From 16 to 20 June, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and Youth organized a training session in Bar, aimed at strengthening local capacities to support youth participation. The participants (22 women and 11 men) gathered from 22 municipalities, including representatives from local governments, youth clubs, and the Ministry of Sports and Youth. The training was designed based on feedback from participants during the introductory session held in Podgorica on 29 April.

The training equipped participants with practical tools and knowledge to improve youth work, aligning it with the standards of the Council of Europe, the European Union, and the specific context of Montenegro. Through interactive sessions, participants formulated action plans to implement the principle of meaningful youth participation in drafting and implementing local and national youth policies. They also gained a deeper understanding of the quality standards and competence frameworks essential for effective youth work. This comprehensive approach is expected to enhance the quality and inclusiveness of youth policies at both local and national levels.

Training facilitators, Ajša Hadžibegović and Aleksandra Gligorović, emphasized the importance of fostering collaboration among local actors and establishing a network of practitioners to share experiences and build a supportive community for youth development. They highlighted that co-operation among stakeholders is critical to addressing local youth needs effectively and ensuring youth work plays a central role in decision-making processes.

Irena Marunović, the Mission’s Youth Focal Point, emphasized the importance of giving participants the opportunity to analyze and provide feedback on key youth policies and frameworks. This feedback will directly inform ongoing efforts to amend the Law on Youth. The Ministry of Sports and Youth’s participation in the event ensures that these insights are integrated into the work of the expert and working group tasked with supporting the legal revision.

Participants expressed strong satisfaction with the training programme and underscored the importance of continuing to build on the knowledge and skills gained in the coming period.

David Blitzer’s interest in sports investing began after he became, in his own words, a “failed athlete.”

“I thought I was good when I was, you know, like a teenager. Then I realized by high school that I was adequate at best and certainly was not playing past high school,” he said in a Thursday episode of the Bloomberg podcast “The Deal.”

The billionaire, who is a chairman at Blackstone’s cross-asset investment group, made a name for himself as a pioneer in sports investing — a now-hot segment of the media and entertainment dealmaking world.

On the podcast, Blitzer sat down with hosts Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly to talk about the empire of team ownerships he has built.

Blitzer is the cofounder and managing partner of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, which owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. He also holds stakes in the NFL’s Washington Commanders, the MLB’s Cleveland Guardians, and the MLS’s Real Salt Lake.

“Being an investor in any of these teams and leagues is fun, it’s rewarding, it’s challenging, it’s really difficult,” he said.

Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Why Blizter is betting on sports

Blitzer’s first sports investment was with Josh Harris, the cofounder of Apollo, in 2011 when they acquired the Philadelphia 76ers for $280 million. Together, they founded Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.

“We had a lot of experience in corporate carve-outs. We had a lot of experience in bringing in new management teams and thinking about incentive structures in ways that I don’t really think sports had had really done in the past,” Blitzer said.

The early thesis for investing is the same one he has now: supply and demand, he said. There are a set number of sports teams, and more ultrawealthy people and newer entrants, like private equity firms, want to buy them.

“These are content and media businesses, and they have some of the best IP in the world. And frankly, in today’s world, when you think about live content, there’s probably nothing more valuable.”

He’s the first person to own equity in all five of the major men’s sports leagues in the US. His portfolio is strategically broad, he said, so he can offer wide, cross-sport reach for advertisers.

Earlier this year, for example, they did a deal with Campbell’s — the soup company — across the Commanders, the Sixers, the Devils, and Joe Gibbs Racing.

As with private equity portfolio companies, the scale of Blitzer’s portfolio also allows the company to better spread the cost of cutting-edge tools, such as AI and data analytics, he said.

Blitzer is also betting on sports outside pro men’s leagues.

Last year, Blitzer and Harris launched Unrivaled Sports, a company that specializes in youth sports. Blitzer also holds a stake in NWSL’s Utah Royals.

Blitzer’s advice to would-be sports owners

Even though Blitzer takes a strategic, portfolio approach to investing in sport, he points out that owning sports teams goes beyond crunching numbers.

He says his best advice for anyone investing in a sports franchise or a league is to go slow.

“Don’t do anything in your first season, like literally. Just learn. Just go around and meet everyone in the organization, watch what they do, how they do it. Do not come in and do big things in your first season,” he said, before adding: “By the way, no one has taken that advice.”

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Construction on two major projects is underway in St. Johns County that have been in the works for several years.

County leaders broke ground Friday morning on a new sports complex, a library and a community center are on the way to the Shearwater area, right off County Road 16A.

