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THE RAFA NADAL FOUNDATION AND THE UNIVERSITY OF NAVARRA PRESENT THE “MAS QUE TENIS” CASE STUDY IN MADRID

The Rafa Nadal Foundation has been present at the First Childhood and Family Congress in Mallorca. For the past three years, the Rafa Nadal Foundation and the University of Navarra (UNAV) have been working on the study “Adapted Sports as a Tool for Well-being and Inclusion in Athletes with Intellectual Disabilities,” using the More Than Tennis project as a case study, which the Rafa Nadal Foundation has been developing since 2010 in partnership with Special Olympics.

  • The Rafa Nadal Foundation and UNAV have conducted a case study on the More Than Tennis project, which has been active since 2010.
  • Banco Santander supports this initiative as the main ally and funder.
  • This study, presented at the Santander Work Café in Recoletos, was designed by the University of Navarra with the aim of answering various questions about the impact of the More Than Tennis program on the physical, social, and psychological well-being of athletes, as well as the community involved in the program. It will be published starting from September of this same year.

The Rafa Nadal Foundation presented the case study “Más Que Tenis” at the Santander WorK Café in Recoletos, Madrid, with the aim of answering questions related to the physical, social, and psychological well-being of athletes with intellectual disabilities.

The study was designed by the University of Navarra, and the presentation of the initial findings was attended by María Francisca Perelló, Director of the Rafa Nadal Foundation; Apolinar Varela, the lead researcher from UNAV, along with part of his team; and, of course, Banco Santander, the main funder of the study, represented by Felipe Martín, Director of Media, Online Marketing, Sponsorships, and Events at Santander Spain.

The study seeks to obtain answers to questions such as professionals’ perception of their role and the activities of the “Más Que Tenis” program, the assessment of the program’s contributions to the lives of athletes and their families, and how athletes feel part of the community of the club where the program takes place. Additionally, the study also focuses on how to assess the motor skills of athletes with intellectual disabilities in a way that is adapted to their characteristics.

The Rafa Nadal Foundation aims to promote sports as an inclusion tool for people with intellectual disabilities through its “Más Que Tenis” project. Banco Santander, as part of its social commitments, seeks to contribute to the progress of individuals, especially those belonging to particularly vulnerable groups.

Both entities have established a framework for collaboration that promotes the study and its proper execution by the University of Navarra.

María Francisca Perelló, Director of the Rafa Nadal Foundation, said, “We have been committed to our projects for thirteen years, and we wanted to take a step further with the impetus of this study, which we are confident will offer us many answers and improvement ideas to continue using sports in favor of vulnerable individuals, such as those with intellectual disabilities.”

According to Apolinar Varela, a researcher from UNAV, “It has been a pleasure for the Faculty of Education and Psychology at the University of Navarra to establish this collaboration in the research project ‘Adapted Sports as a Tool for Well-being and Inclusion.’ This project will help the Rafael Nadal Foundation enhance and raise awareness of inclusion through sports.”

Felipe Martín, Director of Media, Online Marketing, Sponsorships, and Events at Santander Spain, stated, “At Santander, we are delighted to contribute to initiatives that promote the inclusion of individuals with special abilities.”