-
Fundación Xcalibur, in collaboration with the Equality Department of Badajoz Provincial Council and Sport Extremadura CD, held the sports event ‘Together we change the game’ last Friday, 22 May, in Puebla de la Calzada, as part of the ByEM project, Women’s Wellbeing and Empowerment.
-
The event brought together students aged 12 to 15, teachers, families, players from Sport Extremadura CD and institutional representatives in an activity that brought onto the pitch the values previously explored in the classroom.
-
This activity built on the talks delivered by the footballers in schools across the province of Badajoz, reaching 9 student groups and approximately 225 girls and boys aged between 12 and 15.
From the classroom to the pitch: sport, togetherness and equality
Fundación Xcalibur held the sports event ‘Together we change the game’ on 22 May in Puebla de la Calzada. The event formed part of the ByEM project, Women’s Wellbeing and Empowerment, bringing together sport, education and equality through football.
During the activity, the girls and boys who had taken part during the school year in talks delivered by players from Sport Extremadura CD had the opportunity to play football alongside them, with the aim of enjoying sport through respect, teamwork, participation and equality.
The event was attended by Marieta Sánchez Becerra, Head of Service at the Equality Department; José Pérez Cabañas, Councillor for Sport of Puebla de la Calzada; María del Mar Díaz Moruno, Councillor for Equality of Puebla de la Calzada; Fernando Pons, President of Sport Extremadura CD; and Javier Lezcano, Executive Director of Fundación Xcalibur. Teachers, students and families from the participating schools (IES Enrique Díez Canedo, IES Sierra de San Pedro and IES Vegas Bajas) also took part, enjoying a direct experience with the footballers and bringing onto the pitch the values previously explored in the classroom.
‘We want to recognise the important role played by the schools and institutions that have been involved in this initiative. School is a fundamental space for educating in equality, breaking down stereotypes and helping girls and boys grow up understanding that sport is for everyone, without limits or barriers’, explained Javier Lezcano, Executive Director of Fundación Xcalibur.
A project bringing female role models closer to students
The event forms part of ByEM, an initiative led by Fundación Xcalibur that works to promote the wellbeing and personal development of women athletes, as well as equality and inclusion in sport.
Throughout the school year, players from Sport Extremadura CD have visited schools across the province of Badajoz to share their sporting experiences with students. Through these talks, the programme has addressed topics such as effort, equality, teamwork, self-care, resilience and the importance of having accessible female role models.
To date, the project has reached 9 student groups and approximately 225 girls and boys aged between 12 and 15. The event in Puebla de la Calzada marked a further step in this line of work: moving from the classroom to the pitch to turn learning into a shared experience.
‘Today’s event is no coincidence. It is the result of a firm commitment from Badajoz Provincial Council, through its Equality Department, to bring equality to every corner of the province,’said Marieta Sánchez Becerra, Head of Service at the Equality Department of Badajoz Provincial Council.
Sport Extremadura CD players: role models on and off the pitch
The event included the participation of players from Sport Extremadura CD’s first and reserve teams. Their presence allowed the girls and boys to play, talk and share moments with footballers who have become accessible sporting role models.
The activity also came at a particularly meaningful moment for the club, following Sport Extremadura CD first team’s promotion to Primera Regional and its under-14 team becoming Champions of Extremadura.
Beyond these sporting achievements, the event highlighted the importance of girls and boys being able to see women athletes occupying spaces of leadership, competition and community.
At an age when many girls begin to drop out of sport. Only 23% of female secondary school students reach the level of physical activity recommended by the WHO, compared with 49% of boys. The ByEM project seeks to bring real female role models closer to students and encourage girls and boys to experience football, and sport more broadly, through respect, equality and teamwork.
Together we change the game
