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The aim you run for!
06 October 2023 12:48The Cruyff Legacy 14K, one you also run for someone else.
The Cruyff Legacy 14K is organized by the Johan Cruyff Foundation, with the aim of enjoying physical activity and raising money for children for whom sport is not a given. With your participation you raise money via a personal action page from family, friends and acquintances. With the money we raise, we let children and young people with a disability play sports.
Children with disabilities don't get enough movement!
1 out of 10 children has a disability.
60% of the children with mental disabilities do not even play sports weekly! Among children with physical disabilities, that percentage is even at least 70%.
Because of their disabilities, these children often move less every day anyway. Lack of movement and sitting still too much has enormous consequences for their health. Being fitter and stronger helps them function better, despite their (physical) obstacles.
Why is playing sports difficult when you have a disability?
For children with disabilities, there are many barriers to playing sports or exercise. Personal barriers such as fear, but also environmental factors such as accomodations that are insufficiently adapted, complicated transport options or the lack of expensive sports equipment such as a sports wheelchair (€5.000) or a racerunner (€3.000). They often cannot play sports with peers at the club around the corner.
The power of sports
Johan Cruijff believed in the endless power of sports on children's development. Besides making children physically better, sport also provides mental fitness. Sports stimulate personal development; for example, it can lead to more self-confidence and better social skills. It teaches children how to get along with each other, provides connection, friends and above all: lot's of fun.
Children with special needs are more likely to be lonely
Because school is often not around the corner, children with disabilities have fewer or no friends in the neighborhood and are more likely to be lonely. Less social interaction results in less training of personal skills. Here, too, sports offer a solution.
"Not only for their health, but also to meet others and gain self-confidence, sports are important for children with special needs."
This is what the Cruyff Foundation does to help children with special needs
The Cruyff Foundation develops and supports numerous sports projects and events and builds Special Cruyff Courts at special education schools and care institutions such as rehabilitation centers. The Cruyff Foundation works together with sports associations, leading (social) organizations, schools and care institutions within the disability world, at home and abroad. These include the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), the Esther Vergeer Foundation, Dutch Athletics Union (Atletiekunie), Royal Dutch Cycling Union (KNWU), Royal Dutch Swimming Union (KNZB), Dutch Basketball Association (NBB), Dutch Ski Association (NSkiV), Table Tennis Federation (NTTB), Dutch Volleyball Federation (Nevobo), International Tennis Federation (ITF), Mentality Foundation and numerous others.
Together we fight - day in and day out - to make sports more accessible to children with special needs. This way these children can also discover their talents, have fun and make friends.