DISABILITY SPORT RESEARCH INITIATIVE
Researh Fellows
RESEARCH REPORT:
Recommendations Document: Inclusion and Integration of Soccer Opportunities for Players with Disabilities within the United States Soccer Federation
INTRODUCTION
Society is beginning to recognize that people with disabilities
who reach their maximum potential in sport are legitimate athletes. As
this realization develops, the mainstream amateur sports community has
been asked to address the challenges of how to manage opportunities for
athletes with disabilities.
In the past, opportunities for athletes with disabilities have been organized by disability-specific multi-sport organizations. Leaders within these disability-specific organizations are now interested in having mainstream sport organizations work with and support opportunities for athletes with disabilities.
The purposes of this project were to examine the United States Soccer Federation's (USSF) effort to meet the needs of soccer players with disabilities, and explore the USSF's future commitment.
The project also aimed to determine the cooperation of the five national disability-specific soccer programs with each other and with the USSF and to determine how these relationships might be improved in the future.
These programs are:
- Dwarf Athletic Association of America Soccer Program
- Special Olympics, Inc. Soccer Program
- United States Amputee Soccer Association
- United States Cerebral Palsy Athletic Association Soccer Program
- United States Deaf Soccer Association
Six senior staff of the USSF and the coordinators of the five disability-specific soccer programs were interviewed for this project. The Appendix lists the questions utilized in the interviews.
FINDINGS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This document details thirteen findings coupled with recommendations
designed to help facilitate the working relationship between the USSF
and the disability-specific soccer programs.
1. EDUCATION AND
TRAINING
Staff of the USSF stated they were neither aware of nor educated about
opportunities for athletes with disabilities, but were very interested
in learning more. These staff said that with an increased understanding
of soccer players with disabilities, the USSF would be better equipped
to make effective decisions regarding all organizational decisions impacting
athletes with varying disabilities.
Recommendation: The USSF, both at the executive (Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Standing Committees) and staff levels, needs specific education and training from experts in the field regarding current opportunities and needs for players with disabilities.
2. GOVERNANCE
The coordinators of the five disability-specific soccer programs (coordinators)
said they would like the mission, policies, and procedures of the USSF
to directly consider and incorporate the soccer player with a disability.
The coordinators said they want the USSF to do this in order to give the
player with a disability more legitimacy.
Recommendation: The USSF should revise its mission, policies and procedures to consider and incorporate the player with a disability.
3. STRUCTURE
The coordinators said they do not want a separate disabled division
of the USSF.
Recommendation: The disability-specific soccer programs need to become members of the USSF, and the USSF needs to have representation or consideration for the disabled in each of its existing staff divisions, standing committees, and national council�s.
4. STAFF POSITION
Staff of the USSF believed individuals working within the organization
are needed in order to truly lead to change on behalf of the disabled.
Recommendation: The USSF should hire a staff person to primarily work in the national teams department but who also can work within marketing and membership services to facilitate opportunities for the disabled. This person will act as a liaison between the disability-specific soccer programs and the USSF.
5. NATIONAL STANDING
COMMITTEE
USSF staff and the coordinators stated they do not want the National
Standing Committee of the USSF to become a token entity, which makes nothing
happen. The coordinators said the committee is a great way for the disability-specific
soccer programs to interface with and advise the USSF.
Recommendation: The established National Standing Committee of the USSF needs to be proactive in advising the staff liaison on ways to best meet the needs of soccer players with disabilities within both the USSF and the larger soccer community.
6. FUNDING AND
SPONSORSHIP
Staff at the USSF said that although the disability-specific soccer
programs and teams are a secondary-market, funding is believed to be available
for programs for players with disabilities from sports industry or corporate
sources. These staff stated if they were more educated and informed about
disability soccer, they would better be able to recognize ways the USSF
could help approach and secure sponsors and funding sources.
Recommendation: The USSF marketing division and the five national disability-specific soccer programs need to work together as a collaborative enterprise to develop strategies to identify and approach potential sponsors and funding sources.
7. NATIONAL TEAM
PROGRAMS
With the sanction and endorsement of the USSF for national teams of
athletes with disabilities, the coordinators said the athletes with disabilities
would feel more recognized as legitimate elite athletes.
Recommendation: The USSF should sanction, outfit, and fund training and travel for national teams of athletes with disabilities competing in international events.
8. NATIONAL COMPETITION
The staff of the USSF indicated they want to endorse and sanction
all forms of the game of soccer. The coordinators felt the current divisioning
of teams by disability-type should be maintained. The approach allows
players to maximize their ability.
