOA mainly consist of the following aspects: Holding
various sessions for different target groups (including, since 1961, International Session for
Young Participants, the centrepiece of the IOA, since 1992, Joint International Session for
Presidents or Directors of NOA’s and Officials of NOC’s, since 2017, the International Session
for Olympic Medalists and others), providing educational resources and promoting the Olympic
Movement through projects (such as the Olympic Day).14

As the IOA began its work at the international level, it became apparent that it would need
supporting institutions at the national level to implement Olympic education in their respective
countries, to select and send participants to the sessions and to serve as a point of reference for
all national Olympic educational activities. Many participants shared this view in the first
sessions.15

From the end of the 1960s onwards, several NOCs began to discuss the idea of founding a
National Olympic Academy (e.g. Germany, Austria, USA). To focus on disseminating the
Olympic idea, as defined by the IOC Charter, the NOCs lacked the necessary resources and
structures. NOCs were mainly preoccupied with administrative, economic and sporting issues
related to the Olympic Games. In order to fulfil this strong demand in a sustainable way, every
NOC and every country would need a National Olympic Academy, as stated by the IOC in
1989.16

The first National Olympic Academy is the one in Spain, which claims 1968 as the year of its
foundation.17 Egypt, Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei and the USA followed in the 1970s. In the

13
From 1936 to 1945, Carl Diem was the director of the Berlin-based International Olympic Institute (IOI),
which was dedicated to the systematic scientific research and publication of Olympic issues.
S. Ceraj, “Role and Significance of the International Olympic Academy for the Olympic Movement,” in World
14

Congress of Performance Analysis of Sport X, ed. G. Sporis (Zagreb, 2014).

15
International Olympic Academy, The International Olympic Academy, 265.
16
International Olympic Academy, The International Olympic Academy, 271.
International Olympic Academy, “National Olympic Academies,” International Olympic Academy, accessed
17

March 31, 2021, https://ioa.org.gr/noa-2/.

4
 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

80s, most National Olympic Academies in Europe and worldwide were established, allowing
this network to encompass the entire globe.18

Very similar to the IOA, the task of National Olympic Academies is „the cultivation and
dissemination of the Olympic Ideal, together with the study and application of the universal
pedagogic and social principles of the Olympic Movement, as defined in the Olympic Charter,
through Olympic Education programmes, within the boundaries of the national and cultural
zone in which each is active, in collaboration with the International Olympic Academy and the
International Olympic Committee“.19 The IOA has compiled a comprehensible list of the many
competencies in a book chapter.20

In summary, the tasks of the Olympic Academies are to preserve the Olympic ideals and
translate them into practice (Olander 1992). In 2012, 144 National Olympic Academies on all
five continents are recognized by the International Olympic Academy.21

A closer look at the existing NOAs reveals two different structural forms: (1) The NOA can
either be structured as a somewhat autonomous institution, holding short residential
conferences devoted to similar subjects (mini-IOA model). (2) The other type is the committee
model, where a department of the NOC takes responsibility for Olympic education.22

In any case, NOAs are linked to their NOCs in some way, given the Olympic Charter’s mission
of Olympic education and the fact that the NOA is financially dependent on its national-level
partner. Either NOA leaders are appointed to the Education Committee, an NOA conference is
combined with a NOC event, or the NOC is otherwise involved in the NOA’s educational
activities.23

For a few decades, there have been associations of NOAs which share continental or, above all,
cultural characteristics. The Paniberian Association of Olympic Academies was founded in
1996, the African Association of National Olympic Academies in 2008 and the Association of

18
It is worth mentioning that the academies that were founded initially had other names such as Olympic Study
Centre and then switched to the Olympic uniform term "National Olympic Academy". Ceraj, “Role and
Significance of the International Olympic Academy for the Olympic Movement.”
19
A. Karaiskou, Directory of National Olympic Academies (Athens: International Olympic Academy, 2012).
20
International Olympic Academy, The International Olympic Academy, 272 ff.
21
Karaiskou, Directory of National Olympic Academies, 13.
22
J. Parry, “Olympic Education in Practice: A Paper Prepared for the Centre D`Estudis Olimpics, Barcelona,”
2003.
23
Parry, “Olympic Education in Practice.”
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French Speaking Olympic Academies in 2009. The latter is closely linked to the Francophonie
organisation. It makes perfect sense for NOAs with the same languages to pool their activities,
but these three organisations have not yet gained an influential position in the Olympic
Academy system.

