3X3 Unites x FC Barcelona Foundation
On behalf of 3X3 Unites, Melissa 't Jong, Rabiya Ulkü and Annieck Timmerman went to Barcelona for a knowledge exchange with the FC Barcelona Foundation. The central theme: strengthening gender equality within 3X3 Unites' programs. "We were inspired.
3X3 Unites aims to inspire and support young people through 3x3 basketball. In doing so, the sport is used as a tool for personal development, showing leadership, making social impact and building communities. 3X3 Unites already trained more than 1,000 youth to become 3X3 Leaders.
But the vast majority of those young people are boys. In addition, 3X3 Unites' activations tend to attract more boys than girls. To see how 3X3 Unites can balance those numbers more in the future, it visited the FC Barcelona Foundation through the European Union's Erasmus+ Project.
The foundation, which is directly affiliated with the Spanish soccer club, is known within the sports sector as a leading and successful organization, where inclusivity and gender equality are highly valued. “Through our visit, we wanted to gain insights and learn from such a large organization,” said Melissa, who has been working for gender equality within 3X3 Unites for several years.
3X3 Unites found out about the FC Barcelona Foundation through Nike's Made to Play program, which aims to get kids and especially girls moving and having fun with sports. Both 3X3 Unites and the FC Barcelona Foundation partner with Nike Made to Play. 'The FC Barcelona Foundation's approach closely matches our objectives. Especially in the area of gender equality.'
The visit was split into two parts, so to speak. In the first week, 3X3 Unites mainly watched during activities. In the second week, she gained much more insight into the methodology behind it. “Especially the mix of observing, walking along, actively participating and explaining the methodology behind it was very interesting,” says Annieck, manager operations & impact within 3X3 Unites.
For example, 3X3 Unites participated in after-school sessions in vulnerable neighborhoods, clinics in community centers, focusing on mixed participation, empowerment and inclusion. It also conducted 3x3 clinics itself, held talks with FC Barcelona Foundation staff, coaches and program managers discussing strategic approaches to gender inclusion and mental health, among others.
A key learning point for 3X3 Unites was the introduction to the FC Barcelona Foundation's SportNet methodology. This methodology uses sports, games and physical activity as a means of social integration for children and youth in vulnerable situations. By linking sport to values such as commitment, respect, cooperation, self-reflection and ambition, the sessions contribute to both personal and social development.
The SportNet methodology focuses on seven interrelated areas that strengthen young people in vulnerable positions. It promotes self-confidence, social awareness and a healthy lifestyle, opens up conversations at home and at school, increases job opportunities, strengthens connections with the neighborhood and continues to develop through continuous reflection. Annieck: "What we learned here is how powerful a structured methodology can be when sport is linked to values. It brought us back to the key question: why do we do what we do and what is our social impact?
One of the interesting aspects of the SportNet Methodology are the many moments of reflection built in. For example, during and after activities, sessions and meetings, there was joint reflection on a regular basis. 'A question like, why do we do what we do? came up constantly,' Melissa said. "This provided structure and emotional safety.
In addition to the methodology, the 3X3 Unites team also became inspired by the FC Barcelona Foundation's broader approach. They work from a holistic approach within three areas: education & prevention of violence, a neighborhood-based approach, and mental and physical health. Sport is always used as a tool to promote social inclusion, gender equality and diversity.
Annieck: "What really inspired us was that this holistic approach is visible in everything they do - regardless of target group or location. They think broadly: from access to care and education, to engaging families, empowering youth and creating safe spaces. It really got us thinking about how we can anchor our programs even more broadly in the social realm.
When asked if the exchange with the FC Barcelona Foundation was valuable, Melissa, Rabiya and Annieck nodded in agreement. 'As a result of this project, we achieved our goals of gaining more knowledge on how to integrate gender equality more structurally within 3X3 Unites. We were inspired by the FC Barcelona Foundation's holistic approach and their SportNet Methodology, especially the use of value-based moments of reflection,' Rabiya said.
She continues: 'Through the exchange, we see opportunities to expand our work further to work with asylum seekers' centers and it has inspired us to develop programs within juvenile prisons, for example. We intend to use this to broaden our impact and make our programs even more inclusive.'
Annieck: 'The FC Barcelona Foundation found it very interesting how we train young people to be role models and also offer them real perspective. They can do something with that in turn.'
3X3 Unites has since had follow-up meetings with both Nike and the Barcelona Foundation to look at structural cooperation, explore joint projects and create opportunities for other organizations within the Nike network to exchange knowledge and experiences.