"It is the premier for an Inclusive Sports Festival in Germany. A type of Federal Inclusive Youth Games," Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Wacker is pleased to say. Under the motto of "Games without Limits", students of the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences have developed a concept for a joint Sports Festival for Children, both with and without disabilities, during the course of two seminars. The event will be organized and supported by Full Professor Prof. Dr. Wacker of the Chair for Diverse Sociology in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Volker Mall of the Chair for Social Pediatrics.
130 pupils from inclusive classes
For the first "Games without Limits", around 130 pupils from the inclusive classes in Parsberg, Tutzing and Munich, along with their teachers, came to the TUM Campus in the Olympic Park (CiO) on Tuesday morning. Aside from the organizers, Prof. Wacker and Prof. Mall, also Prof. Dr. Ansgar Schwirtz, Dean of the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, as well as Josef Mederer, President of the Bavarian District Council and Chairman of the Administrative board of hospitals in the District of Upper Bavaria also attended. Together with the Faculty and the Department of Diverse Sociology, the Cultural Foundation of Upper Bavaria, where Mederer is one of the partners, has financed the "Games without Limits"."
The Federal State of Bavaria has obligated themselves to implement the rights of the disabled in accordance with the declaration made by the United Nations. Participation in sports is an important part of this, which we would gladly like to make possible and to promote," explains Mederer. "What is better than inclusive classes which measure themselves and are active with participation in a true, active competition?" Prof. Schwirtz, the Dean, explains: "The diversity is a topic on our faculty which we do not only perceive, but which we would also like to experience."
The classes were invited by the Bavarian State Ministry for Education, Science, Culture and Art. Before the event, the supervising teachers received a questionnaire based on which groups were to be divided up.
A concept with three stations
For the TUM students who had prepared the games "there was a challenge to work with very different children; you can enjoy sports and games in different manners, have different abilities or impairments and demonstrate different degrees of physical fitness. Each task must always match the inclusion class and that means be suitable for everyone," explains Wacker.
For this purpose, the students have developed a concept with three stations. On the subject of "Awareness", "Balance" and "Movement", points can be collected for different tasks. The children participate together in groups, which are then in competition with each other.
Awareness, balance and movement
Different aspects are addressed at the individual stations. "Through 'Games without Limits', children should experience that every individual has skills and develops an awareness for these skills. It is important that the individual strengths and weaknesses be compensated for, since a team is then strong," says Mall.
How much fun the kids experience with the tasks, shows up at the stations. The motion station is built up in the gym of the TUM CiO. Two children there clamp a balloon between one another and then complete a course of cones on soft floor mats together, while their fellow classmates cheer them on. In the large three-fold multipurpose hall everything involves "balance". Two players pass a ball back and forth while proceeding on two benches located about two meters apart. Then they take a ball on a tennis racket with them, balancing the ball while running on a serpentine course through a number of cones.
In the second part of the station, there is an oval region which is bordered by a rope. Here, the children sort themselves out according to such different criteria as "age", "house number" or "first initial". The number of points is calculated from the time required. The children of each group organize themselves on their own, the stronger children support the weaker children and help them to find their position. After the first run-through, a number of children receive a mask over their eyes so that they are in need of help, while others hold their ears closed to thereby simulate limited hearing. The group must react to both situations.
Self perception and knowledge transfer
On the lawn in front of the cafeteria is the "awareness" station. A number of little red hats are built up in front of beer table settings. The kids sprint several times from one to the next across the lush green lawn and then return back to the bench. On the table there are already drawings which show a lung as well as a heart. Now, every child measures his heart rate according to instructions. A student takes a device for determining blood pressure and then places the cuff around the arm of one of the children.
"It's all about self-perception and body sensations. For students it is an exciting topic," explains Wacker. After the measurement, the children get up, run a few minutes across the lawn and then sit down again. Now the students explain to them why they start to sweat and what this function of the body is good for.
"Games without limits' is a first experiment. On the basis of the experience achieved, we will further develop the project. Our dream is that this can then also be employed in education," hopes Wacker. Therefore, already in the conception of this, attention has been paid to the fact that only devices that are present in every school are used - or which can be acquired at low costs.
During the event, the teachers of the classes received a questionnaire for each station and could therefore provide direct and detailed feedback. Based on the experiences made, a sort of handbook will be written in the coming year which will provide a concrete list of exercises, instructions and tips for carrying this out as well as materials necessary for the inclusive sport festival.
The premier is a success. "It was a day with an exceptional atmosphere and a great deal of mutual joy," claims Mall. "It was a terrific event, which has shown that there is no validity for exclusion. Inclusive classes can be lived with," states District President Mederer. Also Full Prof. Wacker is very pleased: "I think that we are on the right course. The concept designed by the students functioned exceptionally well and will now be developed anew so that others will also be able to experience such games."
To the homepage of the Department of Diverse Sociology
Report on the 'Games without Limits' in the Süddeutsche Zeitung
To the homepage of the Department for Social Pediatrics
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Wacker
Department of Diverse Sociology
Uptown Munich, Campus D
George-Brauchle Ring 60/62
80992 Munich
Telephone: 089 289 24460
Email: Elisabeth.Wacker(at)tum.de
Text: Fabian Kautz
Photos: Fabian Kautz