TOWARDS INCLUSIVE SPORTS STRUCTURES SELECTED RESULTS OF A CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISON PROF SABINE RADTKE UNIVERSITY OF PADERBORN GERMANY VISTA 2017 TORONTO, SEPTEMBER 20TH 2017 S. Radtke 2 S. Radtke 3 Main area of research: structural support for Paralympic athletes 2007: Pilot Study 2010/11: A cross-cultural comparison of Structural resources for talent TID in Paralympic sports identification and development in USA, CAN, UK Germany and abroad Expert interviews (N = 65) with officials, national (AUS, CAN, ESP, GB, USA ) coaches and athletes (wheelchair basketball, Hypothesis development swimming, athletics, alpine skiing, Nordic skiing) Hypothesis development 2011/12: A cross-cultural 2016/17: A study of school-age athletes comparison of TID in Paralympic with disabilities at German schools sports How young athletes combine their sporting USA, CAN, UK career with education at sports schools vs. regular schools Quantitative survey (N = 87) Hypothesis testing Interviews (N = 35) with athletes, parents, coaches and school principals S. Radtke 4 Main area of research: structural support for Paralympic athletes 2007: Pilot Study 2010/11:2010/11: A A cross cross-cultural-cultural comparison comparison of of Structural resources for talent TIDTID in in Paralympic Paralympic sports sports identification and development in USA,USA, CAN, CAN, UK UK Germany and abroad Expert Expert interviews interviews (N (N = =65) 65) with with officials, officials, national national (AUS, CAN, ESP, GB, USA ) coachescoaches and and athletes athletes (wheelchair (wheelchair basketball, basketball, Hypothesis development swimming,swimming, athletics, athletics, alpine Alpine skiing, skiing, Nordic Nordic skiing) skiing) HypothesisHypothesis development development 2011/12: A cross-cultural 2016/17: A study of school-age athletes 2011/12: A cross-cultural comparison of TID in Paralympic 2016/17:with disabilities A study of at school German-age schools athletes comparison of TID in Paralympic sports withHow disabilities young athletes at German combine schoolstheir sporting sports USA, CAN, UK Howcareer young with athletes education combine at sports their schoolssporting vs. USA, CAN, UK careerregular with schools education at sports schools vs. Quantitative survey (N = 87) regular schools HypothesisQuantitative testing survey (N = 87) Interviews (N = 35) with athletes, parents, Interviewscoaches (Nand = school35) with principals athletes, parents, Hypothesis testing coaches and school principals S. Radtke 5 Main area of research: structural support for Paralympic athletes 2007: Pilot Study 2010/11:Research A Phasecross- cultural1 (2010/11): comparison of TID in Paralympic sports Structural resources for talent USA, CAN, UK USA, CAN, UK identification and development in Expert Interviews (N = 65) with Germany and abroad Expertofficials, interviews coaches (N = and 65) withathletes officials, national coaches and athletes (wheelchair basketball, (AUS, CAN, ESP, GB, USA ) swimming, athletics, Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing) Hypothesis development Hypothesis development Hypothesis development 2011/12: A cross-cultural 2016/17: A study of school-age athletes comparison of TID in Paralympic with disabilities at German schools sports How young athletes combine their sporting USA, CAN, UK career with education at sports schools vs. regular schools Quantitative survey (N = 87) Interviews (N = 35) with athletes, parents, Hypothesis testing coaches and school principals S. Radtke 6 Radtke & Doll-Tepper (2014) S. Radtke 7 Towards inclusive sports structures Research questions • Has there been a shift towards inclusive rather than segregated sports provision in selected countries? • How to begin the process of integration and inclusion in sport governing bodies and sport systems? Are there any examples of good practices? What are the views of officials, head coaches, and elite athletes on inclusive sports provision? S. Radtke 8 Agenda 1 Starting point for discussion: Implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in Sport 2 Examples of good practices from Canada and the UK 3 Practical recommendations S. Radtke 9 The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) The Convention is the first legally binding international treaty protecting the rights of persons with disabilities. The CRPD was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2006 and came into effect in 2008. Germany ratified the Convention in 2009. Article 1: The purpose of the Convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity [...] full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. S. Radtke 10 