50 sports clubs from Russian universities took part in the contest – ITMO being named among the top five by the expert board. Every application was evaluated based on several criteria: relevance and importance of the project (compliance with the priorities of the national programs for sports); innovative ideas (non-conventional solutions in popularizing sports among the young); the project’s effectiveness, as well as media coverage of each stage of the project.
ITMO’s sports club came up with KronBars Space, a comprehensive programme to promote student sports. According to Dmitry Rusanov, general manager of KronBars, the name of the programme reflects the abundance and diversity of the initiatives planned for next year:
“We had to invent a simple name that would bring together all of our sports initiatives at ITMO and other Russian universities. We’ve always organized educational activities in management and marketing for sports clubs, and we also regularly speak on topical seminars or act as experts on specialized platforms. We are ready to share our experience and welcome active members into our space to support those passionate about student sports in Russia.”
Dmitry Rusanov
The new initiative will feature two courses: one for staff of sports departments and student sports managers and one for those who manage esports teams. Dmitry Rusanov explains that the second course will not only cover organization of training sessions and competitions, but also delve into social media engagement and promotion of the esports team.
ITMO’s very own esports club will also be founded – to organize large-scale national and international tournaments. The club will be supplied with all the necessary equipment: from computers and consoles to a streaming and commentator room. It will also act as the training ground for ITMO’s esports team. So far, the launch of the club is scheduled for late 2021.
ITMO's KronBars sports club
Already this fall, however, KronBars will open a fan club for ITMO students, staff and alumni. This club will support the university players in team sports such as basketball, futsal, volleyball, etc.
Also planned for next year is the launch of online courses in yoga, fitness, and sailing, as well as development of sports classes, and sports programs in basketball, futsal, and rowing. Moreover, the club is working on the Kronbars.Stars initiative, a sports’ achievements contest for prospective students.
“The megagrant gives us the opportunity to improve sports facilities at ITMO and increase the number of people willing to make sports a part of their routine. On the other hand, we will be able to share our experience and practices with anyone who wants to develop professionally or upgrade their own student sports clubs,” concludes Dmitry Rusanov.
