The project ‘Smells like team spirit - How does community work?’ aimed to critically analyse the intersection of sport, human rights and community values. Drawing on our roots in the workers' sports movement, our youth organisation, Solijugend, set out to explore the role of sport in the context of human rights and community building. Our main aim was to engage young people in an exploration of sport as a method of building solidarity, mutual understanding and the promotion of human rights. Through workshops, discussions and activities we wanted to raise awareness of the paradoxes within the sports industry. We wanted to make it clear to participants that, on the one hand, sport is a unifying force that overcomes barriers and promotes solidarity, but on the other hand, it is also confronted with human rights problems such as discrimination, exploitation and political manipulation. The project aimed to address these dilemmas by promoting critical thinking, developing empathy and encouraging active youth participation. We wanted to encourage participants to voice their concerns, develop a deeper understanding of the societal complexities surrounding sport and propose viable solutions to combat human rights violations in the sporting world.