The closing conference of the „Touch the Goal“ – Football for Every Child project was held at the Holiday Inn hotel in Skopje. The project was implemented by the „Idnina“ Special Education and Rehabilitation Centre, with financial support from the UEFA Foundation for Children.
The event presented the activities, experiences and results from the one-year implementation of the project, whose main objective was to create opportunities for greater inclusion of children with atypical development in football and sports activities, through the development of inclusive practices and the improvement of the capacities of teachers and professionals.
The conference was opened with welcoming addresses by Loreta Andreевска, director of the „Idnina“ Special Education and Rehabilitation Centre, and Irena Bakrevska Miloshevska from the Department of Social and Environmental Sustainability at the Football Federation of Macedonia (FFM), who highlighted the importance of the project and the need to create a sporting environment in which every child will have the opportunity to participate, progress and feel accepted.
The conference presented the activities carried out over the past year, with particular emphasis on the training of teachers and professional associates in schools. The aim was to create the conditions for the long-term application of inclusive practices through specific tools, knowledge and methodologies—not only within the project, but also in the daily work of schools and sports clubs.
One of the most significant results is the promotion of the handbook „A Practical Guide to Creating Inclusive Sports Environments through Football“, presented by Katarina Velichkovska and Irena Novacheska-Makалоска. Available in Macedonian, Albanian and English, the handbook is a practical tool for physical education teachers, coaches, football schools and clubs.
Through specific activities and methods, the handbook provides guidance on how training sessions and sports activities can be adapted for children with atypical development, with the aim of facilitating their inclusion and equal participation. At the same time, it contains tools for developing football skills, communication and teamwork among groups made up of children with atypical development.
„The „Touch the Goal – Football for Every Child“ project is coming to an end, but its benefits will continue to live on through the use of the handbook created over the past year. It is intended for all football schools and coaches who work with children. By applying and adapting the activities and tools it contains, coaches will be able to support children with atypical development and enable them to integrate more easily and participate equally in training sessions and matches. We call on all clubs, schools and coaches to use the handbook and create environments in which every child will have the opportunity to play, progress and feel part of the team,“ said Irena Bakrevska Miloshevska from the FFM.
„We knew that the success of the project depended above all on the people who work with children every day. That is why our primary focus was the training of teachers and professional associates. We did not want merely to organise sports activities, but to leave behind knowledge, specific tools and capacities that would continue to be used after the project ended. The handbook is one of the most valuable results in that regard. We believe that its application will open the door for even more children to become part of football and sport,“ said Loreta Andreевска, director of the „Idnina“ Special Education and Rehabilitation Centre.
Those present also had the opportunity to watch the documentary film „Touch the Goal“, which conveys the experiences and stories from the implementation of the project, followed by a panel discussion at which examples from the field, experiences of peer support and successful practices for inclusion through football were shared.
A total of 10 primary schools were included in the project: the „Idnina“ Special Education and Rehabilitation Centre – Skopje, as the project leader; „Kiro Gligorov“ Primary School from Centar; „Zhivko Brajkovski“ Primary School from Butel; „Imri Elezi“ Primary School, „Vasil Glavinov“ Primary School and „Tefejuz“ Primary School from Chair; „Kocho Racin“ Primary School from Petrovec; „Hristijan Karposh“ Primary School and „Magdalena Antova“ Primary School from Kumanovo; „Ilinden“ Primary School from Kriva Palanka; and „Kocho Racin“ Primary School from Kratovo.
The project activities involved 130 students, while 18 physical and health education (PHE) teachers underwent training in the application of inclusive methodologies and activities in teaching and sports practice. In this way, the project focused not only on the direct inclusion of children in football, but also on educating the staff who will continue to apply the knowledge they acquired after the project ends.
The event concluded with certificates of appreciation being presented to the schools, supporters and associates who contributed to the successful implementation of the project.
Although „Touch the Goal“ is officially coming to an end, its mission continues through the knowledge, handbook and practices that remain as a foundation for the further development of inclusive sport.
The project once again confirmed that football is much more than a game—it is a space for acceptance, equality, support and togetherness. Because the greatest victories are not measured by the score on the scoreboard, but by the opportunities we create for every child. Football is for every child. And the greatest success is when we win together.