The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Article 30 of the Convention aims to advance and protect people with disabilities’ human rights as they relate to sport and it adresses both mainstream and disability-specific sport. Article 30 – Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport Article 24 – Education • To encourage and promote the States Parties recognize the right of participation, to the fullest extent possible, persons with disabilities to education. of persons with disabilities in With a view to realizing this right without mainstream sporting activities at all levels; discrimination and on the basis of equal • To ensure that persons with disabilities opportunity, States Parties shall ensure have an opportunity to organize, develop an inclusive education system at all and participate in disability-specific sporting levels. and recreational activities and, to this end, encourage the provision, on an equal basis with others, of appropriate instruction, training and resources … S. Radtke 11 The athletes‘ preference for an inclusive vs. a disability-specific training environment Preference for an inclusive training environment at elite level Athletes stated that they improve their performance by competing with athletes without a disability in an inclusive training environment. Preference for an inclusive environment Preference for a disability-specific at grass-roots level environment at grass-roots level Active children who acquire their Some athletes benefit from the social disability through accident or disease function of disability sports clubs are keen to go on with their sporting (function of a “safe room“ and function activities among their peers without of a “springboard“ to a mainstream disabilities. S. Radtke sports club). 12 Germany with mainly separate disability sports opportunities German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) • Federation for the sport of people with disability • National Paralympic Committee Olympic and non-Olympic federations •Special Olympics Germany •Para-Equestrian •German-Turkish Association supporting disability sports •German Rowing Association •German Shooting Association •… Regional federations for Regional sports Disability-specific individual sports federations sports organisations such as Local sports federations Regional • German Wheelchair Federations of Association disability • Sport Association for sports Hearing Impaired Sport club members without disability Sport club members with disability 13 Canada with mainly integrated (mainstream) sports opportunities Government of Canada (Canadian Heritage) Sport Canada Canadian Paralympic Comittee (CPC) Integrated National Sport Disability-specific sports Federations (NSF)/ organisations National Governing Bodies On the Podium (OTP) Canadian Wheelchair Sports (NGB) Association, Canadian Blind Alpine Canada, Archery Canada, Cross Sports Association, Canadian Canadian Sports Centres (CSC) National Country Canada, Swimming Canada, Cerebral Palsy Sports Association, Athletics Canada, Hockey Canada, Calgary, Manitoba, British Columbia, Canadian Amputee Sports Canadian Cycling Association, Rowing Ontario, Atlantic Canada, Montreal, Association, Canada, Equine Canada, etc. Saskatchewan, Victoria Canadian Deaf Sports Association Disability-specific sports organisations: Alberta Sports & Recreation Association for the Blind (ASRAB), Ontario Wheelchair Sports Association (OWSA), … Bridging the gap Provincial Soldier on (BTG) Mainstream sports clubs Clinics organised Have-a-go-days that are open to athletes by the NSFs with a disability Mixed School Programs of the disability- Local Teams specific sports organisations S. Radtke 14 Towards inclusive sports structures Research questions • Has there been a shift towards inclusive rather than segregated sports provision in selected countries? • How to begin the process of integration and inclusion in sport governing bodies and sport systems? How to develop an inclusive culture? Are there any examples of good practices? • What are the views of officials, head coaches, and elite athletes on inclusive sports provision? S. Radtke 15 Today’s examples Steps from exclusion to inclusion of best practice Today‘s examples of best practice (CAN): (UK): Rowing, Swimming, Cycling, Swimming, Alpine Skiing, Sledge Hockey Equestrian Sports, Mostly integrated/inclusive NGBs Athletics • Integration process since mid-1990s • Integrated/Inclusive training camps and national championships Knowledge → Inclusion Mostly non-integrated NGBs Understanding→ Integration Acceptance (charity) → Segregation US Paralympics operates as the NGB for seven sports: Alpine Skiing, Cycling, Nordic Skiing,