Frequently Asked Questions About FUN360° Academy

FUN360° Academy is a learning community dedicated to transforming sport through evidence-informed education. Through engaging, self-paced learning experiences, we connect research, education, and practice to empower you to lead positive change and help create sport environments where everyone can thrive.

FUN360° represents a whole-sport approach to understanding and creating quality sport experiences. The "360°" represents the interconnected roles of all sport stakeholders and communities in shaping the sport experience. Together, these influences help create environments where individuals can learn, grow, and perform.

Fun is important in sport because it supports motivation, engagement, development, continued participation, and retention.

FUN360° Academy supports individuals and organizations across the sporting ecosystem, including: 

FUN360° Academy equips sport stakeholders with the knowledge and tools to understand why fun matters in sport and how positive sport experiences can be intentionally created and sustained.

FUN360° Academy is powered by Áthlima Sport, an organization dedicated to redefining performance excellence through holistic athlete and sport development.

FUN360° Academy is an evidence-informed online learning platform grounded in research on fun in sport, educational pedagogy, and professional sport practice. It translates scientific knowledge into interactive learning experiences designed to help people understand and apply research in real-world sport settings.

The science behind FUN360° Academy comes from research examining what makes sport fun and how it contributes to quality sport experiences. This research explores the factors that shape fun and how fun can support athletes’ engagement, motivation, development, continued participation, and retention in sport.

Fun integration theory is a research-based framework for understanding what makes sport fun for athletes. Developed through research led by Dr. Amanda J. Visek, the theory provides an understanding how fun sport experiences can support participation, motivation, and retention. 

FUN360° Academy courses are developed by sport professionals with complementary expertise in sport science, educational pedagogy, coaching, leadership, and applied sport practice.

The founding team includes Dr. Amanda J. Visek, whose research includes the development of fun integration theory; Dr. Monna Arvinen-Barrow, whose background includes extensive expertise in educational pedagogy and curriculum development; and Paul Shaw, whose background includes decades of experience in coaching, coach education, and coach development. 

Explore the Scholar’s Shelf to discover selected research and scholarship produced by our team and the evidence that informs our work at FUN360° Academy.

FUN360° Academy course development is informed by research, pedagogy, evidence-informed practice, professional experience, and a deep understanding of the realities of sport. These complementary sources help ensure that course content is scientifically grounded, practically relevant, and meaningful for people across sport settings.

FUN360° Academy courses are intentionally designed using evidence-informed educational principles. Learning activities follow purposeful sequences that help learners build knowledge progressively, reflect on what they are learning, connect new ideas with their own experiences, and consider how those ideas can be applied in sport.

FUN360° Academy bridges research and practice by turning evidence-informed knowledge into meaningful learning experiences and practical approaches for real-world sport. Courses help learners connect research with their own experiences and consider how what they learn can inform their actions, decisions, and interactions within sport environments.

FUN360° Academy supports continued learning through accessible, flexible, and evidence-informed learning opportunities designed to build knowledge over time. Learners can continue developing their understanding as they progress through courses and apply what they learn across different experiences and stages of their involvement in sport.

FUN360° Open Play is a free introductory learning experience that lets you explore the platform and learning approach before continuing into the FUN360° Academy course pathway. 

FUN360° Academy courses are designed to be engaging, practical, and flexible. Courses are delivered online and can be completed at your own pace. Course length varies depending on the course and how much time you choose to spend on each learning activity.

Our online learning platform lets you complete courses from anywhere, at any time, using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. You can learn at your own pace, revisit materials when needed, and fit learning around your schedule.

All FUN360° Academy courses are self-paced and asynchronous, allowing you to learn whenever and wherever it is most convenient for you. You can progress through course materials at your own pace and revisit content as needed.

Our courses are sport and stakeholder agnostic, so the concepts can be applied across different sports, levels of participation, and roles within the sport system. Whether you are an athlete, coach, parent, official, educator, health practitioner, or a sport administrator/leader, the learning experience is designed with you in mind. 

Our courses are designed to be accessible and relevant to a wide range of learners, from those new to sport to experienced practitioners and leaders. The concepts and strategies presented can be adapted to a variety of sporting contexts and levels of experience.

FUN360° Academy courses are designed for learners aged 13 and older and use clear, engaging language accessible to a wide range of learners. Parents, coaches, educators, and other adults may also use what they learn through FUN360° to support younger athletes in age-appropriate ways.

FUN360° Academy courses are currently available in English. We are actively working to make our courses available in additional languages to support learners from diverse communities around the world.

Most FUN360° Academy courses include a certificate of completion after you successfully meet the course requirements. 

You can access the course on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device. For the best experience, use the latest version of Chrome, Safari, Edge, or Firefox. If something is not loading correctly, refresh the page, then try another supported browser.

On the sign-in page, select Forgot password and follow the prompts to reset it. If you do not receive the reset email within a few minutes, check your spam or promotions folder and make sure you are using the same email address associated with your account.

Pause the video for 10 to 20 seconds to allow it to load. If buffering continues, lower the video quality if available, close other tabs or applications that may be using bandwidth, and try switching to a different network. If you are on a work or school network, firewall settings may affect streaming, so try a home network or a mobile hotspot.

Your progress is saved automatically as you move through the course. Some lessons or activities require you to select a Complete or Continue button to record completion. If a lesson does not appear as completed, reopen it, scroll to the end, and confirm that you selected the completion button if one is provided.

First, refresh the page and try again. For downloads, ensure your browser allows downloads and that any pop-up blocker is disabled for the site. For PDFs, try opening the file in a different browser or downloading it to view in a PDF reader. For activities, check your internet connection and confirm that you are still signed in. If the issue persists, try clearing your browser cache or using an incognito/private browsing window.

FUN360° Academy can be used to support staff development, coach education, leadership learning, and organization-wide professional development. Group enrollment and customized learning options are available for organizations with specific learning needs.

FUN360° Academy supports team, club, school, and organizational learning initiatives.

Through Áthlima Sport, we offer customized learning experiences tailored to the unique needs and goals of your organization.

We take your privacy seriously and collect, use, and protect your personal information as described in our Privacy Policy.

FUN360° Academy uses cookies and similar technologies to support website functionality and understand how our website is used, as explained in our Cookie Policy.

Our Terms & Conditions explain the terms that apply when you access and use the FUN360° Academy website, courses, and services.

For questions about courses, partnerships, or organizational learning opportunities, or general inquiries, please contact us at FUN360@athlimasport.org. 

For help with your account, course access, payments, or technical issues, please contact us at support@athlimasport.org.

Organizations interested in group learning, customized learning experiences, partnerships, or other opportunities can contact FUN360@athlimasport.org to discuss their needs.

We regularly expand our course offerings and educational resources. Follow FUN360° Academy and Áthlima Sport through our website, newsletter, and social media channels to stay informed about new courses, resources, events, and professional development opportunities.