Children in Motion: Together is Better

As Nastya readied herself for sled team practice, her mother secured her upper body and legs to the sled. Touching the ice a few times with her sticks, she sped off and was soon out of sight. Nastya was the first girl to play on the boys’ sled hockey team and quickly became a forward: “I enjoy scoring goals and watching as the goalkeeper misses the puck flying into the net.”

Nastya, 16, has autism and ADHD. Before joining the hockey team, she had difficulty paying attention in school. She became easily overexcited, making it hard to express her thoughts.

According to Yury, her physical education teacher, “Nastya did not understand socializing. For example, during warm-up exercises, she would run away from the team and play alone with a ball, not responding to the teacher’s instructions.”

Everything changed when Perspektiva began to organize and hold inclusive sports activities at Nastya’s school. A workshop on sled hockey was one of these activities. Students from her class were invited to participate. Workshop participants also visited an ice-skating arena, Morozovo Stadium, where they met members of the adult team, learned about the game, and had the opportunity to play.

Initially, Nastya's mother was worried about her getting hurt: “While initially Nastya dreamed of playing hockey, that sport often causes injuries. But sled hockey is less dangerous, as the player is secured to the sled. So, I agreed and Nastya joined the team shortly after meeting the other players.”

Nastya has been playing sled hockey for more than three years. She enjoys being part of a team and was very upset when practice was cancelled during the lockdown. Her mother noted that sport has had a positive impact on both Nastya’s physical health and social adaptation: “Nastya has made new friends. She is a valued team player and her teammates respect her. The team participates in tournaments and festivals in other cities. This sport has brought her new experiences and positive emotions. My daughter has become more focused and goal oriented. She has gained stamina and learned how to manage her emotions and exercise self-control.” 

The physical education teacher participated in Perspektiva’s training in adaptive physical education, where he learned how to include children with disabilities in sports and PE classes and put his new knowledge and skills into practice. For instance, because people with autism can be visual thinkers, the teacher paired Nastya with a non-disabled peer, who showed her the correct movements. She repeated them over and over until she performed the movements properly. This is also how she learned to play football.

According to Nastya’s physical education teacher, “People on the spectrum are considered “less emotional” and “incapable of being team players”. Nastya defies these stereotypes. Like any child, autistic children are able to make friendships, feel empathy and team spirit. Sled hockey helped Nastya experience and express emotions, strive to play well and win. She has also become more focused and attentive in school.”

Nastya is looking forward to going back to school after studying online in order to return to the ice to prepare for new games and victories!

As soon as the Coronavirus quarantine ended and children were allowed out onto the soccer pitch, Artyom grabbed his ball and took off like a shot. He finished sixth grade in a St. Petersburg school #25, and it’s hard to believe that just a few years ago this daring kid was overweight and lagged behind his peers in athletic ability. Artyom has cerebral palsy and his left hand has been frozen in a fist since he was born. His mother Yelena recalls, “He couldn’t make anything out of clay or do chin-ups. His classmates made fun of him. Artyom would get upset and complain that he didn’t need his ‘bad’ left hand.”

Artyom wasn’t interested in any sports, and since his hand was always a fist, he was afraid to play catch. But everything changed after the organization “Perspektiva” began to hold events in his school as part of the Nike-funded project “Children in Motion: Together is Better!” Together with the other kids at his school and their Phys. Ed. teacher, Artyom took a class trip to the stadium to cheer on the St Petersburg football team Zenith at all the championship matches. That’s all it took to turn the boy into a soccer fan. “I really like Artyom Dzyuba! He’s got the same name as me, and I want to play forward, too!” Artyom said.

After the first match he saw, Artyom came home and told his mother that he was now a soccer player, and he asked her to sign him up for classes. Several times a week he goes to play soccer with kids without disabilities. To get into good shape, Artyom started to work out. “He began to jog and work out on gym equipment,” his mother said, “even though before he was too lazy to walk just one stop on public transportation. He used to act like it was punishment.”

Artyom stopped being afraid of the ball, and after some workshops on adaptive physical education the teacher realized how to involve this child with a disability into sports. “Artyom did the same drills as the other kids,” his Phys. Ed teacher Vladimir said, “but he did them with one hand. And he learned to run. In the spring he took first place in the shuttle run test.”

Artyom is crazy about soccer. He goes to the pitch in his courtyard every day he doesn’t have training. His mother noticed that when he got involved in sports, he was able to sit longer and do his homework better. Now he’s motivated. “If I behave, they’ll take me to a Zenith match at the stadium!”