The project "Let's Go to the Football Stadium Together" Strengthened the Students' Unity.

2024-03-19 16:00

Since 2023, a targeted social initiative has been taking place in Lithuania, aimed at preschool and primary education institutions that cater to students with special educational needs.

Eleven institutions joined the Lithuanian Football Association initiative "Let's Mark the Soccer Field Together," providing opportunities to organize soccer classes for children with SEN (special educational needs) and institution educators.

Both LFF and UEFA have been focusing on the inclusion of various groups in football in recent years, adapting the game in an interesting and accessible way so that every participant can be included. Currently, there are 135 million people with disabilities in Europe.

During the "Let's Mark the Soccer Field Together" project, participating institutions were provided with teaching materials and soccer equipment. Until February of this year, classes were held for students at the institution, but educators admitted that this did not mean the end of this meaningful initiative.

"We had biweekly classes with students who eagerly awaited them. During the lessons, we gave students simplified ball control tasks, relays, and coordination exercises - for example, moving the ball between small goals first with hands, then with feet - and after completing them, they had to take a shot on goal. This brought the students the greatest joy, and playing soccer, in particular, was like the biggest reward of the day for them," said Remigijus Klimavičius, a physical education teacher at Vilnius "Atgaja" Special School.

"I work at the Kėdainiai kindergarten "Vyturėlis" with children with mixed-age special needs, including severe disabilities. In our group, there were several children who could not walk at all, but participation in this project was very beneficial for us because it developed each child's personal abilities and introduced them to soccer as a sports branch. They willingly participated in activities. The teaching materials received from the organizers were a good tool for developing children's physical activity habits," said teacher Laimutė Stankevičienė.

"In my opinion, the project was a great success; children willingly engaged in it. At the beginning, it might have been a bit challenging to teach soccer techniques because our kindergarten children had no game skills. Since an educational seminar was organized and a very good book with teaching materials was released, we managed to master soccer game techniques, which made us very happy," she added.

"We encountered the challenge that at the beginning it was difficult to involve children with special needs, but they managed to participate in collective activities and even improve their skills. There was a tangible sense of community among the children. After each lesson, we reflected on the experiences gained, and all the children's feedback on the project was the best - they liked the tasks and games from the teaching book. I believe that we will continue to play these learned games in the future. I would like to see more of such projects in Lithuania, repeating them to include more children, which would be very beneficial for our society," said Renata Nekrasova, a physical education teacher at the Vilnius special kindergarten "Čiauškutis."