September Reflections: Showing Up

Growth Happens in the Room

Looking back over September, three things stand out most clearly for Lucy: spending more time out in sports clubs, welcoming 11 interns into NYSA, and seeing new opportunities begin to take shape through conversations and relationships. On paper, these might look like three separate things, but in reality they are closely connected, because so much of what we do begins by being in the room.

One of the highlights of the month was simply spending more time in clubs. It sounds obvious for an organisation like NYSA, but when a role involves EU projects, partnerships, budgets, reporting, planning and organisational development, it is surprisingly easy to spend a large amount of time behind a laptop. There is always another meeting, another document, another deadline or another email that needs an answer.

All of those things matter, but they are not where the work ultimately lives.

Lucy

Being inside clubs gives a very different perspective. You see the people behind the structures, you hear the conversations that do not necessarily appear in a project report, and you notice the practical challenges that can easily be missed when we talk about sport at a strategic or European level. Just as importantly, you are reminded of what is already working and of how much knowledge exists within the clubs themselves.

We sometimes approach development with the assumption that we need to arrive with solutions. The longer the work continues in this space, the less convincing that approach becomes. Coaches know their players, volunteers understand their communities, and young people understand their own experiences far better than we ever could from the outside. Our role is not always to arrive with the answer. Very often, it is to ask better questions, listen properly and create the space for something useful to be developed together.

Another major part of the month was welcoming 11 interns into NYSA. Even writing that number feels significant. Internships have become an important part of how NYSA works because the aim is for it to be somewhere people can genuinely learn by doing, rather than somewhere an intern spends several months watching other people work or completing tasks nobody else wants to do.

If we want young people to develop professionally, then we have to give them opportunities to contribute professionally as well. That does not mean throwing somebody into something without support. It means giving people context, allowing them to ask questions, giving them ownership where appropriate and creating an environment where meaningful contribution is not dependent on already having ten years of experience.

Lucy

New people ask different questions and notice things that those of us who have been involved for years can sometimes stop seeing. They bring different academic backgrounds, cultures, languages, experiences and ambitions, and that diversity of perspective inevitably makes things more interesting. Sometimes it also makes things more complicated, but that is healthy. If everyone around a table immediately agrees, we are probably not learning very much.

September also brought new opportunities for NYSA. Some are still only conversations, some are ideas that may develop further and others may ultimately go nowhere, which is simply part of how this kind of work happens. One thing learned through working with partnerships and projects is that opportunities rarely arrive perfectly packaged. Usually, they begin with a conversation.

Opportunity and fit are not the same thing. There are many interesting things NYSA could do, but the more important question is what we should do. Does it connect to our values? Can we genuinely contribute something useful? Is there a real need? Will something actually change because we chose to be part of it?

Lucy

When the different parts of September are put together, the common thread is presence. Being present in a club creates conversations that would not happen from behind a screen. Bringing new people into NYSA introduces perspectives we would not otherwise have. Building relationships creates possibilities that could not necessarily have been planned twelve months earlier. Sometimes progress simply comes from showing up.

Building Towards 2027

For Emma, September has been a month of diligent preparation for 2027, building on the direction of travel already established for NYSA. A major focus has been strengthening the foundations for the next phase of work: developing relationships, shaping future opportunities, refining how NYSA presents itself, and making sure that international ambitions are matched by clear purpose and strong partnerships.

The 2x2x2 approach — Sport and Education, Elite and Grassroots, Values and Excellence — is helping communicate that direction more clearly. It reflects the breadth of the work while keeping the focus on what connects it: development, opportunity and positive social impact.

Internationally, we continue to work boldly towards greater global engagement. That means listening to local organisations, understanding the wider development landscape and identifying where NYSA can genuinely add value rather than simply expanding for the sake of growth.

Emma

The developing relationship with Sport et Compassion in Benin is an important example. Their strong local commitment to children and young people, combined with NYSA’s experience in sport, education, capacity building and international collaboration, reflects the kind of locally rooted partnership NYSA wants to strengthen going forward.

Closer to home, we have continued important conversations within Swedish sport. These have reinforced a principle that is increasingly central to how NYSA works: we want to identify the needs, gaps and opportunities where our expertise and networks can make a real contribution, while strengthening and complementing what already exists.

Emma

For Emma, September has therefore been about doing the groundwork well. The direction is clear; the task now is to prepare carefully, build the right relationships and create the conditions for meaningful work in 2027. The commitment remains constant: children and young people, strong and equal partnerships, and using sport and education to create opportunity and lasting social impact — in Sweden and together with partners across the world.

Seeing Things Come to Life

One of Geri’s biggest highlights of September has been seeing the internship programme really get into full swing. After spending a lot of time over the previous months on recruitment, interviews, defining roles and preparing for new people to join NYSA, several new interns were onboarded during this month.

It has been rewarding to see that work turn into something real. NYSA now has interns working across different areas of the organisation, bringing different educational backgrounds, new experiences, interests and perspectives. What has been particularly enjoyable is getting to know them beyond their original applications and starting to understand where their individual strengths can add the most value.

There is obviously a big difference between recruiting someone and actually integrating them into an organisation. September has therefore involved a lot of communication, providing context, answering questions and helping people understand not only their own responsibilities but also the bigger picture of NYSA.

