“How the best play”, or a fairy tale promoting sports for people with disabilities – a report from the author's meeting.

“How the best play” is a fairy tale created for children aged 7-9, the aim of which is to raise awareness of the need to include people with disabilities in the world of sports and physical activities. The main character is Monika, a player of the Tęcza Żoliborz football club. Despite her disability, the girl shows great commitment and precision in the game, often exceeding the skills of her fully able-bodied colleagues. Initially, her presence on the pitch is a shock for other players, but as time passes, the children understand that there are no barriers in sport.

The main character of the fairy tale, as a person after a limb amputation, represents a large group of people with disabilities in Poland. According to the Central Statistical Office, at the end of 2022, 10,700 people aged 19 and younger in Poland had a certificate of disability, degree of disability or degree of incapacity for work.[1] In turn, according to Eurostat data from 2022, 27% of the EU population over the age of 16 have some form of disability. In Poland it's 24.2%. The Eurobarometer indicates that one in two people with a disability feel discriminated against. Just like the main character of the “How the best play” fairy tale, who often feels excluded from the sports community.

– We are aware of the stereotypes that people with disabilities face in the world of sports. Therefore, creating a therapeutic fairy tale about this topic has educational value, but it is also an attempt to initiate a discussion on this matter. The “How the best play” story not only inspires people to take up physical activity. Thanks to the carefully conducted narrative, it raises the awareness of the youngest recipients about diversity, acceptance and getting rid of prejudices. The main character of the story, Monika, is not accidental. She was inspired by Monika Kukla, our foundation’s ambassador. Monika is a versatile, committed paralympic athlete, representative of Amp Futbol Polska and winner of the “Battle of Europe” European CrossFit Championships for disabled people 2019. Recently, she has also been successful in paralympic kayaking – says Dr. Tomasz Półgrabski, President of the MultiSport Foundation.

The “How the best play” fairy tale can be downloaded for free HERE, both as an e-book and audiobook. It is also accompanied by a package of educational materials for teachers, who can use them to conduct special lessons and conversations with children. The publication includes a fairy tale therapy scenario that may also be useful for parents.

– I am very happy that the MultiSport Foundation has become a partner of the project. Together, we gathered a great team joined by the writer Boguś Janiszewski, some experts, including Prof. Bartosz Molik and Dr. Jolanta Marszałek, fairy tale therapy specialists from the Zaczytani.org Foundation, and employees of the MultiSport Foundation. We have created the “How the best play” fairy tale, which supports children’s social development. The story also inspires ALL children to play sports, showing that sport has no barriers, and anyone can be active. Additionally, we took care of emotional education which is necessary for a life of well-being and strengthening mental resilience. In addition to the fairy tale, we have prepared ready-made scenarios for classes to be conducted by educators, teachers, and parents. Thanks to the expert article, they will first learn what attitudes and competences we want to teach and will receive specific tools which they can use. The publication also includes an introduction to fairy tale therapy, which is an amazing educational tool. The three-stage reading process – discussion and exercises, which is the result of decades of psychological research, teaches, relaxes, and calms down, tames emotions, develops skills, and allows children to build relationships – explains Agnieszka Machnicka, President of the Zaczytani.org Foundation.

The fairy tale has already reached over 14,000 primary schools, 350 special educational centres, 100 youth community centres, 90 care and educational facilities and 3,200 libraries.

– Inspiring children to take part in sports is very important and the example should always come from the top. It is very important that we not only expect our children to be physically active, which we will only monitor on various devices. We should accompany them in this activity. Sometimes as parents or guardians we must look in the mirror and realise that change should start with us. We should motivate others by joint action, and not by just talking – said Jan Mela during the press conference.

^{The MultiSport Foundation, established by Benefit Systems in 2021, actively fights against hypokinesia, i.e. immobility, which the World Health Organisation considers one of the key threats to the health of modern civilisation. The activities of the MultiSport Foundation constitute a comprehensive response to the challenges related to physical inactivity, focusing on different age groups, and supporting a healthy lifestyle at every stage of life.}

^{The mission of the Zaczytani.org Foundation is to take care of well-being and health through the promotion of reading and social education. The foundation has been operating for 10 years. In its activities, it combines artistic, scientific, local government and business communities, creating social development projects. The heart of the foundation’s activities is volunteering and fairy tale therapy.}

^{miniciti is a miniature educational city where children work, earn money (minias), and gain a lot of practical knowledge. They take on various professional roles, learn their secrets, gain experience, and develop their passions. They also learn how to manage finances and make wise purchasing decisions. miniciti is a social business that supports children from communities at risk of social exclusion.}