OPEN GAME PROGRAM SÃO PAULO

If the subject is sports, leisure and conviviality, that´s the place! Futsal, skate, tchoukball, volley ball, capoeira, are some of the fifteen sports modalities of Jogo Aberto (Open Game), practised in Vila Albertina, São Paulo. The Program´s objective is contributing to the integrated education of  children, teenagers and young people from 8 to 20 years of age, via sports and educational activities, thus promoting the social conviviality, involving their families and other players, such as regional public schools and inhabitants of Vila Albertina, a district in the northern zone of São Paulo City.

The activities took place in seven different locations: NED (Sports and Development Cell), Fundação Gol de Letra´s headquarters, Public Schools (five Gol de Letra´s partners), Public Spaces (available for the different events).

In 2015 we prepared 35 teams with regular sports activities. There were 16 teams from public schools, with off-class hour activities. In this specific case Gol de Letra´s educators go to the referred schools to practise the sports and educational activities with their regular students, following the Foundation´s methodology.

New events enriched the year, such as the classes dedicated to adults, which promoted the strengthening of sports culture in the Community. There were four groups with night activities (gymnastics, capoeira and hiking modalities). The Itinerant Leisure Street, the Thematic Hiking and the strengthening of the events in public schools indicate the maturity of the developed actions and the community´s trust. There is still a challenge concerning frequency to the activities, which is bigger when it refers to school students.

The program also counts on the participation of sports monitors, young people of the Community, which had two years of study to work with the educators in the activities, in parallel to their education as individuals and citizens. It comprehends several themes focused on youth´s interests. The objective is preparing them to be multipliers of attitudes, knowledge and best practices. Seven young monitors completed their two year educational period in 2015. The final project was performed in schools near Fundação Gol de Letra.

The involvement with the families approaches issues related to education and information, with themes developed in monthly meetings, group dynamics, talks and regular dialogues.

Besides that, some actions are performed to promote physical activities with the Family, a strategy used to get the children and teenagers closer to the adults (parents or guardians).

15
straight
attendances

1.508
assistance activities rendered to families and persons from the community

3.225
persons were
indirectly reached

5
hikes

22
tours

8
Festivals of Modalities

7
assistance places

1.075
582 enrollments in sports activities

16 young monitors being educated.

477 enrollments in Leisure activities

73%
of the vacant places were fulfilled

4
Leisure Streets

5
partnerships with public schools

3.314

participants in  local events and actions, being:

970 in Leisure Streets

425 in Hikings

272 in Festival of Modalities

262 in Integration Games

250 in Open Game Festival

700 in tours

52 in Vacation Maraton

62 in Capoeira Baptism

233 in differenciated workshops

88 in Family´s Day

By believing that the strengthening of the sports culture contributes to the community´s development, Fundação Gol de Letra promotes and fosters recreation and leisure activities for all the community. On Saturday nights we open our doors and offer sports and recreational activities to people of all ages. The public can choose what to and circulate freely in the environment. In order get people closer and reach the highest number of inhabitants, the events entitled Leisure Streets and Hikings are an important strategy to use the public spaces.

"I really liked joining the capoeira group. I always wanted to do it, but I only made my mind about it this year. I am fascinated, I think that it adds big values every day! Each movement has its fundament and carries a very rich history, which is not very much commented nowadays. Despite some difficulties, I never considered giving up, on the contrary, I faced the obstacles. That, thanks to our educator, who, besides teaching capoeira, taught us the importance of respecting and caring for people near us, this knowledge we will carry with us for the rest of our lives”.

Karen Nayara S. Silva, 14 years of age,
6 months practising capoeira

" Fundação Gol de Letra gave me a broader view concerning sports; before being a monitor I really did not know what I wanted.I liked sports but I only played football. As a monitor I became familiar to other modalities. Then I noted that sports are cool when we play them and everybody has fun. I also noticed that we can adapt the activities in several ways in order everybody is included in the game. Moreover, after becoming a monitor I became aware that I want to be a teacher of Physical Education.”

Jorge Luiz Silva, 17 years of age, 1 year as monitor

“I started the gymnastics classes without much expectation, as I was the only man in a group of more or less ten women. I thought that I would not stay longer than one month. I was surprised to see that the teacher always made us work out doing different movements and she promotes differentiated activities in class. I forget about my personal limits and enjoy the classes very much.”

Eduardo Luiz de Freitas, 35 years of age, inhabitant of the district and a participant in gym classes

“After Gabriel started attending Jogo Aberto (Open Game Program) he improved a lot at school. It´s touching, for a father, listening during a school meeting that his son is with good grades, good performance and adequate achievements.

Valdeney Lemes, father of Gabriel de Andrade Oliveira Lemes, 11 years of age, 6th grade of Fundamental School II