National Research Centre for Youth Sports (NCYS) is an initiative aimed at promoting research, development, and innovation in children's and youth sports. The purpose is to create a knowledge hub for a sustainable and inclusive sports environment for young people, based on scientific evidence and proven experience.
National Conference on Youth Sports 2026
In October 2026, the National Centre for Research in Youth Sports organized its first conference in collaboration with RF-SISU Värmland, the Municipality of Karlstad, and Forte.
Professor Alan L. Smith of Utah State University, who was awarded an honorary doctorate by Karlstad University in 2025, officially inaugurated the National Centre for Research in Youth Sports in the autumn of 2025.
James Vaughan from New Zealand, formerly an elite futsal player and football coach, is currently the head of academy at Västerås SK. He is also an author and researcher, including serving as an affiliated researcher at the National Research Centre for Sports for Children and Youth at Karlstad University. James Vaughan will study the sociocultural influences on football and training.