3 Main Part

3.1 From the Conference in Eltville to the Foundation in Ljubljana

Eltville 2012

At the European level, there have most certainly been scattered thoughts of transnational
cooperation between NOAs, but in retrospect, the Eltville Conference is considered to be the
very first step towards structural collaboration.

In 2012, the German Olympic Academy started preparing a conference to which they would
invite representatives of National Olympic Academies in Europe.24 They intended to gather
them for an exchange of experiences with the aim of establishing a network of national
initiatives and measures in bi- or multinational cooperation in the sense of “Olympic Education
without Borders” and thus to open up new resources.25

The conference took place from 19 to 21 October 2012. Participants from 24 European
countries, as well as Qatar and guests from IOAPA,26 the state of Hesse and other German and
international sports scientists gave the event the desirable European character.27 The DOA was
pleased about such a “great resonance”,28 highlighting the relevance and necessity of a
European alliance. The conference programme was composed mainly of lectures and short
presentations. International speakers, a.o. from the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, the IOA and

24
A. Höfer, E-Mail to DOA Board, February 17, 2012.
25
Deutsche Olympische Akademie, “Tätigkeitsbericht 2012” (Deutsche Olympische Akademie, Frankfurt,
2012).
26
IOAPA, the International Olympic Academy Participants Association is under the authority of the IOA.
Deutsche Olympische Akademie, “Participants: Workshop "Olympic Education in Europe", 19th to 21st
27

October 2012 in Eltville/Germany” (Deutsche Olympische Akademie, Eltville, 2012).

28
Deutsche Olympische Akademie, “Tätigkeitsbericht 2012.”
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 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

the European Commission, spoke about subjects around Olympic Education.29 Besides, open
discussions were part of the agenda, for instance, the last item on the programme “Olympic
Education without Borders: Approaches and Perspectives for International Collaboration”.30
With Manfred Lämmer, Ales Solar, Lozan Mitev and Sasa Ceraj as participants, four of the
later first board members had been present at that occasion.

Unfortunately, no minutes or publication of this conference exist; hence the question of the
impact and influence on later events can only be derived from the references in activity reports
and press releases. In its 2012 Annual Report31 and at the General Assembly32 in December of
the same year, the DOA recounted informative and stimulating words from the participating
academies, the many intensive personal discussions and the lectures by top-class experts. The
event received an excellent response and was assessed as very successful. Proof of this can also
be derived from the extraordinarily positive reactions as well as the unanimous decision to
follow up on that initiative. A continuation of the dialogue is therefore planned and expressly
desired.

In an email33 dated 22 October 2012 from the Guest Speaker of the European Commission
Jacob Kornbeck to DOA Board Member Manfred Lämmer, Kornbeck expresses his surprise
that this event was, in fact, the first meeting of European NOAs. He sees this as a strategically
important step.

Baku 2015

The developments of European cooperation of the NOAs continued two years later at a sports
science conference entitled “Physics, Chemistry and Philosophy of the Olympic Sport” from
16 to 19 October 2014 in Baku (Azerbaijan). DOA Board member Prof. Dr Manfred Lämmer
and Director Tobias Knoch attended on behalf of the German Olympic Academy and undertook
negotiations on staging a second conference for National Olympic Academies in the context of

29
Deutsche Olympische Akademie, “Programme: Olympic Education in Europe: National Experience -
International Perspectives” (Deutsche Olympische Akademie, Eltville, 2012).
30
Deutsche Olympische Akademie, “Programme.”
31
Deutsche Olympische Akademie, “Tätigkeitsbericht 2012.”
32
Deutsche Olympische Akademie, “Protokoll: 6. Ordentliche Mitgliederversammlung der Deutschen
Olympischen Akademie Willi Daume e.V.” (Deutsche Olympische Akademie, Stuttgart, 2012).
33
J. Kornbeck, E-Mail to M. Lämmer, October 22, 2012.
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 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

the European Games, which were scheduled to be held in Baku in 2015.34 In a photo in the 2014
DOA Annual Report, DOA Director Knoch and Lämmer pose with Aghajan Abiyev, who led
the organisation on the Azerbaijani side, and Maria Bulatova, President of NOA of Ukraine,
both of whom later joined the Initiative Committee.35 The organisation of the 2015 conference
apparently posed challenges, resulting from language barriers, which are visible in the
correspondences.36 This situation is supported by a discrepant statement in the minutes of the
DOA Board Meeting on 26.10.2015, three days before the actual conference. It is stated there
that the conference “will now take place after organisational difficulties.”37 Under the name
“The European Games - A New Challenge for the National Olympic Academies”, the
conference took place from 29 October to 1 November 2015 in Baku/Azerbaijan.38 Several
panel discussions were held, and a joint exchange took place. A DOA press release calls that
Lämmer led two thematic panels at the event and moderated the final debate.39 The DOA will
be central in setting up a working group to coordinate further activities.

