ParaVolley EUROPE Sitting & Standing Volleyball in Europe
Further to the allocation of European funds provided by the EACEA (Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency), FIPAV will launch in 2019 the first school project of social inclusion through the practice of sitting volleyball on a European scale, in partnership with the Italian Paralympic Committee, ParaVolley Europe, the Bulgarian Ministry of Sport and Youth, the Turkish, Estonian and Slovenian Volleyball Federation and the Finnish Sports Association for people with disabilities
This follows the great success of Volley Insieme in Italy with over 8000 young people (a mix of able-bodied and disabled people) who were involved and played sitting volleyball across the country with the support of the Vodafone Foundation in the OSO call – Oltre Sport Oltre.
Sit2Play will make its appearance in schools to redefine the concept of “disability” by proposing a constructive and positive vision of “diversity”. During events organised in partner countries and in Italy, able-bodied people will be able to put themselves in the shoes of disabled people by trying sitting volleyball and participate in promotional tournaments aimed at integrating and breaking down the cultural and physical barriers that still separate the disabled from sports.
The tournament will be divided into a national phase, with each partner asked to organise a national Sitting Volleyball tournament involving 3 schools within their territory. This will then lead to an international tournament with the winners of each promotional competition, who will then participate to the final phase planned in Italy at the end of 2019.
Parallel to the tournaments, Sit2Play will also organise seminars, workshops and meetings on the topic of disability that will involve students, teachers, educators, trainers, parents and social workers.
“Following the success of the Volley Insieme project in 2018 promoted and funded by the Vodafone Foundation – declared FIPAV President, Pietro Bruno CATTANEO – we will continue to promote sitting volleyball among young people. With great pride, this time we will cross national borders by sharing experience and methods with other nations. We are confident that Sit2Play will be a successful project – the President concluded – that will help us grow young people sitting volleyball whilst contributing to the birth and rooting of the culture of social inclusion”.
More details to follow.
