Emily Knox / British Foosball Association Paralympic Commission
In October, the Adventure Medic team was soundly thrashed at table football during the World Extreme Medicine conference. Our vanquisher? A gentleman in a wheelchair, playing with no goalie and using only one hand. Emily Knox of the British Foosball Association Paralympic Commission tells us how foosball is being used for spinal injury rehabilitation and so soothes our bruised pride.
To be fair, it was Francesco Bonanno, multiple world champion disabled table footballer who beat us. Francesco was in the UK to promote Paralympic ‘foos’ – table football for people recovering from spinal injury or with disabilities.
Francesco plays on an adapted table. It is lower than regular tables so that wheel chair users can see the pitch easily, and built wider so four can play doubles. The table also has rods that are nice and light so it is no barrier for those with tetraplegia. As James from Aberdeen said after his first adapted table football tournament at Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit:
When you’re a tetra, your arm movement and balance is affected so it’s good to get your hand-eye coordination and reflexes back up to speed. It’s fun, social. Good for your balance in the chair. Competition pushes you further – you don’t think about it.
In Italy, spinal units, rehabilitation centres and sports clubs around the country have adapted table football tables to enable people with spinal injuries and disabilities to improve their motor control, regain motivation and promote wellbeing. Dr Angelica Bava from the Spinal Unit in Milan explains the medical benefits:
It not only helps the social integration of the patient, but also has major functional goals such as improving balance and control of the trunk, visual and physical coordination, reflexes, physical movement skills (especially for tetraplegic patients) and self awareness.
Foosball has even been recognised as a Paralympic sport in Italy, with an ‘integrated’ league where wheelchair users and non-wheelchair users compete together.
As well as medical benefits, experience has shown that adapted table football brings the psychological benefits of equalising disabled and non-disabled players, and enabling patients to play against staff, visitors and those in the community in a fun way.
The British Foosball Association is introducing adapted table football into the UK. BFA can give support and advice on how to get started, where to buy a table and tips from professional players. Please contact Emily Knox or Sarah Brice on paralympic@britfoos.com for more information.
