Inya project
Our mission
The innovation of our project is to shed light on a group we named invisible young athletes, as a group that has not yet been addressed in the field of inclusion.
It is intended for vulnerable athletes, who we include in our programs, but there is no place for them in the classic competition system. They need to find a role and motivation to stay in the sport, because society likes to exclude them quickly if they do not meet the standards.
Invisible young athletes are not intellectually or physically handicapped, but they are often physically less skilled, which is why they do not like to compete, as they do not achieve high results. They may also face other challenges, such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, hyperactivity, behavioural and emotional challenges, long-term illness, and others.
Because the EU sports system for children and young people relies on the so-called “pyramid system”, which “forces” coaches to prepare children for competitions, many children stop practicing precisely because of anxiety and stress connected to failure in competitions. The innovative aspect is our search for ways to recognize their way of moving.
Through interviews with athletes, parents, coaches and experts of specific conditions or diseases or circumstances, we will explore their aspect, their challenges, their fears, their wishes and expectations – in order to better understand them and thereby contribute to the future in a way that every sports club would be open to invisible athletes.
We all believe that children of diverse abilities should be involved in sports clubs and sport activities among athletes and not in isolated institutions. In Fuji, Sensei-IN and Sankaku Ljubljana clubs, judokas with various types of disabilities train together with judokas without disabilities. In the inclusive camp In the Heart children with various types of disabilities join sport activities together with children without disabilities.
We believe this safe and loving environments are the foundation for inclusion in wider environments and a strong foundation for inclusive society in general.