In honour of International Day of Older Persons, UEFA announces the release of the Walking Football Toolkit, a comprehensive resource designed to assist national associations, leagues, clubs, and local organisations in improving the health of older people and supporting the growth of walking football and physical activity more broadly.
The toolkit is broken into three main documents:
• A primary paper discusses important subjects such as the advantages of walking football, the characteristics of senior participants, the responsibilities of the many persons engaged, and medical recommendations to assure participant safety.
• A second page includes paperwork, proposed training sessions, and checklists for leisure play. This advice on recreational walking football emphasises flexibility as a core element in non-competitive contexts, allowing groups to tailor activities to their local environment as well as players’ needs and preferences.
• A third paper describes competitive play, including the Laws of the Game for those seeking an organised, competitive approach.
This initiative demonstrates UEFA’s commitment to promoting active ageing. By disseminating this toolbox and incorporating older people in football, we want to better serve our stakeholders while also increasing community participation and using football as a platform for social integration.
We urge football groups to utilise this toolkit to develop strong walking football programs that provide older individuals with safe and entertaining ways to keep active and connected.
Making football accessible for everyone regardless of their age is a key goal of the UEFA football sustainability strategy 2030, embodied in its health and well-being policy. By 2027, we would like 60% of our 55 member associations to be delivering football activities that specifically support the needs of older people.
Join the movement and download the UEFA Walking Football Toolkit.
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