Sports for refugees (2017)
challenges for instructors and their support needs
Which kind of support do sports instructors need, if they offer sports for refugee children, adolescents and adults in sports clubs, youth facilities, schools, neighbourhood centres, etc.? What motivates them to engage? Which problems, difficulties and challenges do they face? Which strategies can they recommend and which attitudes and practices do they consider important in working with refugees?
In order to explore these issues, nine focus groups were created in eight countries and within this context, approximately 70 representatives of sports associations, clubs and initiatives, refugee homes and initiatives, migrant organizations and further NGOs were interviewed on the challenges associated with working with refugees. Focus groups were surveyed in Austria (Vienna), Finland (Helsinki), Germany (Berlin), Greece (Athens), Hungary (Budapest), Ireland (Sligo and Mayo), Italy (Rome) and Portugal (Lisbon).
The following summary presents selected key results from the focus group survey.