Andreas
Andreas is 13 years old and attends a regular class, with some extra support for individual subjects and homework. The family is challenged by the finances for the association fee, but is happy about the possibility to get a leisure pass in their municipality, where they also got some start-up help for equipment. Since Andreas started playing tennis, he has become friends with several of the others on the team – even at school. It is no longer necessary for Andreas to have a special agreement that the coach will not ‘pull him into the spotlight’ at training – today he is much more comfortable, for example, showing how to perform a drill when the coach asks for it.
Needs
- Must be able to mirror the team
- Need for social security
- Need for coach contact
Andreas 13 years old.
Tennis player
Daniel
Daniel is 29 years old and a para-elite boccia player with repeated European and World Championship participations behind him. Daniel has completed general primary school with the support of a personal assistant and some special conditions for exams. Daniel’s passion for boccia started when he was 16 and found he needed some more community around him. Boccia was the perfect choice. Today, Daniel trains twice a week, in a team that includes people with and without disabilities.
Needs
- Need for good access conditions
- Possible physical adaptation in sport
- Possible help during training
Daniel 29 years old
Boccia player
Julie
Julie is 22 years old and is studying for her EUD after a few years out of school after graduating from treatment school with a partially completed degree. Julie was diagnosed within the psychiatric system when she was 12 years old and suffered from an eating disorder. Today, Julie has fully recovered from her anorexia, but still experiences a tendency towards depression. Joining one of Sports for the Mind’s associations, where Julie meets with like-minded people and runs twice a week, is vital for Julie to feel balanced in everyday life.
Needs
- Need for a safe start
- Need not to explain themselves
- Possibility of specific agreements
Julie 22 years old
Runner
Peter
Peter is 15 years old and actually started in a group program at the start of school, but was subsequently moved to a special class and has for the last 2 years attended a special school for children and young people with ADHD. Peter is able to learn what the school requires, but is challenged to maintain concentration and focus on what is required, which makes it very challenging to keep up. Therefore, it can be difficult to figure out where he best belongs in the various social contexts and leisure communities.
Peter has tried the general football team with his friends, but it just doesn’t work. On the special football team, however, Peter gets exactly the support he needs while being one of the best on the team – and that’s a great feeling! And Peter loves that there’s a smaller group from the team that also meets virtually and plays FIFA together.
Needs
- Knowing what’s going to happen
- Must experience success
- Need time to get used to new things and requirements
Peter 15 år
Soccer player
Esma
Esma is 21 years old. She has previously attended a special school for children with general learning disabilities and now attends STU. Esma is challenged by the fact that the world around her moves a little too fast for her to always keep up with what is happening. That’s why Esma really likes the handball team, where everyone is good at helping each other – for example, if you get upset or haven’t scored any goals during training. In addition to training, Esma also loves attending all the social events throughout the year, but the best thing is the annual medal you get at the summer party every year.
Needs
- Need for familiarity and repetition
- Need for social relationships with coaches
- Need to be ‘appropriately challenged’
Esma 21 years old
Handball player
Marie
Marie is 9 years old and attends a special class for children on the autism spectrum. Marie only thrives when there is a clear structure and system around her. Therefore, Marie was in no doubt that this particular floorball team felt just right, because the training is very structured and is about repeating and practicing over and over again – and Marie is a master at that. The team is a special team, because that’s where the familiarity is greatest – the program is reviewed in advance and at least half of it is the same as the last training session. The team also typically organizes its own social events, which are not quite as big as those in the club.
Needs
- Need for a recognizability and repetitions
- Need for social relations with the trainers
- Need to be ‘appropriately challenged’
Marie 9 years old
Floorball player
Adam
Adam is 10 years old and attends a special school for children and young people with multiple disabilities. The family is challenged by the finances for swimming because it is three times as expensive as a regular class, but fortunately, they have received help to get the membership fee approved as an additional expense by the municipality. Adam loves to move freely in water, which is why he loves swimming and doesn’t want to get out of the water again. Adam’s parents are especially excited that Adam is learning a ‘rescue technique’ so that Adam can learn to stay afloat in water – maybe even unaided! Adam always has mom or dad in the water with him, just like the rest of the team. And even though there are only 5 of them, there’s always plenty of music and laughter at practice.
Needs
- Need for own personal assistant
- Need for specific structural support around training
- Need for special training capacity
Adam 10 years old
Swimmer
Frederikke
Frederik is 11 years old and attends a special school for children with severe general learning difficulties. It can be difficult for Frederikke to express exactly what she thinks, but when the opportunity presented itself, she had no doubt: Frederikke repeatedly pointed to martial arts as her sport! Today, Frederikke has been taking karate for more than a year and there are now several parts of the training that Frederikke participates in completely independently – and then there are parts where a junior coach steps in and guides. But it’s no longer mom and dad who are on the training mat, and Frederikke is very happy with that – she loves putting on her gi and heading off to karate training.
Needs
- Need support to carry out the activities
- Need for concrete and visual instructions during training
- Need for few simple exercises and very low complexity
Frederikke 11 years old
Karate practitioner
Christopher
Christopher loves soccer. But it was just really hard to be part of a team. After several attempts in different soccer clubs and after a longer period where Christopher couldn’t manage to go to school, Christopher joined a soccer club where he trained with a coach once a week, just the two of them. The solution was found in collaboration with the school and the family’s caseworker, where an agreement was made with the association for 6 months of one-on-one training, with the goal of being ready to join a smaller team at the end of the period, which succeeded as planned. In fact, after just a few months, the training changed to 3-4 boys in a small team. Today, Christopher is part of a soccer team with about 8 others and they have a party at every practice.
Needs
- Need for very close coach contact
- Need not to be distracted
- Need for a special framework of agreements around the training
Christopher 10 years old
Soccer player
Who are you?
Choose the athletic profile that fits
best for you and find your sport.
Social support needs
For those who need a little extra space and understanding in the team, where you can make concrete agreements that help you participate.
Regular teams with social support.
Physical consideration and compensation
For those who need specific adjustments to the team and the sport so they also can participate.
Regular class or same special needs class with physical disabilities
Psychological vulnerability
For those who don’t need to explain themselves all the time and where there is room to join in when you have the energy to do so.
Regular teams or same special needs with mental vulnerability and psychiatric care
Time and patience
For those who love a set plan and clear instructions
In-between regular classes and specialized classes for e.g. ADHD and Autism.
Plenty of time and practical support
For those who need help and support from time to time – whether it’s untied shoelaces or remembering whether left is left or right?
For example, slower development with learning disabilities.
Clear structure and lots of repetition
For those who want a fixed plan with repetitions, clear directions and preferably a visual description as well.
For those who need help and support from time to time – it could be for a shoelace that has come undone or to remember whether the left is now left or right?
Dependent on helpers
For those who have a caregiver with the and on a regular basis need support before, during and after training – e.g. for rides and communication.
For example, if you have multiple disabilities.
Support during the activity
For those who need to be guided through the training many times before you can initiate exercises and participation yourself.
For example, a slow and calm approach to the world with intellectual disabilities
One-to-one or very small teams
For those who need to avoid distractions from other participants in the class or who need to be slowly guided into social situations.
For example, involuntary school absenteeism, acting out or needing to be alone.
