Integrated Sport: From Theory to Practice

Abstract

This paper is articulated in two parts. The first one has a theoretical approach in order to put the basis of an Integrated Sport model, built through Special Education principles. On the second part, the questionnaire which has been developed by the theoretical approach basis analysis tries to highlight Integrated Sport essence, focusing on the participants (athletes with and without disability) of the First European Day of Integrated Sport organized in Rome, from the 22nd to the 24th of May. It will look for clarify the necessity of creating the "third way of Sports" where people with and without disabilities play together in the same time and context, on the equal opportunities basis and active participation. In the research, 82 people (male n = 53; females n = 29) were selected, of which 50 did not have any kind of disability while the remaining 32 had any disability, from twelve different countries (Italy, Spain, Lithuania, Slovenia, Greece, France, Romania, Turkey, Germany, Portugal, UK and Poland), taking part in the Sport Day event as athlete, trainer, organizer, familiar or others. The medium age of participants was 31.7 years.