Albena 2017

The minutes of the DOA Board Meeting of 16.3.16 reveal that Bulgaria at the event in Baku
signalled interest in hosting a future conference.40 The primary contact person was Lozan
Mitev, who later also becomes Vice President of the EOA. On 26 April 2017, the NOA of
Bulgaria officially invited the National Olympic Academies in Europe to Albena. 41 The event

34
Deutsche Olympische Akademie, “DOA-Vertreter Bei Konferenz in Baku,” Deutsche Olympische Akademie,
accessed March 31, 2021, https://www.deutsche-olympische-akademie.de/akademie/neuigkeiten/265-laemmer-
und-knoch-vertreten-doa-bei-konferenz-in-baku.
35
Deutsche Olympische Akademie, “Tätigkeitsbericht 2014” (Deutsche Olympische Akademie, Frankfurt,
2014), https://www.doa-info.de/images/Publikationen/T%C3%A4tigkeitsbericht2014.pdf.
36
M. Lämmer, E-Mail to A. Abiyev, October 21, 2015; M. Lämmer, E-Mail to T. Knoch, October 21, 2015; M.
Lämmer, E-Mail to T. Knoch, January 20, 2015.
37
Deutsche Olympische Akademie, “Protokoll: Sitzung des Vorstandes der Deutschen Olympischen Akademie”
(Deutsche Olympische Akademie, Neu-Isenburg, 2015).
A. Abiyev, “Programme: Second Conference of National Olympic Academies in Europe” (National Olympic
38

Academy of Azerbaijan, Baku, 2015).

39
Deutsche Olympische Akademie, “2. Konferenz Der Europäischen Nationalen Olympischen Akademien in
Baku,” Deutsche Olympische Akademie, accessed March 31, 2021, https://www.deutsche-olympische-
akademie.de/akademie/neuigkeiten/265-laemmer-und-knoch-vertreten-doa-bei-konferenz-in-baku.
40
Deutsche Olympische Akademie, “Protokoll: Sitzung des Vorstandes der Deutschen Olympischen Akademie”
(Deutsche Olympische Akademie, Neu-Isenburg, 2016).
41
L. Mitev, E-Mail to T. Knoch and M. Lämmer, April 26, 2017.
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 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

entitled “Promoting Olympic Values - A Challenge of our Time” took place from 7-10 June
2017 with the objective of a joint declaration in order to initiate the foundation process.

“National Olympic Academies should be regarded as the key institutions to

propagate the Olympic Idea and to ascertain the preservation of the values of
sport, that lies at the core of the Olympic Games. These important tasks are
assumed in practice on three different levels by the International Olympic
Academy in Olympia, by the National Olympic Academies, and by Associations
of National Olympic Academies on continental levels. Since such Associations
have been already established in Asia, Africa and South America, calls for a
European Continental Association have become louder.”
Manfred Lämmer in his Welcome Address at the Albena Conference in 2017.42

Besides representatives of 23 NOAs, guests including Nils Holmegaard from the IOC Olympic
Solidarity, EOC Member Ömür Dugan, and new IOA President Michael Fysentzidis completed
the list of participants. The programme included numerous lectures and presentations on current
developments of the Olympic Movement and Olympic Education.43 In a DOA press release,
Director Tobias Knoch showed pride in the German contribution to the foundation.44

Work of the Initiative Committee

As a result of the conference in Albena, an Initiative Committee (IC) was formed, whose
members were Manfred Lämmer (Germany), Maria Bulatova (Ukraine), Agajan Abiyev
(Azerbaijan), Lozan Mitev (Bulgaria), Ales Solar (Slovenia) and Marion Guigon-Lacroix
(France). This commission led the necessary steps towards the legal establishment of an entity
and then disbanded.45

The first meeting of the IC took place on 3-4 October 2017 in Baku, focusing on the steps
towards legal foundation, discussion of statutes, and preparations for the next conference.46 In
the follow-up to the Founding Declaration, the IC called on the NOAs to support the
association, and as of 3 October 2017, 14 NOAs provided an official letter of support.47 The

