Summary
Sport-Between was created in response to the high rates of child poverty and social exclusion in Spain, particularly among migrant children and young people living in vulnerable districts of Madrid. The needs assessment identified significant challenges related to psychosocial well-being, sense of belonging, access to structured activities, and supportive social networks—key factors for successful social integration.
The project focuses on the design, implementation, and validation of a structured socio-educational badminton programme aimed at creating active and inclusive environments that promote the social integration and psychosocial well-being of migrant children and adolescents aged 4 to 17.
The programme is based on the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model and the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) approach, placing emphasis on autonomy, cooperation, shared leadership, and tactical understanding through game-based learning.
The intervention spans 14 months, including a co-creation phase followed by a full academic year of implementation. It is delivered through a collaborative partnership involving local community organisations, the Madrid Badminton Federation, the Institute for Migration Studies at Comillas Pontifical University, the Comillas Research Group in Sport Sciences, and Cidalia, a social enterprise.
In the medium and long term, the project aims to improve participants’ psychosocial well-being, strengthen group cohesion and educational engagement, reduce conflict, and reinforce community support networks. Its structured methodology, together with the support of the regional badminton federation and stakeholders from the quadruple helix (academia, public sector, civil society, and business), ensures both sustainability and scalability. The project also promotes the involvement of companies and social entrepreneurship to consolidate a replicable sport-for-social-impact model aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 16, and 17.
Project Coordinators: Eva Bajo Marcos and Laura Primo
Project Results
Results will be published as soon as they have been reviewed, consolidated, and made available through the EUPeace network for the benefit of all participating communities.
