Table soccer at school to foster social inclusion

ongoing

Table Soccer at School (TSAS), led by International Table Soccer Federation (ITSF) involves Athletes Inspire Children (German social inclusion and sport NGO), University Camilo José Cela in Madrid and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce. It aims to promote physical activity and sports integration in primary schools, with a special focus on disadvantaged neighborhoods and difficult life conditions. TSAS targets primary education children facing difficult social backgrounds and youth inactivity, using sports and table soccer as a tool for breaking barriers and fostering diversity and inclusion. This aligns with the European Commission's emphasis on sports as a means for social inclusion and educational outcomes. It includes a first phase of identification of needs, initial research and inspirations from other sport and social inclusion initiatives at European level in order to design and modelise our own table soccer at school initiative. Pilot tests during 3 months will be conducted in 12 schools selected by each partner country (France, Germany, Bulgaria and Spain) where table soccer material will be implemented, staff, teachers will be trained there and partners will supervise operations. We will then analyze the pilot tests' results to determine table soccer benefits for pupils and schools through a specific quantitative and qualitative research evaluation process. A training kit, including promotional videos, table soccer rules, methods for data collection… will be designed in order to extend the operation at a broader European scale thanks to ITSF members who will have a operational and concrete program. The project will evaluate its future sustainability and potential for replication in other areas such as hospitals, retirement homes or universities. This includes exploring its economic feasibility and the potential involvement of companies and the business sector in its financing. A final conference in Nantes will address major TSAS findings and outcomes.