It is all a part of a more than $100 million initiative that started in 2019. The effort is to build four new regional parks and facilities, while renovating a fifth one in different parts of the county.

Parks and Recreation director Ryan Kane says the investment addresses a big demand. 

“I want to speak slightly for the youth sports organizations that are really looking forward to coming out here and getting out in utilizing the fields, the athletic fields,” Kane said. “The communities, I met with the Shearwater community, probably 18 months ago and talked about the needs and wants. They are excited about what is coming forward and now they see it happening and their backyard.”

The St. Johns County Tournament Complex is going to have eight rectangular fields. Five of them will be artificial and three of them are going to be grass fields.

There will also be a track, playground, and multipurpose fields for sports like soccer and football. The complex costs roughly $38 million to build.

A few hundred feet away from the sports complex is going to be the Central Community Park.

That is going to include the community center, a library, basketball court, multipurpose field and playground.

There will also be a splash pad, eight pickleball courts, climbing tower and a skate spot.

Manuel Salguiero moved across the street a year ago. He is on board with the investment as he says his 5-year-old son will utilize the upcoming facilities. 

“He loves playing at the playground,” Salguiero said. “We are still introducing him to sports, but now he has the opportunity. It brings good attention to the community. It will bring other families to the community and it just keeps the kids out of trouble because they have plenty to do.”

News4Jax met Sarah Strayhorn who was out walking her dogs, Lilo and Stitch, early Friday morning ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony.

Strayhorn also has been living across the street from the construction for a year and is looking forward to everything opening up for business.

“I love to read,” Strayhorn said. “I love a library. It is perfect that it is in the neighborhood. There is so much residential buildup, I feel like it is really important to have these community spots.”

Tim Connors is project manager for the county’s parks and recreation department.

Connors says all the projects need to happen as St. Johns County continues seeing significant growth.

“There has been an increased demand for our recreational facilities across the county, north and south,” he said. “Our existing parks and field were really stressed and stretched for capacity. It limited access for youth leagues and sports organizations, adult recreation. These new facilities, the sports plex primarily, is going to provide that much needed space and modern amenities to support these local sports groups, as well as regional tournaments moving into the area as well.”

“Residents are looking forward to it as a place to go and just enjoy the weekends with their kids,” Connors said. “Our youth organizations are looking forward to it to be able to expand some of their programming and offerings to the community, and kids will get into those youth sports. Our tourism industry is looking forward to it by bringing in more tournaments to the area, getting larger-scale recreational and sports tournaments.”

Connors says the plan is for both of these areas to be open for business by early 2027.

BATON ROUGE – LSU Soccer Head Coach Sian Hudson and her staff added two signees to the class of 2025 this spring. Daniela Hellin and Lila Jaillet will join the Tigers this upcoming fall. 

A native of Valencia, Spain, Daniella Hellin adds additional experience on the international stage for the Tigers, having played for the prestigious club of Valencia CF. She’s consistently been around Spain’s youth national teams, including appearing on the Spain U17 National Team, and looks to continue her already impressive career as a Tiger on the collegiate stage. 

“Daniela is a creative and intelligent attacking midfielder who thrives in tight spaces and always seems to find the right solution,” said Hudson. “She brings valuable experience from the Spanish youth National team setup and has the ability to break teams down whether she’s taking players on or playing the decisive pass. She will be a real problem for opposition defenses.”

Hellin is one of the most exciting prospects out of Spain and has been with the first team squad at Valencia this past year. The midfielder has been through every age group at the club, competing with and against some of the brightest talents Spain has to offer, including traveling to Europe and East Asia while representing Valencia CF.

“I am looking forward to being a part of this great program and to contributing as much as possible to help my team,” said Hellin. “I see a very united team with a lot of room to progress together.”

The second addition to the fall squad is a prominent defender out of Marietta, Georgia, Jaillet is a captain of both her club and high school teams and a great leader, she recently led her HS team to their first Georgia High School Association (GHSA) 6A State Championship. She earned first-team all-state, all-region, all-county and defensive MVP honors during her high school career at George Walton High School. 

“Lila is a versatile and athletic defender who brings both grit and composure to our back line,” added Hudson. “She’s a great competitor with the tools to strengthen our defensive unit and add depth to our backline immediately.” 

The incoming freshman has spent 12 years playing club soccer for Tophat in Atlanta, Georgia, where she started and played every minute of 27 games this season.

Jaillet is ready to bring her experience to the collegiate stage. “I chose LSU for its coaching staff, team culture and the amazing athletic facilities. I am excited to compete on the pitch at the highest level, building lifelong friendships with my teammates, and hopefully bring home an SEC Championship,” added Jaillet.

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