TITLE PROJECT: “Everyone down to earth … sitting volley”
CLIENT: financed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies
PRINCIPAL AUTHOR: PGS Salesian Youth Sports Club
PARTNER: Labos Social Policy Laboratory Foundation
RECIPIENTS: 300 athletes, including disabled and able-bodied
Indirect beneficiaries: Families of young Italians and foreigners in project activities, in terms of a significant increase in the quality of life; All the young Italians and foreigners living in the area of the intervention, who are considered a new place of permanent youth aggregation that will remain available to the local community
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT: to promote social integration for people with disabilities or motor and / or cognitive-relational problems, through special sports activities that adapt to people
The Salesian Youth Sports Clubs have promoted in 18 Italian regions of volleyball activities called “EASY VOLLEY”, to people of all ages, with disabilities or able-bodied.
The project pursued the goal of improving the quality of life of a psychologist (disability, obesity, poor motor skills, relationship difficulties, etc.), promoting opportunities for socialization and integration and combating risks, linked to a sedentary lifestyle through access to ‘sport activity.
Easy volley is a sport, a game, a way to be together. It is the most striking example of sport that adapts to sport. The person is therefore at the center of the scene and derives all physical-motor, cognitive and psychosocial benefits from it. It is a sport capable of playing the interests of every age, gender and disability with the main objective of integration.
The Easy Volley provides for the opposition of two teams of four each, made up of two / three “special athletes” and one / two “friendly athletes”. The general rules are those of volleyball. It is structured both with the Standing-Easy Volley and Sitting-Easy Volley formula to allow everyone to organize team groups that take into account the motor skills and agility of all the “special athletes”. There are also several categories depending on the age and ability of the participants to create homogeneous game groups.
As part of the project, in addition to sports activities, interviews were also conducted with athletes and sports operators to detect the impact of the project on the quality of life of the recipients, and to identify good practice practices. In this regard, improvements were noted from a physical, psychological-relational and social point of view for people with disabilities participating in the project; as regards the good practices implemented by sports associations, the importance of the skills to build network work among the associations and other local bodies was highlighted, as well as the ability to establish a relationship of trust with the family members of the athletes.
CONTACT PERSON: Anna Calvaruso