The largest event in the European Week of Sport, ESSD is a pan-European initiative promoting sport and health-enhancing physical activity at the international level and involving as many children, young people, schools and organisations as possible. For 2024, 3.2 million young people from more than 40 countries worldwide took part in European School Sport Day.

The focus topic for 2025 is 'The power of cooperation: strengthening links between sports clubs and schools in the field of sport, physical activity and health'.  On 26 September, all participants are encouraged to undertake 120 minutes of physical activity on that day, but ESSD actually encourages all year-round physical activity as one day is not enough!

Youth Sport Trust International is an organising partner in the project, which was first established by the Hungarian School Sport Federation is 2015 and is funded by the European Commission.  Youth Sport Trust's National School Sports Week is officially recognised as an associated event. 

For further information and if your school would like to take part in 2026, visit the ESSD website.

*The ESSD project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.