42
M. Lämmer, E-Mail to L. Mitev, M. Bulatova, A. Abiyev and A. Solar, April 25, 2018.
43
Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund, “Nationale Olympische Akademien Europas Gründen Dachverband,”
Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund, accessed March 31, 2021, https://www.dosb.de/sonderseiten/news/news-
detail/news/nationale-olympische-akademien-europas-gruenden-dachverband.
44
Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund, “Nationale Olympische Akademien Europas gründen Dachverband.”
45
EOA Initiative Committee, “Meeting Minutes No 1” (Baku, 2017).
46
EOA Initiative Committee, “Meeting Minutes No 1.”
47
EOA Initiative Committee, “Meeting Minutes No 1.”
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 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

remaining countries were assigned to the commission members. In this meeting, the official
name of the institution, which would be used later, was proposed for the first time. Instead of
previous variants like “European Association of National Olympic Academies”, the
organisation ought to be called “European Olympic Academies”. The IC selected Slovenia as
the venue for the Fourth Conference, as with Janez Kojiancic there is a Slovenian EOC
President in office and in this way, the cooperation with the EOC could be underlined. A first
draft for the statutes prepared in advance by Lämmer was discussed. 48 Initially, the committee
had plans to reconvene, but in the end, further planning was done via emails, phone calls and a
meeting between Manfred Lämmer and the people in charge in Slovenia in April 2018.49

Ljubljana 2018

The final step towards the foundation of the European Olympic Academies was taken at the
Conference in Ljubljana 2018. Under the leadership of Manfred Lämmer, the IC had drafted
statutes and thus paved a specific direction for the association. On 18-21 September 2018,
delegates from 24 European NOAs gathered for the First EOA General Assembly.
Representatives of National Olympic Committees, the Chair of the EOC Olympic Academies
Working Group Gudrun Doll-Tepper, the President of the European Paralympic Committee
Ratko Kovacic, and the President of the International Olympic Academy Isidoros Kouvelos
attended the conference and contributed presentations.50 The IOA calls it a “new chapter in the
continent of Europe” and praises the “outstanding work and professionalism.”51

The inaugural meeting was preceded by a symposium that addressed current challenges facing
Olympic Academies and explored future partnerships, target groups and tasks of the EOA.

The General Assembly approved the proposed statutes and elected the Executive Board:
Manfred Lämmer (President), Maria Bulatova (Vice President), Lozan Mitev (Vice President),
Marion Guigon-Lacroix (General Secretary), Ales Solar (Treasurer), Sasa Ceraj and Ivans
Klementjevs. Additional topics discussed covered the Appointment of Good Governance

48
EOA Initiative Committee, “Meeting Minutes No 1.”
49
A. Solar, E-Mail to M. Lämmer and M. Cerar, April 26, 2018.
50
Deutsche Olympische Akademie, “Dachverband „European Olympic Academies“ Gegründet,” Deutsche
Olympische Akademie, accessed March 31, 2021, https://www.doa-info.de/akademie/neuigkeiten/530-european-
olympic-academies-gegruendet; European Olympic Committees, “European Olympic Academy Founded in
Ljubljana,” European Olympic Committees, accessed March 31, 2021.
51
A. Karaiskou, “A Historic Meeting: IV Conference of National Olympic Academies of Europe and
Inauguration of Association of European NOAs,” IOA Journal 14, no. 14 (2018), accessed March 31, 2021,
https://ioa.org.gr/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/final_doa_14th_21x29cm_engfr_dr06_lr.pdf.
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 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

Officer, Membership fees and EOC and IOA cooperation. With the proceedings of this first
General Assembly, the EOA was officially established on 20 September 2018.52

3.2 The Structure of the EOA

The EOA is a registered association under German law.53 The Statutes serve as the basic order
for this institution according to German private law. It is based on a contract between the
founders of the legal entity and can be amended by subsequent resolution. The EOA Statutes
were signed in Ljubljana on 20 September 2018, which is considered the official founding date.
The signatories are President Manfred Lämmer and Vice-President Maria Bulatova.

