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Football is the most popular team sport in Special Olympics and, at the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games, it was elevated to priority status for the movement.
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Football (soccer) is Special Olympics' most popular sport, played in countries around the world.
| The Global Football Initiative was officially launched on 4 October with a few surprise announcements. Global Football Director Mike Smith explained that the goal of the new initiative is to significantly expand football opportunities on every continent. “We want to increase participation from 300,000 to 500,000 worldwide in the next four years with the support of the football community around the world,” he said.
Special Olympics has already started to gather the needed expertise from the football world, forming an advisory committee to help guide this project. Already many respected, visible football players and coaches have come forward to lend their support to Special Olympics Programs.
One of the advisory co-chairs and a Special Olympics international Board Member, Angelo Moratti, announced that Italy’s football team, Inter-Milan, has been named the first-ever Team Ambassador for Special Olympics. Co-chair Teofilo Cubillas, famed Peruvian footballer, who played in three World Cups, has been involved in Special Olympics for many years. “After I played with Special Olympics athletes, I decided to sign up for life.”
FIFA’s head of Corporate Social Responsibility Federico Adiechi, who spoke at the launch, said that FIFA only works with sustainable, free programs that strive for social change. “Special Olympics is the best example in the world of how football promotes hope and positive social change.” Adiechi announced that earlier that day, he’d received word that the President of the Chilean Football Federation will extend an invitation to two coaches each from 18 Latin American countries to attend its professional coaches training in February 2008. This will be a monumental opportunity for the region: quality coaches produce champion athletes.
Special Olympics International Global Messenger and athlete Martha Hill (USA) issued a challenge to the football world, saying she doesn’t have a football team in her town, and she wished there was. “Football for women has been waiting in the proverbial “green room” for too long. It’s now time for women to play. Football is for everyone, including women.”
Smith also announced another boon for the Initiative was the just released news of UEFA’s support of Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia’s Football Development Program for another four seasons (2008-2011), which will amount to €1 million.
Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver said the Global Football Initiative marks a historical change for the Special Olympics movement. “We have never had one sport that has defined or prioritized the work of the entire organization. For the first time we are asking the entire Special Olympics family to focus on football. It will be at the center of our global communications platform,” he said.
By Kathy Smallwood |
