The Spanish Floorball Association took part in the Inclusive Sport Games in Madrid. As part of this first multisport event, there were also seminars about different projects and sports, including floorball.
The Spanish Floorball Association organised a training seminar about inclusion in sport practices for disabled athletes with athletes without disabilities. The seminar also included discussions about how to coordinate the activities and different versions of floorball played by disabled athletes.
The seminar was organised by Miguel Prieto and Carlos López and recognized by the Sports Science faculty of Madrid (INEF). WheelChair Floorball, PowerChair Hockey and Special Olympics were the three sports in which the Spanish Floorball Association asked for cooperation.
The seminar included a theoretical part of the three sports following a practice in which different participants could enter floorball easily. This practice had athletes and PowerChair players practicing floorball together with newcomers who had no previous knowledge. The organisers found ways how floorball can be be adapted to different conditions, depending on the participants.
The Spanish Floorball Association gave special mention to the participation of an important delegation of Special Olympics Spain and hoped to establish cooperation for the development of the sport. Coaches and athletes from Special Olympics also participated and they had a first and fruitful contact with this new discipline for them.
The Spanish Floorball Association is not just working to develop the sport within the existing clubs in the field of competitions but also taking it to organisations and events where they can show the values of floorball. Foundations, universities and sport organizations, are some of the targets where the association still needs some work. Special Olympics is now one of the main partners and the Spanish Floorball Association is hoping to work further in this cooperation.
Source and photos: Carlos López/Spanish Unihockey and Floorball Federation
