G footballers have been thriving in Schelle Sport for fifteen years and Erik Van Looy celebrates (Schelle)

Fifteen years ago, Schelle Sport was one of the pioneers in launching G Football for children and young adults with mental or physical disabilities and can therefore use the title of G Football Ambassador for its philosophy that everyone should be able to play football. / Sports Club likes to invest money, time and energy into G-function.

“Because we shouldn’t deny that it takes extra effort in all of those areas,” says Jungers, CEO Eve. “Compared to normal football, for example, you need additional coaches and supervisors. Moreover, they have to know how to deal with players, because it requires a completely different approach. So a good youth coach is not a good soccer coach ing.”

“In normal football, it’s not easy to fill in that picture every season, let alone football ing,” says Director of Communications Raymond Claes. Therefore, more opportunities should be created regarding training. In February, the Schelle Sport Referee G course will start from Voetbal Vlaanderen, because that also requires a different and specific approach. Fortunately, at Schelle Sport, we can count on a group of passionate and enthusiastic supervisors.”

This has already paid off, because in those fifteen years many players have flourished in Schelle. For example, last year Jitse Brusten and Glenn Criel were selected to join the Special Devils (Level 3), Belgium’s new G football team.

National Games

“And next year in May, we will be able to send at least a dozen athletes to the National Games for the Special Olympics,” says proud coordinator Jennifer de Werdt. I have held the position of Coordinator with great passion and enthusiasm for three years now. Together with the club, for example, this season he also created the auti team. “This also requires a different approach,” she says. “We’re also working with guys to mentor these players.”

At Schelle Sport, G football has grown into three G teams (kids, level 4 and level 2) and an auti team, all together of about fifty members. And on Saturday they celebrated with matches against coaches and parents, but also against SK Mugenberg with Eric van Lowe – who was not only an opponent but also loved to show himself as a teammate of Shelley – Rudi Smedts and Anthony van der Wey, the other half of Karen Damen. She also loved to come alone not only to support her husband but also to bring a big smile to the faces of many children.

Bart Rugemann