Children|NGO's|Pedagogical support|Sports
Big names in sports, like Rafaela Silva, began their careers in social judo projects
At the Paris Olympic Games, Brazil won four medals in judo. The strong performance of Brazilian athletes in the sport is due to several factors, such as sports incentive policies and their inclusion in student and school games, for example. Besides institutional policies, social judo projects play a fundamental role in athlete development. This is the case, for example, of Rafaela Silva, who became a judoka thanks to a social project.
But how do social judo projects work? How can they transform lives? Learn more below.
One of the institutions offering social judo projects is the Ramacrisna Institute in Betim. The classes have been held since 2018 and are led by Sensei Caliton Silva Santos. The workshops go beyond sports lessons; they teach discipline, logical reasoning, patience, and self-control. “In judo classes, we offer a variety of activities, such as rolls, specific techniques of the sport, falls, immobilizations, and projections, for example. Additionally, we emphasize fundamental values such as respect for others, self-control, discipline, and the importance of effort and perseverance. I also make sure to include moments of relaxation, where I work on playful aspects, motor skills, ambidexterity, and the quality of students’ movements, always in a welcoming environment. I believe this approach is what makes the classes so successful,” he details.
Judo classes take place in the morning and afternoon, lasting one hour. The children are divided into groups according to classifications that consider age and student development. “This organization allows us to serve a wide range of students at the Ramacrisna Institute, providing opportunities for many of them to participate and benefit from the activities. This class structure is extremely positive and contributes significantly to the students’ development,” emphasizes Caliton.
The judo workshops play a crucial role in the development of children, especially when the classes are focused on the students’ realities. For this, Caliton created his own methodology. “About three years ago, I developed a specific methodology for the classes, allowing for gradual and detailed content administration according to the students’ age group. So, for the younger ones, we focus on playful and acclimatization activities, working on motor coordination and movement. For slightly more advanced students, aged nine to twelve, we introduce judo techniques in greater depth. Finally, for the more experienced, we apply a more intense approach focused on physical stabilization,” explains the instructor.
Thus, in addition to improving performance in judo classes, the workshops help children and adolescents develop important social skills, such as conflict resolution and respect for rules. Considering that judo is a Japanese sport that requires a lot of discipline, these skills are essential for the students’ personal and social growth.
Such technique and dedication have shown increasingly better results. The Ramacrisna judo team has stood out in regional and national competitions, collecting a range of trophies and medals in major events. The team has already won 87 medals in first, second, and third places. In addition to regional competitions, the athletes have been gaining prominence in national events, such as the Brazilian Championship – where six Ramacrisna athletes participated and ranked among the top ten, including one runner-up. Besides individual achievements, they have also excelled as a team, having won seven trophies in the category.
And all this effort is yielding good results. The young Ray Lucas de Araújo, 14, was selected by the Federal Government’s Athlete Scholarship program. The program selects young athletes to receive a bi-monthly scholarship of R$750 for their good performance in the sport.
For 65 years, the Ramacrisna Institute has been working to improve the lives of millions of people in social vulnerability living in 12 cities in Greater BH. The projects include healthy, safe, and free options for leisure, sports, culture, education, professionalization, and job placement.
Learn about the initiatives and contribute to continuing our work.
