As part of the #AcademiaEnComunidad programme run by the VCFAcademy and VCF Foundation, representatives from the VCF Cadete A and Fundación Cadete sides visited a training session for the club’s A-Ball team this past week.

A-Ball is a wheelchair football sport, run at the club by the Valencia CF Footballers Association. It enables those who have suffered setbacks that limit their movement to be able to continue to be involved in sport, with similarities to the game about which they are passionate.

The mechanism required to adapt wheelchairs to A-Ball and allow players to trap, dribble and shoot the ball is developed in Valencia. The Valencia CF Footballers Association have put together a side with 18 players, and receive the support of the club’s sponsors like Puma and Caixabank -through their ‘Fundación la Caixa’ programme.

The objective is to put together a national league in Spain, with the eventual aim of making A-Ball a Paralympic sport. Meanwhile, the team continue to practice at the sports centre in Nazaret, where since 2017 they have had their base.

Coach of the team is Miguel Bossio, himself a former Valencia CF player and now an ambassador for the club.

“It’s spectacular, and it’s a great experience to see the effort they put in. This is what we want the young players we have brought here to understand,” Bossio said of the visit of the VCF Academy members, who were impressed by the adaptability of the A-Ball squad.

PUMA have provided the match and training kits for the team, whilst CaixaBank’s funding has enabled the purchase of five wheelchairs specifically designed for A-Ball competition. Representatives from the two entities were at the training sessions, as well as the Valencia Ayuntamiento city council’s Pilar Bernabé, the Councillor for Sport.

“We should congratulate Valencia CF for carrying out this type of initiative, and for trying to give visibility to inclusive sport,” she told VCF Media.

“This sport was created in this city and we hope that it expands on a national level.”

Bernabé received a signed Valencia CF shirt and ball from VCF Academy director Sean Bai, and from VCF Foundation director Pablo Mantilla.