Autism Soccer: The Goal of Autism Soccer: Teaching soccer in a supportive environment

Teamwork is a great way to teach people how to work together and experience the world in a different way.

Sports have the potential to bring people together, especially children, and to show them qualities that will have a lasting impact in their lives in the future. That’s even more important for special kids, as they need to exercise in a way that offers them the opportunity to express themselves and be their authentic selves, without the dread of being judged and among people who know exactly how to work with them in order for them to harvest great benefits from practicing soccer. Autism Soccer’s goal is to make something incredible out of their experience, founding a strong relationship among team members, regardless of their special need.

This goal is at the heart of every action they take. They mix physical growth with a gentle and firm direction, allowing the benefits of exercise to work their magic on kids. This is paired with the supportive environment that it’s required to make sure they have a chance of learning and expressing themselves and to relate to other children that resound with them in a positive way. However, there’s more to it: it’s proven that sports have an impact on more than one level, and team playing brings people together in unique ways, and this is incredibly important for kids with special needs. It means that they are treated like members of a group, while feeling protected and encouraged to increase their participation, forming important bonds and helping them control their physical impulses in an organized setting. Another goal is to use sports as a vessel for communication, as this enhances their social skills, as well as their self-esteem, as they see their efforts turn into results in the matches they play.

Sometimes, sports can make people feel connected and safe, and that alone is the best goal organizations strive to achieve while working with kids. That’s the reason why Autism Soccer’s initiative is so important for people working with these kind of children. They are responsible for stimulating them into growing integrally through physical activities.