Super Calcio and inclusion: disability as a teacher on a journey of growth

The second edition of "Super Calcio", a summer camp organised by the San Marino Football Federation in partnership with the Federazione Sammarinese Sport Speciali, came to an end today, once again pursuing the goal of creating a sporting and cultural environment in which football activity promotes inclusion and sporting participation free from any form of exclusivity. Boys and girls aged 6 to 16 were able to share the pitch with youngsters with varying degrees of disability, taking part completely free of charge in a programme which – from September – will also become the subject of a pilot project run by the FSGC together with UEFA. The project leader, Fabio Lepri, highlights that: "Compared with last year, when we had to involve San Marino Academy teams in order to have enough numbers to run the activities, this year we opened registrations and brought in around 60 youngsters – 7 or 8 of whom have disabilities of different types". The core theme is breaking down cultural barriers and ensuring access to sport with no distinction whatsoever: "There should be no need to say it, but in practice we must. And not only that, we need to move this project forward with continuity: we are not aiming for a simple summer initiative – continues Lepri –, but for year-round activity. Among other things, the FSGC has been selected by UEFA for an inclusive pilot project and, from September, youngsters with disabilities will have the chance to play in grassroots football hubs and within the Academy. All of this will be delivered through a programme guaranteeing them at least one training session a week with the team, plus an additional day of football-based games and activities together with non-disabled youngsters". Beyond the encouraging numbers, Fabio Lepri makes it clear that "numbers matter, but now we need to work on quality rather than quantity. I’m referring to the quality of the adults delivering the activities and of the coaches. And these aspects can only improve, given that we are dealing with situations that involve a wide emotional range. This project must benefit everyone, not only the youngsters with disabilities – indeed, above all the non-disabled youngsters and the coaches, who are called upon to grow along their professional pathway". The response from families has been, unsurprisingly, more than positive: "We received very good feedback from families, whom we involved in the closing event of the summer camp. Activities of this kind should be organised more often because they build bonds, create a sense of belonging and give that lightness which will also be useful in other settings in order to develop high-level activities. The lesson from "Super Calcio" is that disability becomes a teacher: when we are faced with a certain type of reaction, non-disabled youngsters develop a sensitivity that will also help them when they play for the National Team". The running of the camp was entrusted to a staff made up of qualified and specialist coaches, technicians from the CEF Project, and enthusiastic boys and girls who enjoyed taking part in training sessions where play – and, of course, small-sided games – took centre stage. The deeper meaning of this initiative is to play football, not simply to "do social work".

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