The background of this project is related to the role of sport in two recent White Papers from the Commission on an integrated EU approach to reducing ill health and enhancing public health, the White Paper on A Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity related health issues and the White Paper on Sport. The project centres on the development and validation of a new method in health promotion, namely a community-based coach education program aimed at promoting the psychosocial development and adoption of healthy lifestyles among young people in Europe. The proposed project will foster collaboration between major research groups representing 5 countries (8 universities) in the European Community and promote the integration of their ongoing research efforts centred on health promotion in youth from two perspectives, namely (a) motivational processes and optimal functioning in the physical domain among young people, and (b) cross-national differences in and environmental impacts on children’s health behaviour. In terms of study design, the PAPA project will examine differences between the provision of youth sport and its health related impacts as currently exists in the targeted countries and a youth sport intervention designed to enhance personal competence, relatedness and self determination of the young players aged 10-14 and their adoption of a healthy lifestyle. In examining the effectiveness of the intervention programme, the pre- and post-season (plus beginning of the subsequent season follow-up) responses of coaches and players in the intervention arm (representing 50 football teams) will be contrasted to a control group of 30 coaches and their players.