The Foundation is contributing a total of €4,000 to fund the project.

FUNDING REQUEST TO FONDAZIONE IRMA ROMAGNOLI FOR THE YAP (YOUNG ATHLETES PROGRAM) PROJECT

CAOS is an amateur sports association for people with and without intellectual disabilities.
It is affiliated with Special Olympics Italy, an organization recognized by CONI and CIP that has operated in Italy for around thirty years through local teams, providing sports training and competitions for people with intellectual disabilities.
CAOS aims to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the communities where they live, using sport as its means of achieving this.

In our association, children, young people, and adults with and without intellectual disabilities train on the same team and compete together in the various Special Olympics events: Regional Games, meets, Play the Games, National Games, European Games, and World Games. This allows them to develop and improve their physical well-being, demonstrate courage, and experience the joy of participation in an atmosphere of continual exchange. They put their abilities into practice, build friendships with other athletes, and share unique experiences with coaches, volunteers, their families, and the whole community.

PROJECT: YAP (YOUNG ATHLETES PROGRAM)

WHO IT IS FOR:

Children aged three to eight, with cognitive disabilities, on the autism spectrum, with physical disabilities with or without associated cognitive difficulties, and children without disabilities. Maximum number of participants: 8.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND AIMS:

Young Athletes introduces children with intellectual disabilities and their families to the world of Special Olympics. It aims to support their physical, cognitive, and social development and welcome their families into the Special Olympics support network, making them aware of an organization dedicated exclusively to the empowerment and inclusion of children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

It is a versatile program that works in a range of learning settings. Its simple structure also allows families to play with their young children at home in a warm, welcoming atmosphere, continuing the work begun at school or with the team.

CAOS plans to deliver the project in two formats:

– In the gym, through multisport activities that allow children to explore different disciplines and try a variety of equipment.

– In the pool, through water familiarization for children who are less confident in the water and a full swimming course for those with more experience.

PROJECT TIMING, DELIVERY, AND LOCATION

Both gym and swimming activities will take place weekly, with each session lasting one hour. They will be held at the Palazzetto dello Sport in Granarolo dell’Emilia and the Il Villaggio del Fanciullo swimming pool, respectively, with the latter venue awaiting confirmation.

Activities are scheduled to begin on November 12, 2022, and end on June 30, 2023. YAP athletes will also have the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned at Play the Games 2023 in Salsomaggiore through a demonstration activity.

All activities will be led by an instructor with a degree in sports science and a swimming instructor qualification, supported by an educator. The ratio will never exceed four children per adult. Each child’s individual characteristics will be considered when forming groups of Athletes—children with disabilities—and Partners—children without disabilities—that are as similar as possible in age and ability.

EXPECTED RESULTS AND BENEFITS

• Improved basic coordination skills, including balance, rhythm, coordination, and orientation.
• Improved basic physical capacities, including strength, speed, and endurance.
• Improved general learning ability.
• Improved personal skills, including motivation, responsibility, self-confidence, and resilience.
• Improved social skills, including empathy, inclusion, interaction, and communication.
• Improved methodological skills, including problem-solving and organization.

PROJECT COSTS

The estimated cost of the YAP PROJECT is approximately €5,650, broken down as follows:

Swimming equipment: bathrobe, swimming cap, pool sandals, goggles, and team printing: €400 per athlete
Gym equipment: pins, hoops, balls, team shirt, and other items: €250
Gym rental: €400 per year
Swimming lane rental: €1,000 per year
Gym instructors: €600 per year
Gym educators: €800 per year
Swimming instructors: €600 per year
Swimming educators: €400 per year
Participation in Play the Games 2023, a weekend in Salsomaggiore: €800 per athlete
Miscellaneous expenses, including stationery, spare clothing, additional equipment, and increased travel costs: €400

TOTAL PROJECT COST: €5,650

ASD CAOS UNDERTAKES TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS FUNDING AND PREPARE A DETAILED REPORT AT THE END OF THE PROJECT.

President
LAURA VERDERAME

YAP Project Interim Report

The YAP (Young Athletes Program) project began as planned with two activities:

• Multisport activities in the gym. Five children participate: three Athletes with cognitive difficulties and two Partners without disabilities, all aged seven to nine. They meet on Wednesdays from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m. in Quarto Inferiore. The course includes general motor activities—balance, coordination, orientation, and rhythm—and a “try a sport” component introducing individual sports such as athletics and team sports such as soccer, basketball, and bowling, starting with the fundamentals of each discipline. The sessions are led by a graduate in Preventive and Adapted Physical Activity Sciences and an educator.
• An introductory swimming course in the pool. Ten children participate: six Athletes with cognitive difficulties and four Partners without disabilities, aged four to nine. They meet on Saturdays at Villaggio del Fanciullo from 3:00 to 3:50 p.m. The course begins with water familiarization before introducing the fundamentals of the various swimming strokes. It is led by a qualified swimming instructor and an educator.

Some Athletes and Partners attend both the multisport and swimming courses.

ASD CAOS is very pleased with the project’s progress. Although the groups vary considerably in age and ability, they are very cohesive, and excellent cooperation has developed between Athletes and Partners. Athletes are beginning to trust Partners and ask them for help and support, while Partners are learning to anticipate others’ needs, not only on the sports floor or in the pool, but also in the changing rooms and during free time before and after sessions.

Feedback from families has also been very positive. At a recent meeting, parents of children with disabilities said their children seemed much more confident, independent, and determined. Partners’ families reported that their children felt very useful and were delighted to “do activities with classmates they do not always work with in class.”

The next objective is to strengthen cooperation between ASD CAOS and the local school, I.C. Granarolo, which many Athletes attend, to achieve full inclusion in every area of their lives.

President

Laura Verderame