Star Clubs (Tähtiseurat)

The Star Club program (Tähtiseura-ohjelma) is a quality program for club activities produced by the Finnish Olympic Committee, aimed at developing sports club operations in Finland. The symbol of the program is the Star Badge (Tähtimerkki), which indicates that the club has developed to a level where the quality factors defined in the program are met.

In children and youth sports, key elements are joy, enthusiasm, learning, and development, as well as friendship and equal opportunities to participate. The goal of the Star Club activity is to establish a shared set of practices and principles within the club to deliver high-quality activities for children and young people.

Star Clubs represent the forefront of children and youth sports. They are active and forward-thinking clubs, the best in their sports and local communities! Earning the Star Badge is a point of pride for a club, but it also brings responsibility. The Star Badge is a promise of quality in youth operations.

Star Clubs do valuable work for children's and youth sports. High-quality operations are made possible by adults, parents, instructors, coaches, club leaders, and other contributors, who are aware of their educational responsibility and role-model status.

How to Become a Star Club?

Any club interested in quality development whose sports federation is a member of the Finnish Olympic Committee can sign up for the Star Club quality program.

The Star Club program consists of three different areas that a club can develop: children/youth, adults, and elite sports. In addition, there are core quality factors shared across all areas that must be met to achieve the Star Mark. A club can independently start developing its children & youth as well as adult activities toward the Star Mark. However, joining the quality program for elite sports requires selection by the respective sports federation. Currently, the Star Clubs of the Badminton Association focus exclusively on children's and youth activities.

The quality of a Star Club is monitored through audit visits, first every two years and subsequently every three years. The audit visits are conducted by the sports federation, often accompanied by a representative from the regional sports organization.