Finally, after the long break, the team of the Project Play to Train met again in Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia on 7^th and 8^th August 2021.

The meeting was hosted by the Association Academy Rudi Hiti and welcomed 31 people from the three countries (Italy, Slovenia, Bulgaria).

Managers, coaches, trainers, volunteers and mentors gathered together for the first time after the outbreak of the pandemic to present the pilot activities done in their realities, to discuss together about challenges and successful parts.

In the previous months, participants worked on the implementation of the pilot activities planned in Rome in 2019. They worked individually and in group and all presentations were gave a stimulus to debate and to know how to exchange the feedbacks and ideas particularly concerning the impact, effects and eventual challenges faced. The coordinators facilitated the discussion and the participants presented the activities done and shared their feedbacks, what worked and what did not work.

The draft of the toolkit of “Play to Train”, the final outcome of the project, was on the table to be discussed and finalized according to the inputs of the participants.

Although the difficulties due to the pandemic, the meeting showed how participants managed to continue their work, and to develop activities which started to show their impact also in the short term. In the end activities realized were:

• 5 in Italy (involving 7 Italian regions)
• 1 in Bulgaria
• 1 in Slovenia (made of three main parts: two online webinars and a summer camp of ice hockey)

The meeting offered the occasion to visit the Slovenian activity and to see the female coaches on the ice…and why not? To enjoy an amazing traditional dinner in a very special location It was really nice to meet again and each one was enthusiastic and ready to work on the very last part… next and final meeting on 1^st September in Bulgaria..Stay tuned to see how it will end.