Our Action

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Solibad has decided to implement a sports support program for young people living in foster homes, in collaboration with partner badminton clubs. The goal is to allow these youths, often coming from highly challenging social backgrounds, to discover badminton and progress in a supportive and empowering environment.

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In 2023, we observed the positive impact badminton had on the personal development of Bouchra, a young resident of the Léopold Bellan children’s home, who joined the ranks of the Bry-sur-Marne badminton club. Solibad provided funding for her membership fee, license, and equipment, marking the first step in this initiative. This success inspired us to extend the project to two other young girls from the same foster home, Anne and Anaïs, both 9 years old. They now train once a week at the Bry-sur-Marne Club (CSBAB).

 

This project is a pilot program that we aim to expand further, establishing more comprehensive partnerships with clubs in France and abroad.

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​                             Anaïs                                                     Anna

 

Why Was This Project Created?

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Children placed in foster care under the French Child Welfare Services (ASE) often come from complex family and social backgrounds that significantly impact their education and development.

 

These children typically face difficult family circumstances, including extreme poverty, precarious living conditions, overcrowding in their family homes, lack of parental support, educational neglect, or experiences of abuse and neglect.

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Such familial challenges often lead to significant disruptions in their educational pathways, with high rates of grade repetition as early as primary school (40% compared to 16% for all children). Additionally, they frequently experience periods of absence from school, especially during the year of placement, and are often directed toward specialized education programs due to substantial academic delays (51.3% of children in care for five years or more are academically behind).

 

Beyond academic challenges, these children face other difficulties, such as higher rates of disabilities than the general population, integration and socialization issues, behavioral problems linked to past traumas, and often, low self-esteem and a lack of confidence in the future.

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Despite the stability and improved living conditions offered by foster care homes, children still face challenges such as difficulty finding personal space or privacy and a lack of individual attention due to the high number of children and limited staff availability.

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How Does Badminton Improve Their Lives?

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At Solibad, we believe that badminton can have a profound positive impact on these children by contributing to their overall development and helping them overcome some of the challenges associated with their circumstances.

 

Beyond the physical benefits, which are already substantial, badminton promotes physical and psychomotor development: it improves coordination, balance, and precision in movements while helping children become more aware of their bodies and spatial perception. This is especially important for children who have experienced trauma, as sports can help them reclaim ownership of their bodies.​  From a psychological perspective, sports also have numerous benefits: they allow children to release stress and temporarily escape from their difficult daily lives. Badminton, in particular, helps build self-confidence and autonomy. It’s a sport where visible progress can be made quickly, giving children a sense of achievement. Our coaches are especially attentive to highlighting these successes.

 

Such personal victories can have a positive ripple effect on academic performance since the physical effort required in badminton improves sleep quality and, consequently, concentration and learning abilities.

 

Lastly, sports are an excellent way to teach essential social skills and values: they instill respect for rules, discipline, and teamwork. Children learn to manage frustration, develop self-control, and foster socialization by encouraging mutual respect and communication.

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