Dunja Bračun from HAŠK Mladost on Creating New Paths for Young People in Sport – STAY!

As part of our STAY! project spotlight series, we sat down with Dunja from HAŠK Mladost, the club that coordinated one of the most comprehensive pilot actions in the entire project. Working across four sections: water polo, swimming, rowing, and hockey, HAŠK Mladost tested how volunteering, communication, recreational training, and even club governance could help young people stay connected to sport, even after stepping away from competition.

We asked Dunja about the goals behind their activities, the challenges they faced, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Why was it important to offer so many different roles beyond sport training?

From the beginning, we understood that retention in sport doesn’t always mean keeping someone in training five days a week. Young people leave competitive sport for lots of reasons—academic pressure, injury, burnout—but that doesn’t mean they want to leave their club or community. So we looked at sport as more than performance. What if you could stay involved as a referee? A social media manager? A volunteer at events? That’s what we tried to make possible.

How did young people react to being part of event organisation and club media?

Honestly, they exceeded our expectations. A lot of them didn’t see themselves as someone who would run a medal ceremony or take charge of live updates on Instagram. But once they tried it, they really stepped up. You could see how proud they were to contribute. And others noticed too—staff, parents, and even visiting teams commented on how capable and professional they were.

What was the most complex part of the pilot to manage?

Logistics! We had several sports involved, different calendars, school obligations—it was like building a puzzle every week. Making sure the right people were at the right place, at the right time, and still felt confident in their roles was probably the hardest part. But it was worth it.

How did you recruit youth for these roles—like social media or refereeing?

Most of the time, we worked through the coaches. They know the athletes and could tell who might be interested in doing something different. In water polo and rowing, we reached out directly to girls who had recently stopped competing and invited them to try volunteering or join a recreational group. We kept it open and voluntary—no pressure.

And how did you support girls who had already left competitive sport?

We created recreational training sessions specifically for them—especially in swimming and water polo. No pressure, no scores, just activity and connection. Beyond that, we offered them meaningful roles in events and communications, and in rowing we even invited young women to join the administrative side of the club. It’s about recognising that their experience and voice still matter, even if they’re not wearing a cap or a racing suit.

What was the idea behind the Poolcast video series?

Poolcast was something special. We partnered with the Croatian Water Polo Federation to create a short-form interview series that showed different career paths after sport. We talked to people who stayed in the world of sport—as referees, coaches, physiotherapists, media coordinators. The message was simple: there are many ways to be part of sport, and they’re all valuable. We wanted our young athletes to see that.

What changes did you see in the young people involved?

So many. Confidence, first and foremost. Whether it was someone speaking at an event or leading a warm-up, you could tell they felt proud of their role. We also saw better communication and stronger bonds within and between sections. It helped break down the old “athletes vs. volunteers” mindset—everyone started seeing themselves as one club.

Balancing sport and school is tough—how did you manage that?

We designed most roles to be flexible. If someone couldn’t attend every week, they could help out on a weekend or contribute content remotely. We also launched a tutoring initiative in water polo and rowing, with support from older athletes and parents. It helped relieve some of that stress and showed that the club cares about them as whole people, not just as athletes.

Which roles or activities do you see continuing after the project?

 Several are already continuing. Refereeing and jury table support are integrated into our matchday system. Our social media team still includes young people from the pilot, and in rowing, youth are actively involved in planning and admin. The recreational sessions are still running too. These weren’t “project” roles—they’ve become part of how we work.

What was the biggest challenge overall?

Helping youth see themselves as capable. Many didn’t believe they could be good at something like refereeing or managing a social media account. Some had stepped away from training and weren’t sure if they still belonged. Building that self-belief took time and mentorship, but it was the most rewarding part.

This interview shows just how powerful it can be when a club opens its doors to new forms of engagement. At HAŠK Mladost, STAY! wasn’t just a project — it became a catalyst for rethinking what it means to belong in sport. By creating space for young people to stay connected through meaningful roles, the club is not only keeping athletes involved, but shaping the next generation of volunteers, leaders, and changemakers in sport.