Shaping What Comes Next in Sports Performance. Tapio Korjus, the President of the ASPC
Dear ASPC family,
Having worked closely with world-class athletes, coaches, and performance experts for the most part of my career, one thing has become clear: the next generation of athletes isn’t just looking for better training facilities. They’re looking for an entirely new experience. Sports isn’t just about training and competing anymore. It’s also entertainment. It’s part of culture. It’s storytelling.
We need to start thinking like entrepreneurs: finding new ways to connect, innovate, and create lasting societal impact. By working together, ASPC centres can take on a bigger role in society, helping to drive transformation and foster a global move-ment of performance, health, and innovation. This isn’t just about keeping up; it’s about leading.
We have started a new exciting Olympics towards Milano Cortina and Los Angeles. We have learned a lot from the past Olympics. All centers have a lot of successes and learning behind them together with their own sports customers.
ASPC’s new strategy was started almost three years ago. The values, vision, strategic goals and action plan of the strategy still carry us well. At the same time, the world around us has changed rapidly – also in sports.Three years ago, we did not yet know how to put the same emphasis on digital solutions and artificial intelligence as our operating environment offers and also requires today. Can we update our strategy at speed? How quickly can we adapt and develop our daily work in our centers. How quickly do we need to think about our services, expertise and conditions to serve new and future generations of athletes with high quality? Will we be able to help our coaches and experts adopt and utilize new digital tools and methods? How quickly can change happen? How will transformation and a data driven training center be implemented? We’re standing at the edge of massive change.
The way that people engage with sports globally is also changing. Athletes are not just competitors; they’re influencers, content creators, and role models. Fans don’t just watch the game - they want to be part of it. And the growing focus on health and well-being means that what we do at our training centers can have an impact far beyond the elite athlete level. Technology has already become an essential part of our daily operations.
What excites me most is the potential we have when we work together. Imagine a global network of 120+ performance centres that don’t just train athletes but also engage communities, drive research, and create opportunities that never existed before. A network that is adaptable, forward-thinking, and prepared for whatever the future holds.
We are at a pivotal moment. Sports will continue to evolve. Let’s make sure that we are the ones shaping the change!
Digital coaching tools, data-driven insights, and social engagement strategies are no longer luxuries, they’re necessities. The real opportunity isn’t just about adopting new tools - it’s about rethinking how we operate, how we collaborate, and how we can shape the future of performance training.
This year will be very exciting for ASPC in many ways. We have just launched the ASPC Mike English Scholarship Program Contest where each member center can apply for a 10,000 euro grant for a project to foster innovation, knowledge transfer and positive impact in the sports field. The submission dead line for this contest will be April 25th 2025. Let’s open your imagination and make a great application.
ASPC centres have always been the backbone of elite performance, but now we have the opportunity to be so much more. We can become the bridge between tra-dition and innovation in sports; between elite athletes and the broader community; between performance and purpose.