The Love is All Erasmus+ project formally launches a set of Hockey ID Toolkits this week after three years of dedicated research, and hands-on development.
The project is a collaborative initiative dedicated to the development and promotion of Hockey ID, ensuring greater accessibility for the growth of hockey for intellectually disabled (ID) athletes, as well as their coaches, support staff and event managers.
Through education, structured training, and cross-border cooperation, the project is paving the way for a more inclusive sports culture worldwide.
Love is All is led by Czech Hockey with the support of the EuroHockey Institute and the FIH Academy with this launch marking a major milestone.
They have worked in combination with the national associations from Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain; Special Olympics Bulgaria, France and the Netherlands; and Adam Evans from Copenhagen University.
The outcome is a comprehensive set of Hockey ID Toolkits, designed to empower coaches, officials, umpires and event organisers in successfully integrating Hockey ID. The Toolkits will be available via the EuroHockey Institute and FIH Academy platforms.
EuroHockey Institute Coordinator Cameron Findler says he is proud to see the integration of these resources to the Institute’s offerings.
“Having the Toolkits all in one place alongside all our other courses shows to Europe and our member National Associations how seriously we take Hockey ID,” he said.
“The thing I have enjoyed most about the Love is All project is the impact it has on our ID athletes. Seeing the joy in their faces at ID events, like the European Championships, is an amazing thing and something we want to grow.”
Norman Hughes, who has been spearheading the development of Hockey ID worldwide, added: “It proved so inspiring to work alongside a team of experts, some experienced in Hockey ID, some new to Hockey ID. The exchange of ideas has I am sure enhanced the quality of the resources developed”
Czech Hockey’s Gino Schilders, who led the project, added that he is thrilled the project is now available for a wider audience and said Love is All is a project that has organically flourished over the past three years: “It shows when you have a great team of passionate people, you have are sure to reach a great result.
“We initially had nine partners in the work group but during the project, this enlarged because more people wanted to join and help.”
A Vision for Inclusion Through Sport
The project was initiated in 2022 and has successfully created a structured framework to promote inclusivity and expand Hockey ID across Europe and beyond.
Indeed, more than just a project, Love is All is a movement born from the passion of coaches, institutions, and organisations committed to fostering social inclusion through sports.
By developing structured training programmes, toolkits, and international collaborations, the initiative aims to inspire each hockey nation to integrate Hockey ID.
In so doing, the result will be to provide intellectually disabled athletes with the same opportunities to develop skills, confidence, and a sense of belonging.
Over the course of almost three years of discussions, research and practical testing, Love is All’s most significant output is now available to a wider audience.
The project now transitions from the development to implementation stage as stakeholders came together in Brussels last week for a dissemination event as the work begins to share the toolkits to a wider audience.
Find out more
- Toolkit available here: https://academy.fih.hockey/parahockey
- Find out more about the project here: https://eurohockey.org/programme-session/love-is-all
