Friesland supports inclusive walking football with 4,000 euros for more participation!

Friesland supports inclusive walking football with 4,000 euros for more participation!

In a commendable initiative, the Friesland district has provided more than 4,000 euros for the inclusive sports program “Walking Football for people with disabilities” as part of its inclusion fund. This funding of 4,116.12 euros aims to improve training conditions and cover the growing need for barrier-free exercise formats. nwzonline.de reports that ...

Walking football is a gentle version of football in which the players do not run and physical contact is kept to a minimum. This form of sport is ideal for people with disabilities and promotes their integration into club life. Training has been taking place weekly in Neuchâtel since autumn 2023. The offer, organized by GPS Wilhelmshaven and TV Neuenburg, now has 30 enthusiastic players who come to training regularly. A team of five supervisors and three trained trainers support the participants to ensure optimal support.

Funding for necessary materials

The funds provided will go towards purchasing training clothing, football boots, balls, cones and two additional goals. These materials are essential to further improve training conditions and cope with the increasing influx. Due to the high level of interest, an additional playing field, particularly for six-on-six mode, is being considered. The DFB emphasizes that...

Funding the entire project is not only important for the sustainable development of the inclusive offering, but also helps to make football easier for people with disabilities to access. Walking football is not just a sporting activity, but also an opportunity to experience community and friendship. This new form of football can also reactivate passive members, for example those who have stopped playing due to injuries, and integrate them into the club structure in an integrative manner. This is reflected in the fact that the sport's special rules promote integration and reduce prejudices.

Sport as participation and inclusion

Sport is a crucial factor for acceptance and tolerance in our society. It creates opportunities to reduce prejudices and minimize fear of contact. The joint sporting activity of people with and without disabilities is increasingly taken for granted. This supports societal attitudes towards inclusion and integration, which were reinforced by the 2009 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Aktion Mensch emphasizes...

However, there is still a lot of work to be done in Germany, particularly with regard to access to inclusive sports offerings. The proportion of people with disabilities who do not exercise is currently an alarming 55%, while this figure is only 28% for people without disabilities. The reasons for this are often structural in nature, such as a lack of barrier-free sports facilities and poor accessibility. If we want to ensure that everyone can participate in sport, we must work to create inclusive offerings and develop the infrastructure accordingly.

Walking football in Friesland is a step in the right direction and could serve as a model for other regions to start similar projects there and further promote inclusion in sport.