Two EQUI-Champions pilots were organized in Spain by Fútbol Más and held in January and February. The trainings were delivered in a face-to-face format and targeted professionals and volunteers linked to the sports sector, including people from sports clubs as well as social organisations using sport as an educational and inclusion tool.
While in the first training 14 people had initially registered but none of them attended, in the second training four participants attended.
Although attendance was low, engagement levels among participants were very high. This was mainly due to the adaptation of contents to participants’ real needs and contexts, a strong focus on concrete, practical tools on how to address sensitive topics in sport settings, and the creation of a safe, trusting and non-judgmental space, which encouraged openness and active participation.
The training program covered the following topics:
- Values-based pedagogy;
- The role of coaches, PE teachers in working with children and youth;
- Child safeguarding policies;
- Gender norms, stereotypes, socialization;
- Gender based violence and sports;
- Health (physical and mental);
- Practical advice, methods, and tools.
Participants valued the fact that the sessions did not remain at a theoretical level, but went into specific examples, real-life situations and applicable strategies. This safe learning environment was also explicitly connected to their own role as facilitators, coaches or tutors, helping them reflect on how they can replicate similar safe spaces in their own training sessions.
