Introduction to Slovenia’s Sporting Success
For a country with a little more than two million people, the success of Slovenia is amazing in sports. They won seven medals in the last winter games, today they have one of the biggest names in the NBA in Luka Doncic, and the world’s best cyclist Tadej Pogacar also comes from the small European nation.
Reasons Behind Slovenia’s Success
Professor Gregor Jurak from the University of Ljubljana specializes in physical fitness and activity. He believes that there are a number of reasons why Slovenia is a great place for young athletes to grow. "The whole population is quite fit and also has a high physical literacy, so they have a lot of knowledge and are quite motivated," Jurak said.
Schools Lay the Basis
This is all in schools. The competence of the staff is very high. Teachers in sports lessons have to complete specialized training for five years before class, a much higher standard than many other European nations. Slovenia also has more physical education classes, and these classes are relatively small with a maximum of 20 children. Sports facilities are quite well developed. Girls are separated from sixth-grade boys, which, according to Jurak’s research, improves the girls’ physical fitness. The school system also works together with sports clubs. All of this creates a great basis for young people to be in good physical health.
Influence of Mothers
"We also found in our studies that mothers define the lifestyle of the children in the family. Since our mothers are quite physically active – they are among the best in Europe – they actually pass on these habits to their children," said Jurak. The reason why mothers have a greater influence than fathers is that they are the managers of leisure time.
National Surveillance System
The SLOfit Program, a national surveillance system for the physical and motor development of children, which has been used annually in every basic and high school in Slovenia since 1987, plays a significant role. The data has the opportunity to observe their child’s physical development, while teachers can use them to help children who have to fight physically. While it is primarily a health instrument, parents can also help to find opportunities in the local community that are suitable for their child’s fitness and find out which children have extraordinary skills.
Geographical Diversity
After the separation of Yugoslavia in 1991, sport became a large part of the national identity of Slovenia, especially winter sports. The geographical diversity of Slovenia – the country has plenty of green rooms, mountains, hills, and flatlands – also played a role in the growth of sport.
Less Dominance of Football
Football is not that dominant in Slovenia. "I think this is also one of the bad sides of football because it is so much commercialized that they can run anywhere in the other sports. It is not true in Slovenia," said Jurak. Perhaps this is one of the advantages for young athletes, since they are not exposed to such high commercialization in early periods, which could also influence them in a really negative way, even when it comes to personal features.
Promotion of Other Activities
The country tries to promote other activities, including climbing, which is one of the most popular sports in Slovenia. Cycling is also popular, but mostly leisure and competition.
Talent and Development
Beyond the structure and landscape of Slovenia is also the question of natural skills. Tadej Pogacar’s VO2 Max is amazing, at 89.4. The range for a Tour de France Peloton driver is between 70 and 85. Many are asked whether Pogacar already had the gifts or whether it grew up in Slovenia, which made it possible. The answer is clear for Jurak. "He is a great talent, but he would be a kind of great talent without this environment? Probably not."
Legacy of Sporting Success
Pogacar is about to win his fourth Tour de France. Only four drivers won five, and at 26, there is a real chance that the Slovenian could win more than any other before. Perhaps the majority of his legacy is the success of his success on the bike about talent development and what the people of Slovenia did. "In the past, we had no high self-esteem when I would say as a Slovenian," said Jurak. "But in the past two decades, especially through sporting success, we can compare ourselves with the big nations. I think this is the main advantage of this sporting success."
