No One Left Out: Through exercise and sport, we make sure no one is sidelined

In the Netherlands, about 1 in 10 people has a moderate or severe disability. This therefore concerns a very large group of several million people who are limited to some extent. This group of people participates in sports and physical activity much less than people without a disability. In that respect, they are on the sidelines.

 This is, of course, not a good thing. Besides simply being enjoyable, physical activity also offers the opportunity to make a positive difference to one’s health, experience a sense of team spirit, and maintain a healthier lifestyle.

The Niemand Buitenspel minor addresses this and is an educational program in which students tackle assignments from the practical field of adapted sports and physical activity. These involve organizational and policy issues or assignments related to technological developments. Students also complete an internship at an organization that gets people from this special target group moving.

At Niemand Buitenspel, students learn about the socio-emotional and societal impact of sport and physical activity on special target groups. They immediately apply this in practice. Together with real clients in a project or internship, students get to work with, for example, people with a mental, socio-emotional, or physical disability moving.

Practical cases

Special Social Club 

Partners: Stichting Special Social Club

Stichting Special Social Club is an organization that lowers barriers to nightlife, sports, and culture for people with disabilities. The foundation is active in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Nijmegen. The goal of this project was to explore the possibilities for expanding to The Hague. The project group has produced a research report containing a comprehensive study of the possibilities and recommendations.

Sports Together at the Club

Partners: Haag Atletiek

Commissioned by Haag Atletiek, students from the Minor Niemand Buitenspel have examined the question: how can we ensure that people with and without disabilities participate in sports together more often and connect more with each other at the club? At the end of this project, the students produced a research report that the club can use to move forward.

Physical Activity Desk

Partners: Physical Activity Desk The Hague

The Municipality of The Hague wanted answers to a few questions: how does the referral process to physical activity and sports programs work? And: which referral methods are effective for the different target groups? With the help of interviews, data analysis, and desk research, the students produced a research report.

Adaptive Wintersportweek

Partners: Pedägogische Hochschule Salzburg Stefan Zweig and Universität Leipzig

In collaboration with the University of Salzburg and the University of Leipzig, students organized a modified winter sports week in Austria. The sports week was already planned, but students were tasked with making preparations.

Uniek Sporten Thuis

Partners: Fonds Gehandicaptensport  

To further expand the Uniek Sporten Thuis platform, Fonds Gehandicaptensport commissioned students to create a plan for the target group: people with intellectual disabilities. The students gathered information on how sports activities should be offered and, by creating call sheets, practically worked out what the sports videos for this target group should look like.

Adaptive Ice Skating
Partners: Royal Dutch Skating Association

The KNSB aims to expand the range of adaptive ice-skating opportunities available. Students from the Niemand Buitenspel minor therefore explored the possibilities of adaptive ice skating. In addition to producing a research report, the students also organized a prosthetic ice-skating day. Through this initiative, they succeeded in attracting attention from both local and national media.

Wheelchair Rugby
Partners: Disabled Sports Netherlands

The European Wheelchair Rugby Championship will take place in The Hague in April 2025. It is a unique event to raise awareness of adapted sports. Students within this project were tasked with setting up a wheelchair rugby team in The Hague. The final result of this assignment is a handbook with a detailed step-by-step plan that external parties immediately started working with.

Want to get involved?

For the project group's assignments, we are interested in collaborating with partners in the professional field who wish to act as clients, practical supervisors, or advisory bodies. This has often resulted in a great win-win situation.

Do you have interesting assignments for students within your organization? Or do you have an idea or a wish and would like to brainstorm about it? Or is an internship position perhaps becoming available soon? Check this website for more information and get in touch!

Want to know more?

Listen to the SPODlight podcast in which Rinus van der Schoof explains the minor.

Duration

This educational program runs from September to February.

Contact

Rinus van der Schoof: [email protected]