PLAYInc flashmoob event – Inclusive football with friends and family

Last week Health Life Academy Association organized an inclusive sport event for children and persons with ID in Sveti Martin na Muri, Croatia. Event was carried out in 2 days in which participant organisations from all over Croatia had organized inclusive football activities. All participants were accommodated in the resort Terme Sv. Martin in a beautifull region of Međimurje in the north of Croatia. Our guests engaged in Inclusive football activity and lots of side activities planned on Saturday as part of Erasmus+ project Let’s all children pay inclusion. 

The aim of the project is  to promote a common methodology in order to design innovative adapted sports aimed at promoting social inclusion of children with motor and cognitive disabilities together with not disabled children (up to 12 years old).

Inclusive football is a sport activity dedicated to children with and without disabilities under age 13 that ensures equal access to enjoyment through the most famous mainstream sport. Unlike classic football, inclusive football is manifested in a friendly environment with a unique set of rules that allows everyone to express their full potential and at the same time create an environment based on fun and joy. Activity can be implemented on various football fields as it doesn’t require additional props nor equipment. Peculiarities of the activity are manifested in the ratio of the number of players of persons with and without disabilities, fun side activities in form of football polygons addressed to all participants that can also include parents. Depending on the number of participants, it can be carried out in a form of a single match or tournament, however activity emphasises on participation and togetherness, not on competition.

Inclusive football activity was mainly carried out in resort sport hall with all needed props and equipment and by the expressions and joy from our participants we can say that everybody had a lot of fun. Inclusive football was played by multiple teams in which everyone played against each other in a 2×15 minute match. Inclusive football intends to puts all participants in a position to express their full potential. At the end of inclusive football, an aditional mixed match was played where coaches, family members and organization staff engaged in all together inslucive football activity.

In a break between football matches there were several side activities which everybody could try and compete. There was a  penalty shootout competition and presentation/demonstration of a new sport Teqball. 

At the end of the sport event, Health Life Academy general secretary Dario Jagić and National Teqball Federation president Maks Dimov provided gifts for the participants.

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