Fall To Play

Background The project had to adapt to the situation resulting from the pandemic, which led to a focus on online training and the decision to take advantage of any unplanned travel and attendance opportunities. In the area of administration and mobility, therefore, there were difficulties, which were however overcome by the coordination of the partners and the will to complete the work while trying to involve as many stakeholders as possible. Objectives The aim of the project was to use martial arts techniques and experience to solve the problems faced by beginner skaters, related to the fear of falls and the resulting injuries. The best professionals in the field were involved, both from the martial arts (world champions) and skating technicians, involving the world's two most important federations and coaches from all skating specialities. A Portuguese partner was also involved to provide technical-scientific support to the work performed. Implementation Despite the restrictions due to COVID, the project was carried out according to the proposed schedule, helped by the flexibility and commitment of the partners and thanks to simple and effective planning. We were also able to involve other stakeholders in the countries where the actions were implemented. Monitoring and actions were constant and dissemination had the desired effect, leading to many requests for information and application of the project. Achievements Experimentation and discussion on these issues created awareness among skating federations. The support of martial arts specialists led to the creation (and validation) of the 'Fall to Play' training protocol, which was applied in the partner countries and made public in a webinar and officially published. This created the basis for an ongoing collaboration between two sports and the possibility of incorporating martial arts specialists even in an unusual context, such as skating clubs.