Sports club developer training

Club developer training is a professional training in the field of sports and its content is formed around two parts of the professional degree in physical education and coaching:

• Working in a sports environment (30 ECTS credits)
• Working in an association (30 ECTS credits)

The training is taught by ISLO experts Petri Pennanen and Pasi Majoinen, who have extensive experience in various tasks in the sports sector and in various roles in club activities. They have trained various groups in a variety of ways and have a deep understanding of the field.

In addition, the training is supplemented by several visiting experts from working life, who bring up-to-date information and practical experience from the club field. Cooperation with the North Karelian Sports Association, the North Savo Sports Association and the South Karelian Sports Association ensures that the training meets the needs of club activities in a timely manner.

A community that understands sports club work

Club work can sometimes feel lonely. Many people carry a lot of responsibility without a sparring network or a colleague to talk to. Although the everyday life of clubs is similar in many ways, cooperation between clubs often remains thin.

Club developer training offers you a group where you share, support and develop together. In a peer group, you get to discuss with those working on the same challenges – you get new perspectives, concrete ideas and, above all, the feeling that you are not alone.

The goal is to learn from each other: share good practices, insights and experiences. When you don’t have to reinvent the wheel in every club, you free up time and energy for development.

When the training ends, only the study ends – not the connection. For many, the peer group has been the starting point for long-term cooperation, peer support and even new friendships.

Many people end up working in sports clubs without any formal training – they learn the job through practice. However, working in a sports club or sports organization today requires a wide range of skills and the ability to respond to constantly changing challenges. Club developer training is designed to meet these working life needs.

The training will equip you with the skills, knowledge and practical tools to:

• Identify the quality factors of club activities and systematically strengthen the club’s capacity
• Lead networks and make more efficient use of them
• Inspire volunteers and organize activities
• Plan effective communication and build a supporting information architecture
• Implement events that promote community and vitality
• Develop a responsible organizational culture
• Plan your own work and lead yourself
• Understand the laws and principles that guide club activities
• Improve strategic planning
• Plan and monitor finances
• Improve fundraising

The ultimate goal of the training is to increase your skills, or capital, which will allow your club to operate in a more planned, goal-oriented and organized manner. Learning tasks and demonstration projects are directly linked to the development of your own club. You will also have access to ready-made models and proven practices that you can immediately apply in practice.

New in autumn 2025!

Now you can train in club development training in Kuopio and Imatra. The schedules and contents of the club development training are identical in both cities. The contact days include theory and practical parts. The theory parts are carried out remotely from Joensuu to Kuopio and Imatra, and the club development officers of North Savo Sports (PSL) and South Karelia Sports and Sports (EKLU) are responsible for the practical parts of the training in Kuopio and Imatra at the premises of each regional organization.

The training is carried out as a multi-modal study, which makes it possible to study excellently while working. The duration of the training periods varies from 1 to 2 days, which makes scheduling easier and flexible with the demands of working life. The timing of the training periods from September to May offers flexibility in planning your studies.

You can apply for the training continuously, which gives you the opportunity to start studying at a time that suits you. However, the most recommended starting dates are September and January. The location of the training is chosen when registering.

During the training, two examination components of the professional qualification of a sports counselor are completed: “working in a sports environment” and “working in an association”. At the beginning of the studies, a personal competence development plan (HOKS) is drawn up for each student, which helps the student set goals and plan their studies.

The examination components are completed in tests, where competence is assessed in accordance with the professional competence requirements and criteria specified in the ePuruste.

The contact days of the club developer training form a pedagogically and logically progressive whole, where each upcoming day is its own “mini-training” – full of content, encounters and new perspectives on club work. Each time offers you new skills and something to take to your own club.

Working in the sports environment:

September 18, 2025 at 8:15-12:00

Starting shot! Orientation package
25.-26.9.2025 at 8:15–12:00
Clear direction: Current status and development trends of club activities
Quality and momentum: Quality factors and capacity of club work
23.-24.10.2025 at 8:15–12:00
The club as the focal point of the network: Basics of network management
The club’s most important asset, people: Organizing and managing volunteer activities
20.-21.11.2025 at 8:15–12:00
On the same page: Internal communications & building blocks of the club brand
Modern club work: Club information architecture and digital tools
11.-12.12.2025 at 8:15–12:00
Buzz & signs of life: Events as part of vibrant club activities
Remembered to tell for others too!: marketing communications

Working in an association:

15.-16.1.2026 at 8:15–12:00
Responsibility for people and the environment: principles of responsible association operations
Clearing up fragmentation: planning, prioritizing and managing one’s own work
5.-6.2.2026 at 8:15–12:00

Association & law: laws and basic principles of administration that guide association operations
26.-27.2.2026 at 8:15–12:00

Continuously better: a systematically functioning and developing organization
26.-27.3.2026 at 8:15–12:00
Responsibility for finances: the basics of the association’s financial management and planning
But those euros: the association’s fundraising
22.-24.4.2026 at 8:00–16:00

Showcase days – make your expertise visible!

After completing the two qualification components related to the Club Developer Training, you have a unique opportunity to continue your studies in ISLO’s professional qualification training courses, such as the Sports Counselor and the Coaching professional qualification. For more information about ISLO’s further training courses, please contact the teacher responsible for the training.