Geri

Alongside the internship programme, September brought several other important moments. A major focus was the final stages of the WIN-WIN project, including dissemination activities and conversations about how to bring the project and its outcomes to relevant stakeholders in Sweden. One particularly valuable moment was taking part in the RF-SISU Småland breakfast meeting in Jönköping, which offered the opportunity to present NYSA and WIN-WIN and have conversations with people from the local sports environment.

Another valuable experience was getting the opportunity to observe the IF Haga parafootball team, joining them both at a training session and at one of their tournaments. What stood out was the positive atmosphere around the team and the sense that everyone has a place and an opportunity to be involved.

It was great to see what they are building and the impact it can have beyond simply playing football. I am looking forward to engaging more with IF Haga, learning more about their work and following them along their journey.

Geri

Moreover, after spending time developing the structure, agreements and expectations, the stage has now been reached of bringing everyone together and starting the Ambassadors Programme. Similar to the internship programme, it is exciting to see something move from planning and documents into actual delivery.

One thing Geri has reflected on this month is how much more comfortable he is becoming in taking responsibility for moving things forward. Having several new people join at around the same time has required becoming clearer in how to communicate, how to set expectations and how to support people without giving them every answer. Different interns need different levels and types of support, and that requires adapting the approach depending on the person and situation.

I am now becoming more comfortable following discussions, contributing where I can and trusting the Swedish knowledge I have built up. I still have a long way to go, but being able to participate more naturally in these environments feels like an important step, especially as more of my work involves building relationships within the Swedish sports environment.

Geri

Connecting the Work

One of the highlights of Yoana’s work as a Media and Content Developer during September was creating content around the European Week of Sport. This was particularly interesting because the topic connects not only with NYSA Sweden’s wider work, but also with two of the European projects NYSA is involved in: FAITH and FOCUS.

The European Week of Sport takes place every year from 23 to 30 September and aims to encourage people across Europe to become more active. In 2026, the campaign focused on #BeActive your way, highlighting that being active can look different for everyone and that physical activity does not have to be competitive or complicated.

Before working on the content, Yoana spent time learning more about the European Week of Sport and understanding its purpose. The breadth of the initiative stood out immediately. The campaign brings together activities in schools, workplaces, sports clubs, parks and public spaces, making it much broader than simply promoting traditional sport.

This research helped me look at NYSA’s work from a slightly different perspective. NYSA participates in the European Week of Sport each year, and its work across sport, education, youth development and community engagement connects naturally with the wider goals of the initiative. This year’s activities included visiting IF Haga. Rather than seeing the week simply as an awareness campaign, I started to see it as an opportunity to communicate the different ways sport can contribute to people’s development, wellbeing and opportunities.

Yoana

This was also where FAITH and FOCUS became especially relevant. Although the two projects have different focuses, both demonstrate how sport can have an impact beyond physical performance. FAITH focuses on future coaching, helping young people develop skills, confidence and resilience, while FOCUS works on strengthening dual-career support and helping young athletes balance sport with education and future career opportunities.

For me, this made the content creation process more meaningful. I was not simply creating a post about an international awareness week. I was thinking about how to communicate the connection between a European initiative and the actual work being carried out by NYSA and its projects. The challenge was to make the information clear and engaging while showing that these projects are part of a much larger European conversation about sport, participation, education and personal development.

Yoana

Overall, the project was one of Yoana’s highlights from September because it helped her better understand the European context surrounding NYSA’s work. It was rewarding to contribute by creating content that celebrated the European Week of Sport while also giving people a better idea of what NYSA, FAITH and FOCUS are working towards. For Yoana, it was a good example of how communication can help connect individual projects with a larger purpose and make the impact of the work more visible to a wider audience.

Changing Shape

September was the month Vala’s work at NYSA changed shape. He ended the month with a much wider view of how the organisation works and what it is trying to show. This autumn he is combining his role with a university internship, which means he is at NYSA full time for the first time. The internship pulls him towards data, systems and business intelligence, while the media role keeps him close to people and their stories.

I expected them to feel like two separate jobs. Mostly they did not. Both keep coming back to the same question: how do we show what NYSA actually does for the people it works with?

Vala

Most of Vala’s energy this month went into impact and evidence work. The aim is simple to say and harder to do: build a clear and consistent way for NYSA to define who it works with, record what happens, and connect that to the evidence shared with partners and funders. In practice that means agreeing on definitions, deciding which data is worth collecting, and working out where information already lives across projects and teams.

It was the most challenging part of the month, partly because it is new at this scale and partly because it touches almost everyone. A definition that looks tidy on paper quickly meets the reality of how different projects actually run.

I spent a lot of time learning that the most useful answer is often the one people will realistically use, not the most complete one. I did not get as far as I hoped by the end of the month, and I am learning to say that early rather than late.

Vala

The other big piece of the month was interviews. Vala conducted many conversations for both the NYSA and FOCUS channels, most of them remotely. Setting that up was a project in itself: finding a recording method that works across different countries, devices and internet connections, preparing guests, and making sure nothing is lost if one recording fails. The interviews themselves were demanding in a different way, requiring deep preparation beforehand, full attention in the moment and hours of editing afterwards.

What stayed with me was not the technical side, though. It was the people. Every interview was a chance to hear how someone got to where they are: the choices they made, the setbacks they worked through, and the people who helped them along the way. I went into these conversations as the one asking the questions and often came out as the one who had learned the most.

Vala

It also connected back to the impact work in a way Vala did not expect. Numbers and definitions matter, but the interviews reminded him why we collect them in the first place. Behind every count is a journey like the ones he heard this month.

Into October