Coaching: an evening on inclusive football as a way to improve the player

On Tuesday 28 November, in the conference room of the Casa del Calcio, a free training session was held on the topic: “TOOLS AND STRATEGIES FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE AND INCLUSIVE TRAINING”. In attendance were coaches from the different age groups of the San Marino Academy men’s and women’s sectors, the coaches of the Grassroots Football Hubs, the Educational Coaches of the CEF Project and the entire Football Is Inclusion project staff. The National Team coaches, together with some members of their respective staffs, also took part, bringing with them their experience from elite competitions. The session, led by the Football Is Inclusion staff, unfolded in an atmosphere of strong synergy and collaboration. In the first part of the meeting, emphasis was placed on the importance of the Federation and clubs in enhancing the sporting offer, starting from the activity at the base of the metaphorical football “pyramid”, with the aim of having players ever more ready when they come to face challenges at the highest levels with our National Teams. The central part focused on sharing tools and strategies used in managing highly heterogeneous groups, such as teams that include players with disabilities. It was shown how it is possible, effective and technically useful to combine inclusion and performance, thanks to the Integrated Football and Inclusive Football experiences, which currently involve over 150 young players plus 14 with disabilities, 30 coaches, 15 clubs and all grassroots hubs. The third part involved everyone present in the practical design of a segment of a training session, followed by a presentation. The most important aspect of the evening was the synergistic sharing between participants with different skills and roles, which provided ideas for reflection and deeper meaning both for the coach of an 8-year-old child and for the National Team coaches.

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