Regular communication amongst young leaders will help better co-operation in future | 14.08.2012
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| Adam Erdelyi of Hungary has received the European Athletics-UNESCO Bronze Volunteer Certificate. |
But what separates him from his peers is his vision of future leadership of athletics on the continent. Adam has taken part in the last two editions of the European Athletics-UNESCO Young Leaders Forum organised on the sidelines of the European Athletics Championships every two years. He believes regular communication between young leaders in sports will forge the way for enhanced co-operation between nations in the next decades.
Adam, 26, who hails from the Hungarian capital of Budapest, says that he benefitted immensely from the discussions at the Young Leaders Forum in Helsinki in June and got to know a lot about the state of sports in different countries, the challenges and opportunities facing them.
His passion for sports saw him become a track and field judge, and take part in a lot of competitions both as a volunteer and as a full-fledged employee. He was involved with the organisation of the 2010 European Athletics Team Championships First League in Budapest and this year he is working as a technical manager for the 2012 SPAR European Cross Country Championships to be held in Budapest in December.
For his contribution to various events in the sport, Adam has received the European Athletics-UNESCO Bronze Volunteer Certificate.
We caught up recently with him for a quick interview.
When you do not volunteer in athletics, what is your regular occupation?
This year I am working with the Hungarian Athletic Federation, as the Technical Manager for the 2012 SPAR European Cross Country Championships. Although the event will take place only in December, from September onwards I am going to be a student again, so it will be difficult to balance the two roles. However, I am confident I will be able to manage them well.
How did you get involved with the Hungarian Athletic Federation?
I work as a track and field judge in competitions. In 2010, the federation hotsed the European Athletics Team Championship First League in Budapest, and I was a member of the Local Organising Committee. I love to work in athletics and I think the federation appreciated my passion and committment so they asked me to be a part of the LOC of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
As the technical manager of the 2012 SPAR European Cross Country Championships, what do you do?
My job involves preparing a timetable not just for the championship, but a also a technical timetable for three days leading up to the event; prepare a clear and good venue; to find the places for the tents, start and finish gantry, television compound, spectators tribune, etc. I also work closely with timing and data processing partners Swiss Timing, planning and approving the graphical materials needed for the championships.
You recently took part in the European Athletics-UNESCO Young Leaders Forum in Helsinki. What did you learn from it? What did you like the most about it?
It was a great experince to speak with other young leaders from different countries, share experiences, and talk about the state of the sport of athletics in their country. And, based on what I sensed in Helsinki, if we – the young leaders – work in athletics in the next 10-20 years, I am sure that the cooperation between countries will be very good.
I went to the last edition of the forum in Barcelona and I liked that as well. There we had elaborate discussion about volunteering and this aspect is very important for managing sport in different countries.
What would you like to do in the next few years?
My plan is to stay in athletics. Work as a technical manager in the competitions, championships. And if everything is going well I want to be an International Technical Officer/Area Technical Officer (ITO/ATO) in the future. But at the same time I want a regular job, too.
If you are doing volunteer work in athletics then become a member of the European Athletics Young Leaders Community and you too can be recognised for your valuable contribution to the sport. Be sure that the club, event or school where you are working is registered as a partner, or that your personal project is registered, so you can log your hours. For more information visit www.athleticscommunity.org.
