HISPASAT, AMEB and Fundación Estudiantes create school for wheelchair basketball

February 11, 2016

The school will be open to players with disabilities who want to improve their skills in the sport.

It seeks to be a point of reference for the overall development of the players, both in sports and in their personal lives.

The players will become part of Movistar Estudiantes' pool of reserves, which now has 200 players with disabilities, making it the largest reserve for players with disabilities in Europe.

HISPASAT, within the framework of its CSR policy, is leading this new project, which encourages values such as self-improvement, commitment and teamwork.

Satellite operator HISPASAT, Fundación Estudiantes and AMEB (Spina Bifida Association of Madrid) have joined forces to create a school for wheelchair basketball. With it, they will facilitate disabled youth’s participation in wheelchair basketball and foster their integration, supporting the development of their techniques and their psychomotor skills, as well as their abilities in social and educational environments.

The Hispasat–AMEB–Estudiantes school is built upon the relationship formed by the three entities during the course of two consecutive ESTUCAMPs, held in July 2014 and 2015. Due to the project’s success, these entities decided to strengthen their relationship and join forces to create Movistar Estudiantes’ first-ever school for wheelchair basketball, channelled through the team’s foundation. The players at the school will be integrated into the reserves of the team, which will become the largest inclusive pool of reserve players in Europe, totalling 200 players with disabilities. HISPASAT is driving this new project within its CSR policy framework, which focuses on achieving objectives such as the promotion of sports and healthy lifestyle habits, as well as the integration of people with disabilities.

The school will have 30 athletes and will be open to all players who want to improve their skills in this sport. Practice will be held on Fridays and Saturdays in Valdebernardo, and there will be master classes taught by international players, such as Ryan Martin, the ESTUCAMP director at the Magariños sporting complex.

The school for wheelchair basketball provides a social link among the members of the team, nurturing values such as commitment, teamwork, self-improvement and solidarity, and encouraging healthy lifestyles. It seeks to be a point of reference for the overall development of the players on the team, both in sports and on a personal level.

 

EstuCamp and the school championship 

In addition, HISPASAT will continue to support Fundación Estudiantes by sponsoring the bilingual “EstuCamp” summer school for young wheelchair basketball players, which this summer will be holding the 3rd edition of its annual camp at the Magariños sporting complex, and will be open to players from outside the Madrid area, who will be eligible for accommodation grants provided by Hispasat.   

Hispasat, AMEB and Fundación Estudiantes will also come together to hold the 2nd National Conference of Schools, organised by AMEB, in which they will emphasise the fact that the project seeks to build a nation-wide and open school, overcoming not only individual barriers but also geographic ones. 

 

Fundación Estudiantes 

Fundación Estudiantes was founded in the year 2000 in order to channel and give visibility to the social responsibility work of the Club Estudiantes, which was founded 68 yeas ago and whose slogan is “teaching people through basketball”. The Fundación has now taken the baton and carries the spirit of the club; its main objective is to create and develop projects that connect sports with disability, youth and solidarity, bringing basketball to the lives of vulnerable groups. It seeks to give visibility to those who are invisible, as well as to provide them with opportunities to play and, above all, enjoy the sport of basketball. For almost 10 years now, the Fundación has been creating, developing and promoting schools and teams for people with disabilities and, in addition, it has made Movistar Estudiantes into the largest inclusive pool of reserve players in Europe.

AMEB

AMEB, the Spina Bifida Association of Madrid, was founded 40 years ago with the aim of providing care, protection and promotion in all aspects for people whose disability puts them at risk of social exclusion, especially of a physical nature. In doing so, they seek to foster action in the form of aid, education, healthcare and social and workplace inclusion, in order for those with disabilities to be able to improve the quality of their own lives and the lives of their families. In 2003, AMEB founded the School for Wheelchair Basketball, which began as an initiative with a focus on being both “pseudo-therapeutic” and just plain fun. In its current shape, the aid and commitment of all involved is of great importance, as sports allow the kids to develop balanced relationships with their peers, overcome difficulties and develop their own abilities.

 

About HISPASAT Group

HISPASAT Group is comprised of companies that have a presence in Spain as well as in Latin America, where its Brazilian affiliate HISPAMAR is based. The Group is a world leader in the distribution and broadcasting of Spanish and Portuguese content, and its satellite fleet is used by important direct-to-home television (DTH) and high-definition television (HDTV) digital platforms. HISPASAT also provides satellite broadband services and other added value solutions to governments, corporations and telecommunication operators in America, Europe and North Africa. HISPASAT is one of the world's largest companies in its sector in terms of revenue, and the main communications bridge between Europe and the Americas.


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