Olympic Committee and Jyväskylä Region expand cooperation in top-level sports

The Olympic Committee's new Jyväskylä Urban Area Agreement enables a continuum of long-term and more extensively based regional coaching, support and development activities for elite sports in the Jyväskylä Region for the next eight years. Five years ago, the first urban area agreement of the Olympic Committee concluded in Jyväskylä laid the foundation for a national agreement model. After Jyväskylä, the Olympic Committee has also signed agreements with Helsinki, Tampere and Turku.

Pulliainen Esko
Viestinnän asiantuntija, Communication Specialist
Julkaistu 20.11.2024

The new 4+4-year agreement signed in Jyväskylä on 20.11.2024 is larger than before and with more signatories than before. The agreement made in Jyväskylä with the Finnish Olympic Committee's Elite Sports Unit once again provides an updated model for other urban regions as well. At the same time, it brings regionally needed stability to the regional development, conditions and coaching of top-level sports.

The signatories of the Jyväskylä City Region Agreement are the Finnish Olympic Committee, the Jyväskylä Sports Academy, the Institute of Elite Sports KIHU, the City of Jyväskylä, the Regional Council of Central Finland and EduJyväskylä, i.e. the Jyväskylä Joint Authority for Education Gradia, Jamk University of Applied Sciences and the University of Jyväskylä. The agreement clarifies the national and regional roles, tasks and cooperation of Finnish top-level sports locally within the network.

"This agreement creates a long-term approach and structure for the development of top-level sports, which has been called for in the public eye, and which will enable Finnish top-level sports to succeed even better in the future. Sports academies, coaching centres, cities and educational institutions in the region are a network where future achievers grow. With this agreement, we strengthen the prerequisites for this cooperation," comments Jaana Tulla from the Finnish Olympic Committee's Elite Sports Unit.

The City of Jyväskylä as the central city, Central Finland as a region, the region's strong educational institutions and the Institute of Elite Sports KIHU offer a unique growth platform even nationally, especially for the rising peaks of the future. The signatories are delighted with the cooperation, as it will further strengthen the cooperation between the Capital of Sport Jyväskylä and the Olympic Committee around sports aiming for the top.

"As the Capital of Sport, Jyväskylä is a pioneer and trendsetter in the regional agreements for top-level sports. The unique network cooperation, top experts and diverse conditions of the Jyväskylä Region create a model for other urban regions as well. I am particularly pleased that during the new agreement period, we have also included the Institute of Elite Sports KIHU and the Regional Council of Central Finland as partners. In this way, we will expand both the expert network and regional impact," says Timo Koivisto, Mayor of Jyväskylä.

The Jyväskylä City Region Agreement further strengthens Jyväskylä's role in the national network of elite sports
The Finnish Olympic Committee's elite sports unit manages and coordinates the activities of the Finnish elite sports network, which includes athletes, coaches, sports, sports academies and coaching centres, Olympic training centres, sports medicine centres, experts working in elite sports and top clubs.

The sports are responsible for their own success plan and the development of their operations. Sports academies and coaching centres serve as enabling environments for athletes, coaches and experts. The role of cities is, above all, to provide conditions for diverse hobbies that help future leaders find their own path. In addition, the contracting cities also provide conditions for the needs of athletes and coaching aiming for the top. Jyväskylä manages its own sports and conditions operations in accordance with its strategy.

The Olympic Committee is pleased with the agreement, as Jyväskylä is one of the key players in the sports academy network.

"Jyväskylä is an important partner for us, and it is great to be able to open a new urban region agreement period with Jyväskylä. It is one of six national operating environments in which sports federations have focused their activities. And Jyväskylä also plays a significant role in the national network of sports academies and coaching centres," Jaana Tulla comments on the significance of the agreement.

The parties to the agreement are independent actors, but the agreement requires close interaction and cooperation. The objectives are agreed in detail in the annual target and result discussions. The agreement also defines the main roles of actors in supporting top-level sports.

In Jyväskylä, schools and educational institutions play a significant role. Here, one focus is on investing in dual career opportunities starting in middle school. In Jyväskylä, dual career thinking is implemented at all levels of education, from basic education to higher education institutions, and this work is promoted in the EduJyväskylä cooperation between the Joint Authority for Education, the University of Applied Sciences and the University.

"We have both a sports upper secondary school and a sports vocational school in Gradia, the Jyväskylä Joint Authority for Education. The University and University of Applied Sciences have been audited by the Olympic Committee as elite sports-friendly higher education institutions. All educational institutions in Jyväskylä are investing in dual career opportunities to enable studies and goal-oriented sports in primary, secondary and higher education. Physical activity and sports-friendliness are one of the issues promoted in the EduJyväskylä cooperation between Gradia, Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences and the University of Jyväskylä. Expanding cooperation in top-level sports will further strengthen and profile educational institutions," say Anssi Tuominen, Director of the Joint Municipal Authority, Vesa Saarikoski, Rector of Jamk, and Jari Ojala, Rector of the University of Jyväskylä.

