Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancashire, UK, 4—5th September 2013

The Department of Sport and Physical Activity at Edge Hill University is proud to be hosting the 2013 European Sports Development Network (ESDN) Conference http://www.esdn.webs.com/. This year’s two-day event will examine the various opportunities, challenges and possibilities facing policy‐makers and practitioners working in sport and related domains in Europe and beyond. Bringing together academics, policy-makers and practitioners working in local, national and international contexts, the conference will take stock of the current policy landscape and consider the ways in which practitioners endeavour to achieve their objectives in increasingly challenging and highly politicized policy contexts to enhance comparative policy learning. Thinking and acting differently within this climate, together with the benefits of learning from other policy sectors, will ensure the conference offers a cutting-edge insight into the possible futures of sport policy and development practice in the UK and beyond.
Papers that address the key themes of the conference are welcome on the following topics:
- Youth sport, school sport and physical education
- Sport, physical activity and health promotion
- Safeguarding, welfare and the law
- Sport participation: evidence, trends and future trajectories
- Delivering sport in local communities: partnerships, clubs, volunteers
- Elite sports development: the ‘global sporting arms race’
- Sport‐for‐development: local and global perspectives
- Teaching and learning approaches in sport policy and development
- Open papers
Poster Presentations:
The Conference Organisers would also welcome poster presentations that address the above themes from registered students only. Posters will be displayed during lunch on both days of the conference and are intended to help students gain valuable experience of discussing their work in a supportive environment with colleagues in the field.
Confirmed Keynote Speakers:
- Professor Veerle De Bosscher (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
- Professor Lindsey Dugdill (University of Salford)
- Professor Barrie Houlihan (Loughborough University)
- Professor Ken Roberts (University of Liverpool)
- Dr David Stensel (Loughborough University)
Current professional football referee, Howard Webb, who refereed the 2010 football World Cup final, will provide an after dinner speech on 4 September.
How to Get Published in Sport Policy and Development:
The Editors of the International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics will discuss their experiences of publishing articles in the field and will host a ‘Meet the Editors’ Workshop for all attendees on 4 September.
Guidelines for the Submission of Abstracts
Abstracts of no more than 250 words should be sent to the conference team by e-mail (esdn2013@edgehill.ac.uk) by 30 May 2013. All abstracts must contain the following information and be submitted as a Microsoft Word file:
- Name of lead presenter
- Contact e-mail address and telephone number for lead presenter
- List of authors and affiliations (where appropriate) Title of presentation
- Conference theme addressed by the presentation
Further details will appear on the conference website in due course: http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/sport/esdn2013/