Movement Volleyball Camp

DTCare Unifies Ethnically Diverse Girls Through Sports at First Annual MOVEMENT Camp

DTCare held our first annual MOVEMENT summer volleyball camp from July 21-23, 2023, at Mountain Vlašić, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The event brought together girls between 11-15 years of age from various ethnic backgrounds to promote tolerance and build female leadership through the power of sports and mentoring.

The camp offered various activities, social opportunities, and targeted sessions for exploring other interests, including medicine, science, engineering, and psychology. DTCare aims to hold a series of multidisciplinary events to foster social interaction, reconciliation, and understanding among the young people of BiH.

About the Event

DTCare's first annual MOVEMENT summer volleyball camp (Mountain Volleyball, Education, and Mentorship), as part of our new Unification Through Sports Initiative, was held from July 21-23, 2023, at Mountain Vlašić, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The event brought girls between the ages of 11-15 from various ethnic backgrounds together to increase tolerance between ethnically diverse communities and build female leadership by instilling empathy, connection, and reconciliation through the power of sports and mentoring. The volleyball camp started with the arrival of the participants from Volleyball Club Travnik and Volleyball Club Victory Novi Travnik to Vlašić mountain, Eko Fis complex, where they stayed for the duration of the trip. DTCare introduced the participants to the camp mentors and volunteers during an introductory dinner on the evening of July 21st. The second day of the camp—July 22nd—was very active, with various activities and social opportunities. The camp ended after three busy days of volleyball, socializing, games, learning, and mentoring sessions. During the event, DTCare helped participants build camaraderie, improved their communication, promoted team spirit, and explored more delicate topics such as peer pressure and personal safety in the natural and online world. DTCare's also offered targeted sessions for other interests that girls may have, including medicine, science, engineering, astronomy, psychology, philosophy, and security, as a way for them to get information and exposure to potential future professions. The camp is the first of a series of multidisciplinary events designed to bring mentors and volunteers from both BiH and the USA together to foster social interaction, reconciliation, and understanding among the young people of BiH.

Goals of the Event

The event builds on young women's leadership potential using the popular sport of volleyball while fostering dialogue on team strength through diversity, team-building exercises, empowerment, and mentorship. DTCare intends to achieve and reinforce the following goals with the annual event:

  1. Mastering athletic skills, performance, and stamina,

  2. Positive leadership and self-confidence skills,

  3. Breaking the stigma of "others",

  4. Communication/intercommunication skills,

  5. Identification of key stumbling blocks to integration,

  6. Increase in teamwork and interdependence,

  7. Create a mindset of helping others.

Timeline and Activities

The three-day event features various activities, social opportunities, and targeted sessions for exploring other interests, including medicine, science, engineering, and psychology, including:

  • Mastering sports skills and techniques to create team cohesion

  • Mentoring Session: countering hostility, negativity, and abuse

  • Mix teams to demonstrate interdependence and leadership

  • Mentoring Session: overcoming disability, fear and doubt

  • Mastering sporting strategy, fair play, empathy and spirit

  • Mentoring Session: health and issues facing young women

  • Mastering situational awareness outdoors and harmony

Partner Highlight

DTCare partnered with the University of Sarajevo Gender Resource Center, TPO Foundation, American Chamber of Commerce, and the Zenica Doboj Canton prime minister’s office to provide inspiring mentorship sessions and show young women that all obstacles can be overcome with dedication and teamwork. A particular highlight was the inspiring visit from the former cantonal prime minister Ms. Amra Mehmedic, herself an accomplished athlete, who shared her story and success in sports as well as leadership roles.

What Camp Participants Are Saying

“Bravo to the whole crew that worked on this project!”

Special thanks to Zemira and Amer, who were more than thoughtful to all of us. In addition to volleyball and sports activities, we have significantly enriched our knowledge through well-thought and prepared lectures from all lecturers.

- Camp Participant

“Great organization, organizers dedicated to each individual and their needs.”

- Camp Participant

“Thank you, DTCare!”

The smile[s] and satisfaction of all the participants is just confirmation that we had a great time! We expect continued cooperation next year.

- Camp Participant

In the News

Read more about DTCare’s Movement Summer Volleyball Camp below: