SPORT AND PLAY IS A KEY INGREDIENT IN SA4D’S HOLISTIC APPROACH TO INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE DEVELOPMENT. BY INCLUDING SPORT AND PLAY IN OUR PROGRAMS, WE BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, MAKE LEARNING EASIER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE, AND SUPPORT THEM IN ACQUIRING BASIC SKILLS FOR OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES OF DAILY LIFE. WE VIEW SPORT AS BEING A SCHOOL FOR LIFE – PERFORMANCE IS SECONDARY.

In recent years, sport and play have been increasingly recognised as powerful tools to enact social change and contribute to the SDGs. A strong scientific basis shows how sport and play can contribute to promoting individual development, teaching life skills and values, enabling health and wellbeing, strengthening education, encouraging entrepreneurial thinking and economic development, assist in preventing and reducing conflict and increasing social inclusion and cohesion. Consequently, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development acknowledges sport as an “important enabler of development”. While recognising that sport alone cannot ensure development, create peace or solve complex social problems, SA4D sees sport and play as a practical and cost-effective tool that has the potential to nurture integrated solutions at the interface between social development, economic development and ecological sustainability when applied in a holistic way complemented by other approaches.

PLAYFUL LEARNING

SA4D’s aim is not just to bring children and young people together through sport and play activities. Sport and play make it possible to combine learning and practical experience. When it’s part of a dexterity exercise, mathematics becomes child’s play. And a game helps young people to think about themselves and what they do. Sport is more of a means than an end. It promotes values and skills such as mutual respect and resolving conflicts together, as well as strengthening self-confidence.

SPORT PROMOTES HEALTH

Sport and play also increase physical health and help in preventing cardiovascular disease and obesity. Children in particular develop basic coordination skills and improve their physical awareness through movement – for example, the “imaginary journey” game. Sport is also an ideal way to guide people back to normal everyday life after traumatic experiences. Being together in a playful context increases the feeling of community and contributes to re-establishing psychological well-being.

Sport and Play in All Activities

As competence centre for sport and development, SA4D uses sport and play in all of its activities in a structured and purposeful way – for improving psychosocial health, in early childhood development and in non-formal education, as well as in employment and integration projects.

With sport and play, SA4D provides children and young people with equal access to project activities. The selection of appropriate sports and games is essential – as is training coaches well. During training, SA4D teaches the coaches how to create a safe, protected atmosphere and how to include all participants in the activities.