Another special feature of Jyväskylä and an interesting addition to the urban region agreement is the role of the Institute of Elite Sports KIHU during the new agreement period. KIHU has long played a significant role in the RDI activities of Finnish top-level sports, multidisciplinary expertise and the sharing of reliable sports information. As one of the six national sports medicine centres, KIHU's contribution to the development and support of athletes' health is also extensive. The new agreement enables deeper cooperation also locally in the Jyväskylä region.

"We are happy to be part of this important mutual agreement. An athlete's journey to the top requires a lot of multiprofessional support, which is only possible through active cooperation between different actors. In addition, Jyväskylä has a lot of top-level expertise in the field of sports RDI activities, and I believe that the agreement will further increase cooperation, which will also benefit the entire Finnish top sports," comments Arto Kuusisto, CEO of KIHU.

The inclusion of the Regional Council of Central Finland in the agreement will also strengthen the building of a cooperation network that is more extensive than the central city and the special nature of the Jyväskylä City Benefit Agreement. The union's role as a contractual partner is naturally linked to regional development.

"The cooperation agreement highlights Central Finland's unique expertise and pioneering role. Physical activity and sports are key growth spearheads in our region, strongly based on learning, research and innovations. The agreement brings together the key players in our region even more closely and gives a new kind of impetus to the development of the sports and physical activity ecosystem," says Pekka Hokkanen, Regional Director.

Jyväskylä is involved in the development work with a wide range of sports
Jyväskylä participates in the agreement with a wide range of sports. At the beginning of the contract period, the focus sports of the Sports Academy will be athletics, swimming, artistic gymnastics, ice hockey, mogul skiing, football, basketball, baseball, floorball, volleyball, cross-country skiing and combined. In addition, the Jyväskylä Sports Academy is responsible locally for cooperation with the sport in team gymnastics, cheerleading, bandy, figure skating, wrestling and futsal. The variety of species is not set in stone in the agreement, but changes to the species are possible without updating the agreement.

The operational coordinator of the agreement is the Jyväskylä Sports Academy
"The goal of the Sports Academy is to enable the path to becoming a sports professional in Jyväskylä and Central Finland and to ensure that athletes have daily coaching and an operating environment that is sustainable by international comparison. Supporting young people's growth and development enables athletes to reach their own potential in sports and other areas of life and to combine goal-oriented practical training and studies in a way that suits them. The new agreement period shows that we have been satisfied with our work together with local sports and clubs, and the wider network of contract partners will strengthen our academy activities and sports coaching and further boost the development of other conditions as well," says Aki Karjalainen, Director of the Jyväskylä Sports Academy.

The roles of the local contractors are defined in the agreement. Jyväskylä Sports Academy is the main operator of the agreement, which is responsible for developing and ensuring everyday coaching, support measures and conditions. The Academy also acts as a partner in everyday research, education, development and innovation activities. The new contractual partner, the Institute of Elite Sports KIHU, strengthens research, development and innovation activities and provides expert services for these.

The city of Jyväskylä, as the central city of the region, offers above all conditions. The city also has a strong role in supporting the first steps of young athletes' dual careers. An example of this is the cooperation with the Sports Academy for secondary schools, which has, among other things, created an extensive, nationally unique secondary school camp that is implemented three times a year.

The Jyväskylä Joint Authority for Education Gradia is part of the Olympic Committee's network of 2nd level sports schools. The educational institution supports students' dual career opportunities and participates in training and development activities in the field.

Jamk University of Applied Sciences is a top-athlete-friendly higher education institution offering education in social and health care, wellbeing and sports business. Students are supported in dual careers. The multidisciplinary research, education, development and innovation activities of the University of Applied Sciences strengthen the prerequisites for physical activity, well-being and top-level sports in the region.

The University of Jyväskylä is also a top-athlete-friendly higher education institution that enables smooth dual career development. The university's Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences is the only one in Finland. The university's extensive research, education, development and innovation activities in sport science support the entire network extensively.

As a new contractual partner, the Regional Council of Central Finland has a clear role as a regional developer. The involvement of the Regional Council in the agreement supporting top-level sports is, at least for the time being, unique even on a national scale, which underlines the pioneering nature of the Jyväskylä City Region Agreement.

In the photo: Timo Koivisto, City of Jyväskylä (left), Aki Karjalainen, Jyväskylä Sports Academy, Jari Ojala, University of Jyväskylä, Pekka Hokkanen, Regional Council of Central Finland, Arto Kuusisto, KIHU, Anssi Tuominen, Gradia, Vesa Saarikoski, Jamk