Generation Amazing launches workshops on coaching young people with special needs

Generation Amazing, a solidarity platform for the development of football in Qatar, has launched a series of workshops aimed at coaches in charge of training children and young people with special needs.

The inaugural workshop was attended by experts from the PSG Academy along with some instructors from Generation Amazing. Coaches who attended the workshop learned how to use devices dedicated to people with special needs, as well as how to take advantage of the educational materials.

The workshop was led by Generation Amazing Chief Instructor Hamad Muhammad and instructor Ryan Munyard, a specialist in autism spectrum disorder and training footballers with special needs, as well as an instructor from the department of Community Engagement at the Qatar Foundation.

The workshops will continue over the coming months, with the next one to be held in October of this year. And to ensure the inclusiveness of the program, Generation Amazing will update its curricula to include children and youth, while providing the necessary support to the various needs of trainers.

The concept of inclusiveness and its basic values

Regarding the workshops, Nasser El Khoury, program director at Generation Amazing, said: “We are happy to return to the training field after the suspension of our activities due to the emerging Covid-19 crisis, as well as to resume the activities of our program through this awareness workshop aimed at people with special needs, in cooperation with the Qatar Foundation.”

Al Khoury added: “At Generation Amazing we are interested in continuing to expand the scope of the program and the base of its participants to include all groups and segments of society of all abilities, while we communicate with children and youth through our activities within the Football for Development program, and the principle of inclusiveness is one of our basic values.

“We believe in the importance of giving children and youth the opportunity to acquire important life skills such as good communication, leadership, and teamwork by organizing activities through interactive sports activities such as football, in a way that contributes to building and securing their future.”

Amy Johnson, Director of Community Engagement at Qatar Foundation, said: “The values that we believe in at Qatar Foundation are embodied in this training program that fits all capabilities, as it guarantees everyone's opportunity, inclusiveness, and equal opportunities.

“Our cooperation with Generation Amazing is a pleasure for us, so our main goal is to ensure that all members of society have access to high-quality sports programs that enable them to enjoy healthy lifestyles and interact with others, by providing coaches from within Qatar and the world with the skills necessary to provide such opportunities."

It is worth nothing that Generation Amazing broadcast live dialogues last June, in which they addressed the issue of how to implement football activities for people with special needs.