LALIGA VS and PUMA together foster a respectful environment in youth football
The pressure that sometimes falls on children can distort the meaning of youth football, and transform what should be an escape into a source of tension. This assertion is based on a study carried out by LALIGA and PUMA[1] to analyse the situation of children who play football.
This survey, conducted among 1,281 adults with children, reveals, on the one hand, that almost three out of four parents who have at least one child playing football highlight the role of this sport in the transmission of positive values, while more than 45% recognise that situations of hatred within this context are frequent. To respond to this problem and foster an atmosphere of respect that is free of hatred, PUMA and LALIGA VS are promoting the Aquí se juego a juego (‘Here we play fairly’) project, which will have Dragones de Lavapiés as a reference, adding six other participating clubs from all over Spain.
The initiative was presented yesterday by Jorge de la Vega, General Director of Business of LALIGA; Esteve Planas, PUMA’s Managing Director of Southern Europe; Dolores Galindo, President of Dragones de Lavapiés; and Pilar Cancela, Secretary of State for Migration. Together they unveiled the project, which includes the following benefits:
Exclusive PUMA and LALIGA VS kit.
Subscription to the Futura Afición platform of the LALIGA FOUNDATION.
Clinics or sessions with experts in physical preparation, tactics and sports values.
Access to training for children and parents on inclusion, respect and sports development with professionals from LALIGA and Puma.
Access to professional players and Puma and LALIGA ambassadors: Meetings, trainings and talks.
The clubs receiving these benefits are: C.D.E Amistad Alcorcón (Madrid), C.D.E La Plata (Madrid), Bufalá CF (Barcelona), C.D. Valdefierro (Zaragoza), U.S. San Vicente (Vizcaya), C.D. Thader Alicante (Alicante). They will join the Dragones de Lavapiés (Madrid), who will act as host and serve as a role model in terms of inclusion, diversity and respect. We hope that, over the next few years, more clubs will be able to join the initiative and enjoy the same benefits.
A 21-kilo T-shirt, the ultimate symbol of the initiative
To represent the pressure many young people face in youth football, LALIGA VS and PUMA have created the ultimate symbol of this initiative: the heaviest football shirt in the world. This shirt weighs 21 kilos and seeks to highlight the pressure that young people suffer and are subjected to, sometimes even by those around them. This is evidenced by the fact that 57% of parents with children playing football detect insults and fights among adults, something that undoubtedly affects the young people themselves.
This alliance is a decisive step for both entities. PUMA reinforces its cultural and social commitment, demonstrating real activism that connects with the community. LALIGA VS, for its part, continues with its aim of ending hatred on and off the pitch. In this case, it extends its area of action to youth football pitches, consolidating itself as an engine of change and creating a key space for the education and development of thousands of families.
According to the study carried out by LALIGA and PUMA, 7 out of 10 parents identify bullying as the main problem in childhood and adolescence, reflecting the extent to which football reproduces the challenges of society. In view of this situation, LALIGA VS and PUMA are working to make youth football a safe space where children can learn inclusion, respect and camaraderie while enjoying the game without pressure.
[1] The study was carried out under the CAWI methodology with the Toluna Research Institute, using a sample of 1,281 parents residing in Spain, with children between 5 and 16 years old.