Frankfurt am Main was chosen as the headquarters for several apparent reasons. The German
Olympic Academy, a founding member of the EOA, is considered one of the most developed
academies in Europe and the initiator of this European institution through the Conference in
Eltville in 2012. As described in the previous chapter, it played a crucial role in the founding
process and since then has been particularly supportive in the operational business of the EOA.
Furthermore, it is also due to the efforts of the Chairman of the EOA Initiative Committee and
first EOA President, Manfred Lämmer, who lives close to Frankfurt and can lead the fate of the
association more smoothly from there. This explains the choice of the headquarters in the same
building as the DOA. In addition, Frankfurt is one of the best-connected locations in Europe
and the “House of German Sport”, where the EOA is located, is just minutes away from
Frankfurt Airport.

The statutes indicate that the EOA is a non-profit organisation and “only pursue directly non-
profit-making objects, as defined in the German Tax Code”54 which allows them to benefit from
the tax advantages for German associations. Its legal form is thus identical to that of the DOSB

52
European Olympic Academies, “Minutes of the General Assembly” (European Olympic Academies,
Ljubljana, 2018).
53
Statutes, European Olympic Academies (20.09.2018), accessed March 31, 2021, https://eurolympic-
academies.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Statutes-of-the-EOA.pdf.
54
Id.
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(NOC of Germany),55 the German Olympic Academy56 and all other German sports governing
bodies.

Only National Olympic Academies or NOC Commissions with the task of Olympic Education
recognised by the respective NOCs can become members of the EOA. No personal
memberships are possible. This is congruent with the EOC but not with the IOA or the IOC.
The NOAs do not have a uniform membership structure and differ within Europe, making them
incomparable to the EOA in this respect. However, the German Olympic Academy shares the
same structure of only permitting organisations to join. This form of membership gives the
EOA an intranational rather than supranational character, where delegates decide in the interest
of their NOAs instead of acting purely on behalf of a superior body.

What is special at the EOA is that the quorum is not tied to a minimum number of participants.
This was introduced with the foresight to ensure that the General Assembly remains quorate
even in exceptional cases such as mass flight cancellations.

The Executive Board must include at least two representatives of both genders, and the
positions are limited to a maximum of three terms of office. In addition to these two bodies,
commissions can be formed for particular subject areas of fields of activity. Since the second
General Assembly, four commissions have been introduced, the Communication Commission,
Olympic Heritage Commission, Development and Cooperation Commission and the Olympic
Education Commission.57 These groups have an advisory function and can make proposals to
the Executive Board and the General Assembly.

According to its statutes, the EOA may finance itself through membership fees, public and
private grants and other income. The membership fee is set at 300 EUR, which is transferred
annually.58 Additionally, in 2020, the EOA received financial support from the EOC and the

55
Satzung, Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (20.05.2006), accessed March 31, 2021,
https://cdn.dosb.de/user_upload/www.dosb.de/uber_uns/Satzungen_und_Ordnungen/aktuelle_Satzung_2019__D
ez._2019_.pdf.
56
Satzung, Deutsche Olympische Akademie (16.03.2016), accessed March 31, 2021, https://www.doa-
info.de/images/Publikationen/DOA-Satzung.pdf.
57
European Olympic Academies, “General Assembly Meeting Minutes” (European Olympic Academies,
Nicosia, 2019).
58
European Olympic Academies, “General Assembly Meeting Minutes.”
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 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

government of the state of Hesse. These funds covered operational costs, travel expenses, and
a minor amount of funding for projects.59

The following figure demonstrates the inherent position of the EOA within the “Olympic
family”, the Olympic System. This scheme focuses on the Olympic Academy System and is
only intended to show the interdependencies, membership structures and financial flows
between them and the Olympic Committees.

Figure 1: Actors in the Olympic Academy Structure from the perspective of the EOA (own illustration).

It becomes evident that the most prominent partners of the EOA are the European Olympic
Committees, the International Olympic Academy and the NOAs/NOC Commissions. The
relationships with these three actors are anchored in the statutes.

The EOC is the logical partner at the continental level. In fact, three days before the actual
foundation, the EOA Initiative Committee signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the
EOC, which regulates the relationship. The document promises the EOA financial and technical
support and a collaborative partnership in the spirit of Olympic Education. The EOC has also

59
European Olympic Academies, “Third General Assembly Meeting Minutes” (European Olympic Academies,
Frankfurt, 2021).
13
 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

appointed a Working Group “Olympic Academies”, which serves as an extended arm of the
EOC to cooperate with the EOA.60

The International Olympic Academy serves as the partner at international level. According to
the statutes, one of the EOA organisational aims is to work closely with the IOA to establish
new NOAs and organise special educational seminars and programmes with the IOA. The
activities of the two institutions do overlap in terms of content, but the IOA is oriented towards
its own projects, while the EOA - at least in the beginning - focuses mainly on the cooperation
of the member NOAs with their respective activities. The graphic also shows that the EOA as
such is not a member of the IOA, in other words, it is not an institutional connection but rather
an ideal relationship yet to be formalised in a Memorandum of Understanding.

