Pfeffersport e.V.

Mission Statement Inclusion Diversity is the key - Pfeffersport: an inclusive sports club Why are there sports activities in which wheelchair users are not allowed to participate? When will I, as a girl or a gay man, finally be allowed to play football with equal recognition? How often are athletes racially discriminated against? And is it okay that poor people cannot afford certain sports? As organisers of our pepper sports family, we have the vision to meet the different sport and exercise needs of our almost five thousand members. The theme of inclusion is like a bracket in this. Everyone is welcome here and everyone should be able to do sport. We experiment a lot with alternative spo... read more Mission Statement Inclusion Diversity is the key - Pfeffersport: an inclusive sports club Why are there sports activities in which wheelchair users are not allowed to participate? When will I, as a girl or a gay man, finally be allowed to play football with equal recognition? How often are athletes racially discriminated against? And is it okay that poor people cannot afford certain sports? As organisers of our pepper sports family, we have the vision to meet the different sport and exercise needs of our almost five thousand members. The theme of inclusion is like a bracket in this. Everyone is welcome here and everyone should be able to do sport. We experiment a lot with alternative sport and movement concepts, for example parkour, inclusive fencing or wheel soccer. We organise activities explicitly for girls and women, where no one has to be afraid of stupid comments or role models. In the meantime, some inclusive football teams are kicking and queer groups are finding their way to us. We simply have a bit of everything and are proud of it. For some years now, more and more people with disabilities have been coming to us and we offer many sports opportunities, especially for wheelchair users. In spring 2015, we also opened our sports facilities to people who have had to flee or have been displaced. And we have also created a flexible contribution scheme for people with limited financial means. For us, it doesn't matter whether you are old or young; that's what intergenerational groups like the inclusive dance theatre stand for. We also don't judge whether you believe in a god or in which god, because what we have in common is respectful and appreciative interaction. PARTICIPATION NOT EXCLUSION is our approach to social integration. For us, as an inclusive sports club, there is more than just ONE way. We want to try out many things and implement them together with you. In the children's and youth area, we try to open our sports groups to ALL - explicitly also for kids with disabilities. In these openly designed exercise programmes, heterogeneous groups are easy to realise. In terms of the sports club as a whole, homogeneous groups, such as girls' sports programmes or sports groups of the same age and interest, are also justified. Because overall, it makes the Pfeffersport family more colourful. For us, inclusion does not mean that everyone has to do sport with everyone else. For us, it is not about egalitarianism, but about choice. Our vision is a diverse club in which everyone can find themselves with their needs, regardless of social status or group membership. For us, inclusion is above all a question of attitude. Exclusion and discrimination are unacceptable to us. We find it `NORMAL` to respect each other. We may have different lifestyles, needs and abilities, but that is precisely where we draw our strength from. Our focus is not on maximum performance and standardised movements, but on having fun together and whoever wants to can also "let the devil hang out" sometimes. In implementing this vision, we are of course dependent on external conditions. In addition to an open attitude and a welcoming culture, this also includes accessibility in structures and inclusive practices. Qualified trainers, hall time and sports equipment are prerequisites for this work. Sports policy at the state and district level has provided some impetus in recent years. However, the support is far from sufficient. We are therefore involved in various bodies, such as the Disabled Sports Association Berlin and the District Sports Association, and in 2014 we founded a network for inclusion in recreational and mass sports together with other stakeholders in Berlin's sports landscape. Many committed people in sports clubs and institutions look to our association because they are interested in exchanging experiences and want to explore new paths together with us. We are convinced of the idea of inclusion and our commitment is often voluntary.