For children with disabilities sport and play are especially important – not only in terms of their health, but also in terms of their social contact with others. Children with disabilities learn what they can do through sport; they discover their talents and develop self-confidence. Unfortunately, it is not always easy for these children to participate in a sport, because there are few facilities and the equipment required is generally expensive.Through a variety of partnerships, we are working to increase the sports available to children with disabilities and to make these sports more accessible so children with a disability also get the space to discover their talents.
In terms of recreational sports, we provide sports facilities and sports motivation through financial and strategic support. The Cruyff Foundation then offers talented children the chance to continue their development through the partnerships with sports associations.
Collaborations
The Cruyff Foundation works together with national and international foundations and sports associations that are committed to helping children with a disability. We look at how we can continue to ensure that as many children with a disability as possible are introduced to sports and that they are given the opportunity to develop themselves. This varies from events such as clinics that introduce children to a specific sport to a talent internship for the Paralympic Games. With our projects and cooperations we represent a broad scala of sports: athletics, cycling, basketball, volleyball and skiiing for example.
We provide financial support, exchange knowledge, and see where we can strengthen one another.
- Esther Vergeer Foundation
- Fitkids
- ITF
- Mentelity Foundation
- Ndlovu Care Group
- Only Friends
In addition to the big initiatives, there are also an increasing number of smaller, local initiatives launched by associations, foundations, or special education institutes. This means that more and more children are given the opportunity to play sports and to discover what they enjoy. This is why we support a large number of local sports facilities and sport-stimulating projects each year, with a focus on projects in the Netherlands and Spain.
With our support, these projects can purchase extra materials such as sport wheelchairs, hand bikes, or equestrian saddles. It also helps them to provide special guidance during sports activities or organising specially adapted sports events. The objective is to make sports accessible to children with a disability.
Sports associations
The Cruyff Foundation supports several sports associations with a focus on making sports accessible to children with a disability and talent recognition and development. Together with these associations, we look at how we can continue to ensure that as many children with a special needs are introduced to sports and that they are given the opportunity to develop themselves herein. This varies from events such as clinics that introduce children to a specific sport to a talent internship for the Paralympic Games.
In addition to the NOC*NSF (Netherlands Olympic Committee * Netherlands Sports Confederations), the Cruyff Foundation works together with the following sports associations in the Netherlands:
- Dutch Athletics Association
- KNWU (Royal Dutch Cyclists' Union):
- KNZB (Royal Dutch Swimming Federation)
- NBB (Netherlands Basketball Association)
- NSKIV (Netherlands Ski Federation)
- NTTB (Netherlands Table Tennis Federation)
- NEVOBO (Netherlands Volleyball Association)