MINDFIT is a project funded by the CERV programme (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values), that runs since May 2025. Titled ‘Empowering Minds: Enhancing Children’s Mental Fitness’, the project aims to address the unique challenges faced by children and in particular young athletes, in this critical area. Its goal is to provide recommendations for policies that safeguard the mental health and resilience of children, protecting and promoting their rights.
Project’s Actions
All partners established national local forums in Cyprus, Greece, and Italy. These forums brought together children and young athletes (primary target group), as well as key stakeholders including parents, coaches, teachers, and other professionals working with minors (secondary target group), with the aim of capturing diverse perspectives on mental fitness in youth sport contexts. In total, 160 participants were involved, exceeding the initial target.
Following completion of the focus groups, partners analyzed the data at national level and produced country reports summarizing key findings, needs, and expectations. Later, they conducted a systematic review and identification of validated screening and assessment tools to support the early detection of mental health needs in children and young athletes. The MINDFIT’s report on Local and Ecosystem Mapping, Needs and Expectations is available online, in English here.
CYENS from Cyprus, designed a structured suite of educational content grounded in contemporary sport psychology and developmental science. The materials aim to enhance mental fitness, emotional wellbeing, and resilience in children and young athletes, while also equipping parents and coaches with practical knowledge and applied skills to support them effectively.
The project today
At this stage the content of the mobile application is being developed and is currently being integrated into the Android application. The refined materials constituted a solid basis for their integration into the MINDFIT app and their further use in educational and sport settings. This app is going to help young athletes, aged 8 to 18, practice mental fitness techniques and track their well-being through gamified exercises. Alongside this digital tool, the project will release specialized educational materials and psychosocial screening protocols to assist coaches, educators, and families in identifying and supporting children’s mental health needs. The application will undergo rigorous testing once preliminary development is completed. The application is currently available in English, and it will be adapted to the native languages of the project partners to ensure broader accessibility and usability across target groups.
Soon, the project will also launch the “MINDFIT Talks” podcast series to engage the wider community. The MINDFIT awareness campaign focuses on promoting mental well-being and resilience among young athletes, while also contributing to the reduction of mental health stigma in sport and fostering a supportive, inclusive sporting culture regardless of gender.
Also, identification and engagement of key influencers and prominent figures within the sports community to serve as MINDFIT ambassadors is currently ongoing. The objective is to involve individuals who are committed to youth mental health and who can use their visibility and networks to promote the project’s aims, increase awareness, and strengthen outreach activities.
Download the press release.
MINDFIT website and social
Visit: https://mind-fit.co/.
Find us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.
