„The Sports Club “Adapted Sports” Botoșani Association is part of the project ”LEADERS through SPORTS – the Advocacy Program for People with Intellectual Disabilities”. The recently set-up sports club has ambitious goals, shared here by its President, Dan Pălimariu. By establishing the Sports Club “Adapted Sports” Botoșani Association we hope to increase the participation of young people with intellectual disabilities and of the community in sports activities, to cultivate their passion for sports, their desire to exercise and to make them aware of the importance of sports in everyday life.
Today’s society is increasingly dominated by machines and computers which have a major negative impact on people’s way of life, and they forget how important movement is for their mental and physical health. That’s why we aim to broaden the range of activities by involving both young people with intellectual disabilities and the community to ensure good collaboration. Regular physical activity regulates metabolism, reduces stress, combats insomnia, improves breathing, blood circulation and digestion. It also ensures the physical and mental development of young people, strengthens bones and joints.
In addition, it prevents and combats obesity, prevents diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, rheumatism and osteoporosis. Sports ensure the proper functioning of the nervous system by properly oxygenating the brain.
In addition, physical activity stimulates the development of nerve cells and stops the progression of inflammatory processes. People who practise sports at least 90 minutes every week score better on cognitive tests than those who do not exercise.
So we are considering the following solutions:
• adapting sports to the physical abilities of young people with intellectual disabilities to ensure equal opportunities and meet the needs of each individual;
• alternating the practice of competitive sports activities with those for recreation, entertainment, which mainly cover the movement options and training needs of young people with intellectual disabilities and, last but not least, promoting sports activities that are based on Olympic principles;
• sports activities that take place mainly outdoors, in a clean and unpolluted environment;
• ensuring the coordination of sporting activities at community level;
• organising regular competitions or mass competitions for all levels of sports training for recreational and prophylactic purposes at the level of the community to which they belong.”