Recommendation: The USSF should consider organizing and sanctioning an annual national championship event showcasing each of the disability-specific soccer programs. This national event could be a place for athletes with disabilities to compete against other athletes from their program.
9. EXHIBITION EVENTS
Organizing exhibitions of the national teams from the disability-specific
soccer programs will allow the general public and the soccer community
to better understand athletes with disabilities playing soccer. The coordinators
said exhibitions would further validate, promote, and build corporate
interest in the programs and athletes.
Recommendation: The USSF should endorse exhibitions of competitions for the national teams of athletes with disabilities that could take place in conjunction with Men�s or Women�s national team events. The disabled programs could use these exhibitions as an opportunity to host international soccer matches.
10. GRASS-ROOTS
DEVELOPMENT
The coordinators said it was most difficult to identify and develop
players with disabilities in the youth and amateur levels. Staff at the
USSF believed that the youth and amateur organizations would really be
able to help the five disability-specific soccer programs.
Recommendation: The USSF should encourage and support the amateur and youth state affiliates to network with and establish formal relationships with the five disability-specific soccer programs. The amateur and state associations should organize an official program to encourage people of all disabilities to come out and play soccer.
11. INFORMATION
DISTRIBUTION
The coordinators stated that their biggest difficulty is getting the
word out that their program exists. These coordinators stated the USSF
could help them tremendously.
Recommendation: The Communications Department of the USSF should promote the disability-specific soccer programs, the events and programs of these disability-specific programs, and the stories and results from these events and programs. This promotion can take place via the USSF web-site, newsletter, and general mailings.
12. COACHES AND
REFEREE PROGRAMS
Because there are rule differences for soccer played by each of the
disability-specific soccer programs, the coordinators stated there is
a need for coaches and referees to be kept abreast of these differences.
Recommendation: The USSF should define a component of their coaches and referee programs to address the needs of players with disabilities. Education and training regarding disability soccer for staff of the USSF, in collaboration with the five disability-specific soccer programs, will assist in designing this component.
13. RULES OF THE
GAME
Staff of the USSF and the coordinators that the USSF should embrace
all forms of the game of soccer. The coordinators said it would give their
programs more legitimacy if their rules were recognized.
Recommendation: The USSF should recognize the rules of the five disability-specific soccer programs. The five disability soccer programs make some modifications in order to meet the needs of the athletes with disabilities, and these rules should be recognized in the rulebook.
APPENDIX:
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AWARENESS
1. What is the awareness, knowledge and understanding at the USSF and in the soccer community regarding soccer opportunities for players with disabilities?
2. What are the perceptions and views toward soccer players with disabilities?
3. Should there be opportunities for people with disabilities to play soccer?
CURRENT STATUS
1. What has been the experience of the USSF in working with the disability-specific soccer programs? Please define the relationship in terms of how the USSF incorporates consideration for the disabled in its mission, events, programs, funding, sponsorship, marketing, communication vehicles, management, and governance.
2. What has been the experience of the disability-specific soccer program in working with the USSF? Please define the relationship in terms of how the USSF incorporates consideration for the disabled in its mission, events, programs, funding, sponsorship, marketing, communication vehicles, management, and governance.
3. What has been the experience of the disability-specific soccer program in working with the other disability-specific soccer programs?
4. Why does the disability-specific soccer program want to work with the USSF?
5. What are the benefits and drawbacks of the USSF working with the disability-specific soccer programs?
6. Is the USSF receptive or resistant to working with the disability-specific soccer programs?
FUTURE
1. How is the growth and potential of soccer opportunities for women viewed in comparison to the growth and potential in soccer opportunities for the disabled?
2 Has the USSF felt pressure to more fully integrate opportunities for the disabled into its services and programs?
3. Has the disability-specific soccer program felt pressure to work with the USSF?
4. Should there be inclusion and integration of opportunities for athletes with disabilities into mainstream national sport organizations?
5. In what ways could the USSF work to organize and promote opportunities for soccer players with a disability?
6. How should the relationship between the USSF and soccer opportunities for the disabled be structured? Should there be separate disability-specific soccer programs, or should the USSF take on more responsibility?
OTHER
1. Are there areas that I did not cover that you feel I need to cover?
2. Any questions for me?
Report by Eli Wolff
Northeastern
University's
CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SPORT IN SOCIETY
716 Columbus Avenue, Suite 161 CP
Boston, MA 02120
Phone: (617) 373-4025
Fax:
(617) 373-4566