Lithuanian schools launch sports classes to balance education and athletics

Lithuanian schools established 20 sports classes this academic year to help student athletes balance their studies with professional sports training.

This pilot project allows students to attend training sessions during school hours instead of only practicing in the evenings. The Kėdainių Atžalyno Gymnasium in Kėdainiai joined the initiative by creating a dedicated class for the Kėdainių Nevėžio under-16 football team.

Because the school signed a cooperation agreement with the football club, players can now train on the stadium during the morning while other students attend regular lessons. Coach Vakaris Skibiniauskas said the arrangement provides extra hours for both individual and team practice. Players such as Vakaris Ambraška and Danielius Dirsė noted that the setup makes them feel like professional athletes.

Lina Blinstrubienė, the director of Kėdainių Atžalyno Gymnasium, explained that the school had to manage complex scheduling because only 16 of the 27 students in the class are professional athletes. To accommodate the high-performance students, the school also implemented a flexible grading schedule to account for missed lessons during competitions and long training sessions.

Kęstutis Bartuškevičius, an advisor at the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, stated that the program allows students to stay within the general education curriculum while pursuing high athletic goals. The ministry noted that team sports organizations show the most interest in these classes and expects the number of sports classes across Lithuania to increase next year.