Open Game Program sP

Football is not the only sports modality that attracts the youth of Vila Albertina, a district of São Paulo´s northern area. This statement is confirmed by the Open Game Program, which reinforces the importance of sports, leisure and social practices. Fifteen sports modalities were part of the 2016´s program, such as volleyball, table tennis, football, basketball, athleticism, skating, capoeira, tchoukball, and fancy sports like swordplay and frisbee.

The program´s objective is contributing to the integral education of children, teenagers and young people from 8 to 21 years of age, via the practice of sports, educational and social activities, involving low bracket families and other players, like public schools and the district´s inhabitants.

The activities took place in seven sites: Sports and Development Center (NED), Tucuruvi Park´s Lions Club, and at five public schools, among other public spaces, such as streets and parks. In 2016 a total of 31 teams graduated in regular sports activities; some courses were provided in partnership with regular schools, after/before the normal classes. In this case, Gol de Letra´s teams follow the methodology of the referred institutions to perform the sports practices.

A series of events highlighted the year and indicated the community´s integration and trust in the program. There were three editions of “Leisure Street”, four Hikes, a Jogo Aberto Festival, besides the Vila Albertina´s Integration Games, Rio-São Paulo Festival, Football for Hope Festival, Goal for Equality Festival, and special workshops.

The referred modalities were part of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio. The fencer who represented Brazil in Rio 2016, Fernando Scavasin, took part in a fencing workshop that commented the sports´ peculiarities, presented the athletes´ background and had a lively talk regarding the sports activity.

The Program also educated young monitors of the community with the objective of expanding sports culture and indicating the capacity to change life perspective via sports, as these persons can become multiplying agents of sports and leisure practices. The participants also had the opportunity to learn and debate about themes such as gender equality, citizenship, professional positioning, among others.

The involvement with the families is focused on the cultural, educational and social development of the participants of the Program. It is done by gathering children, teenagers, young people and their parents to discuss the family´s social demands.

“I represented my school this year, in the soccer and table tennis modalities. What I liked most in this edition of the Integration Games were the alternative sports:  slackline and kimball. I did not know these modalities and now I want to know more about it, in order to take part in it more frequently”.

Rodrigo Leles de Sousa, 15 year old, participant in EMEF Prof. Noé Azevedo

“It was my first participation in a football festival full of winners. We got the same medals and everybody took part in the program, very actively. We played every football modality, at the field and at the court. The recreation area included a swimming pool and a very good structure to be used by Fundação Gol de Letra´s  teams from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.”

Luiz Felipe Borger da Silva, 12 year old, participant in futsal modality

“I think that the most important thing is knowing how to practice these sports. These two workshops  - frisbee and fencing-  that we attend this year were excellent, mainly because it took place in the year of the Olympic Games in Brazil. Seeing the Olympic athletes in Vila Albertina was a wonderful surprise for me”.

Kabelle de Paula Sales, 16 year old, participant in basketball and futsal modalities.