Living inclusion on the football field of FC Brunnen

This week our 21st Special Adventure Camp took place. For the 5th time we hosted our football camp and tournament for people with and without disabilities in Brunnen (SZ).

This year's camp was attended by the teams for people with disabilities of SCR Altach, I Camaleonti Lugano and FC Bruschgol, a newly formed team for people with disabilities from Brunnen, Schwyz and Goldau and surroundings.

The first day of the camp started with a tournament for people with disabilities at the Schoeller-Meyer soccer field of FC Brunnen and ended with an inclusive walking football tournament, in which prominent local politicians, including Landamann André Rüegsegger, also played. In 8 mixed teams, around 100 players, regardless of age, gender or disability, played walking football and football without running. The focus was on the togetherness of people with and without disabilities.

The students of the Ingenbohl-Brunnen middle school have also registered for the camp this year. Principal Daniela Boog expresses through the longstanding cooperation with our foundation that the sensitization of the students to the topic of inclusion is particularly close to her heart. More than 100 students attended a lecture on inclusion on Wednesday morning. FOOTBALL IS MORE Managing Director Hanspeter Rothmund explained: "Our ambition is that all people can participate in society without having to turn to parallel structures or adapt to existing structures. In our opinion, football can provide the perfect jump-start for this. This is because, on a small scale, it can serve as an analogy to the big picture: On the soccer field, differences can be experienced through play - and then overcome together as a team." The inclusion coaches from the 3 participating clubs, Boris Angelucci, Slobodan Priselac and Mauro Kuny, told the students about their everyday training with people with disabilities and illustrated how inclusion can succeed on the football pitch.

After the exchange, the students were invited to the sports field to eat lunch with the camp participants and then play soccer in mixed teams. At the lunch table, the young people with and without disabilities first approached each other very shyly, but during the subsequent soccer training they very quickly grew together into a well-coordinated and solidary team. The magic of football worked immediately. The inclusive training was followed by a tournament which ended with an exciting 11-meter shootout. The teams cheered each other on: mutual understanding and trust was visibly built. For the barbecue evening, for which only a few students had initially registered, everyone finally stayed to talk about the exciting tournament and the impressive experiences. The fear of contact was visibly reduced.

Between the training sessions and the tournament games, the youngsters were allowed to refresh themselves during the 3 camp days in the lake and in the adventure swimming pool of the Swiss Holiday Park.

So can football serve as the answer to all social challenges? Not at all. But it can help break down real and mental barriers. And encourage people to take a step toward each other.

Because: «together we are stronger»

A special thank you to our partners and sponsors who made this celebration of inclusion possible.