The partners at national level are the NOAs, which are also the purpose and direction of the
foundation of this association. As of 2021, 28 NOAs have joined the EOA.61 The statutes do
not specify what “European” implies but, as it is usual in sport, it can be assumed that every
country that is also a member of the EOC would be classified as “European” by the EOA. As
explained in the introduction, not every country has formed its own NOA. Some NOCs maintain
a commission that is responsible for Olympic education. The link between NOC and NOA also
varies from country to country. However, the NOA is usually financed by its NOC. That is why,
for example, relations with the host NOCs are always sought when conferences are held.

The EOA does not have a direct link to the IOC, however, the EOA adheres to the Olympic
Charter, which the IOC defines.62

Furthermore, the EOA is interested in cooperation with other international and continental
sports organisations. It holds membership in the International Council of Sports Science and
Physical Education (ICSSPE) since 2021. Further cooperation has been intended from the very
beginning.63

60
Memorandum of Understanding, European Olympic Academies; European Olympic Committees
(17.09.2018).
61
European Olympic Academies, “Third General Assembly Meeting Minutes.”
62
Olympic Charter. In Force as from 17 July 2020.
63
European Olympic Academies, “Third General Assembly Meeting Minutes.”
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 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

4 Conclusion

In the introduction, it was argued that the Olympic Movement is in a constant state of crisis.
The EOA is a construct born out of a demand for collaboration between NOAs at European
level. It enables a long-term strengthening of the NOAs, who will further promote Olympic
Education in their respective countries. The EOA is the missing piece in the puzzle between the
EOC, IOA and the national stakeholders.

Its development is based on the success of the DOA’s initiative to bring the European NOAs
together for the first time at the Eltville Conference. The success of this event, but also the
vision in the decisive minds led to further conferences up to the foundation in Ljubljana 2018.
Taking six years to complete the steps in an orderly and collaborative way became the journey
of the EOA. The preliminary steps of signing a Founding Declaration and convening an
Initiative Committee formalised the founding process in the crucial phase towards the end.

At present, the EOA is built on democratic structures laid down in the statutes, with a focus on
permanent sovereignty of the NOAs thanks to the membership model. With 28 out of 50
possible member countries, pervasiveness within Europe can be reasonably assumed,
considering that the remaining NOCs are either small states, not interested in European
cooperation, or simply do not have a commission, let alone an NOA.

Other organisations recognised the benefit of having an organisation at European level that is
exclusively dedicated to Olympic Education. From the IOA’s point of view, the EOA
strengthens the NOAs; from the EOC’s point of view, the EOA supports the NOCs in fulfilling
their task in Olympic education; from the NOAs’ point of view, the EOA serves as the ideal
platform for mutual exchange.

After more than two years of existence, the EOA is also facing challenges: The future direction
remains to be determined and differentiated, especially against the backdrop that the member
NOAs operate at very different levels. The organisation needs to professionalise itself further,
which the Corona pandemic has constrained to a large extent.64 In terms of cooperation,
language, cultural differences, and divergent visions in the bodies pose major burdens.
Financial support must be secured in the long-term to guarantee the survival of the EOA, which
cannot generate any significant revenue on its own.

64
European Olympic Academies, “Third General Assembly Meeting Minutes.”
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 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

This term paper attempts to give a comprehensive overview of the development towards the
EOA’s foundation and an analysis of its organisational structures. Due to the somewhat one-
sided inspection of the files, the perspective of the other NOAs and those responsible is lacking
in this analysis. In terms of sources, this paper focused on written (and electronic) material.
Interviews and surveys should follow, as many of the contemporary testimonies are still active
and may recall the occurrences. This would also reveal the intentions of the other NOAs in their
contribution to the founding.

While many scholars can be found on Olympic education and Olympic values, there are major
gaps in the research of the Olympic Academy system from the ground up. Comparable studies
in structures, activities, finances, also worldwide, should fill this gap. Research into the other
continental NOA associations would provide noteworthy impressions even in relation to the
EOA.

16
 SCHADWINKEL, S. (2021). THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC ACADEMIES.

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