Susana Reguela
Center of High Performance – CAR Barcelona, Spain
Susana Regüela has a Ph.D. in Psychology, and is the manager of the Education Area at the Center of High Performance (CAR) in Barcelona, where athletes’ conviviality and education are supported. The mission of the Education Area is to facilitate the Athlete’s Integral Education (FIES Program) during their sport stay at the center and to ensure their follow-up after leaving the CAR. Susana defines the strategic management, vision and supervises the lifestyle, dual career, transitions and holistic development of the 380 yearly full-board and half-board athletes, and other external athletes from Spanish and Catalan Federations. She also manages the coordination of this area with coaches and interdisciplinary groups, considering that their activities are integrated in the sports career at short, mid and long terms.
Susana advises dual career providers in order to improve their interventions with athletes. She also works with athletes during different transitions. Currently, she participates in the EU projects Gold in Education and Sport (GEES), Be a Winner In Sport, and Employment before and after athletic Retirement (B-WISER). With the REsults [WE_CARE] Program, and together with National care and development centers, the CAR Education Area supports elite athletes in balancing their sports and education/employment for the establishment of Dual Career structure in three Balkan Countries.
Additionally, Susana has developed a program for the International Olympic Committee on time management, was a member of the group of experts in charge of the publications of the EU guidelines, and has a huge experience in implementing DC programs in Spain.
Confinement, postponement and the Olympic Games
Susana Reguela* & Miquel Torregrossa**
*Center of High Performance – CAR, Barcelona, Spain
**Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
At the beginning of 2020, the Sant Cugat High Performance Center (CAR) was filled Tokyo 2020 flags. The work was focused specifically on the preparation or classification of athletes for Olympic/Paralympic Games. On March 14 in Spain the state of alarm was declared due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and everyone stood at their homes. A duration of 15 days was proposed. Actually, the state of alarm ended on June 21(more, than 90 days after).
We were facing two non-normative transitions never experienced, or at least that is how we perceived it. On the one hand, a 90 days confinement at home of athletes and coaches (during the first week with the uncertainty of Tokyo 2020 in the short-term horizon). On the other hand, the postponement of the Olympic Games to 2021. At that time, we decided to start the Covid Coping Project.
The main objective of the project is to identify and describe confinement and postponement link to COVID-19 in athletes and coaches in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic/Paralympic Games. The first interviews were conducted during confinement (from May 2 to 11, CAR reopening date). The athletes and coaches told us about:
- Experiences at the Olympic Games/JJPP
- Preparation for Tokyo 2020
- Their life in confinement
- Post-confinement expectations
In this project we will learn how to prepare for the Tokyo 2020 Olympiad, during a pandemic.
