Slovak Olympic Academy

Factsheet

Country Slovakia
Name of AcademySlovak Olympic Academy (SOA)
Slovenská olympijská akadémia
Emailsoa@olympic.sk
Websitehttps://www.olympic.sk/komisia/slovenska-olympijska-akademia
Name of PresidentElena MALIKOVA
Contact PersonElena MALIKOVA
Foundation date12 June 1993
Year of accession to EOA2018 (founding member)
Social media linksN/A

Meet our members – An interview series by the EOA

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As recently reported by the EOA, the Slovak Olympic Academy (SOA) underwent a structural reorganisation in 2021 and has now adopted an ambitious new strategic plan. Following this, the EOA spoke with newly appointed Director Elena Malikova to discuss the results of this restructuring and to learn more about the SOA. Even via an online call, it is clear to see Elena Malikova’s enthusiasm and sense her ambition to develop the SOA. As a former national Modern Pentathlon champion, she now works as a Main State Advisor to the Slovak Republic and will undertake her new role as SOA Director in a voluntary capacity.

In Slovakia, the NOA is a department within the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee (SOSC) which was founded in 1993. As such, the NOA’s projects are financed by the NOC’s funding streams, the Director is selected by the NOC and the NOA is based at the NOC’s brand-new headquarters in Bratislava. The Director works alongside a Board, which is appointed by the Executive Board of the SOSC, plus a Conference which meets once per Olympic cycle. The Board meets four times annually and consists of the Chair, Vice President, President of the NOC, Honorary President of the NOC and the working party coordinators. The NOA has five working parties which are each responsible for different aspects of the NOA’s activities. The SOA work is characterised by a combination of employees of the NOC and external/voluntary SOA Board members.

The NOA of Slovakia has a variety of projects which are predominantly aimed at children within a school environment. Aside from the annual celebration of Olympic Day, the SOA supports implementation of the Olympic Values and Education Programme (OVEP) in Slovakia and organises academic seminars. There are also plans to create a new Olympic Education resource centre in Bratislava. Furthermore, the NOA has also hosted seminars which aim to bridge the gap between high level sport actors and educational institutions. Looking to the future, the NOA of Slovakia hopes to develop its partnerships with universities and academic institutions across Slovakia.

As a final touch to the striving academy, there has been a recent focus to capitalise on opportunities for cooperation with NOAs in different countries. So far relations with NOAs in the Czech Republic and in Estonia are established and the NOA will start working together with the French Institute in Slovakia to create educational programmes for the run up to the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. Although a relatively new organisation, there is already much to look forward to when it comes to the Slovak NOA.

Projects of the Academy

The organisation of Olympic Day activities:

  • In cooperation between Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee, Slovak Olympic Academy and regional Olympic clubs
  • Olympic Day 2019 – 691 events, 127 000 participants, 488 schools involved

Organisation of art, literature and knowledge contests:

  • 538 schools involved in an art contest in 2019
  • 27 entries in literature contest in 2019
  • 44 participating schools and 176 participating students in knowledge contest in 2019

Organisation of activities for seniors:

  • „Step toward healthy lifestyle“ – 600 seniors participating in regular sports activities organised by 16 regional Olympic clubs; 87 participants of three seminars
  • „Senior Olympics“ – organisation of regional sports events in cooperation with Slovak Seniors Union
  • SOSC supported 140 members of the Slovak Sokol Union participating at the 16th World Gymnaestrada in Dornbirn, Austria.

Organisation of other activities:

  • Fair Play activities: annual Fair Play Awards for individuals promoting basic ethical principles of sport; „Sport is a chance“ – an award for organisations and projects promoting the social and educational role of sport
  • Olympic Youth Camp – organisation of two summer camps in 2019 for 68 children with Olympic sport and educational activities
  • OVEP (Olympic Values Education Programme) – implementation of the programme in Slovakia; translation of OVEP manuals in 2019; organisation of OVEP seminars for PE teachers in 2020
  • ASAP (As Sustainable As Possible) – participation of SOSC in international sustainability project (2020-2022) aimed at development, approval and implementation of sustainability strategy in cooperation with Danish NOC
  • Preparation and printing of posters and publications about Olympians of Slovakia, Olympics and the Olympic symbols

History of the Academy

Slovak Olympic Academy originated from the pillars of former Czechoslovak Olympic Academy, that was founded on the 30th April 1987. On the 23rd September 1991, within the frame of Czechoslovak Olympic Academy, Slovak Council of Czechoslovak Olympic Academy was created. After the establishment of the independent Slovak Republic, a constitutive meeting of the Slovak Olympic Academy took place on the 12th June 1993. After its inception, SOA’s activities were focused on the following areas: scientific-study, promotional and documentary. Since 1996, in addition to managing and meeting activities, SOA has focused on seminar, educational, editorial, promotional and scientific-research activities. Regular seminars organized by SOA were focused on various topics with Olympic themes from the present and history. Within the framework of educational activities, the activities of the academy were focused mainly on youth. In 1995, knowledge competitions on Olympism for pupils and students began to be organized on the regular basis and the organization of international Olympic children’s camps with discussions with Olympics participants began and sightseeing tours to the Olympics venues were organized. As a part of editorial and promotional activities, SOA proceedings, publications on Olympic topics, especially to help school teachers, and publications on the history of the Olympics and Olympians within the regions of Slovakia were regularly published. The scientific research activities of the SOA members were focused on the capturing university students by writing the topics of diploma theses on Olympic topics and publishing of specialized articles of SOA members in various periodicals. Already in the first years of SOA activities, projects of art and literary competition with the Olympics theme were developed. Cooperation with other national Olympic academies was developed, mainly with Czech Olympic Academy and Hungarian Olympic Academy, also with the International Olympic Academy especially through the regular participation in the meetings of young participants in Olympia and the national Olympic academies meetings in Olympia.

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