Role of university sports in health promotion among people with disabilities in Poland

Abstract

Purpose: Academic sport is a specific type of human physical activity in which members of the academic community take part. Among academic athletes, we can also find people with disabilities, for whom participation in sports activities and competitions is quite a challenge. It is also an opportunity for physical and mental development, as well as a form of health promotion among such people, especially due to the integrative nature of competitions organized at the academic level. The main goal of the article is to show the role of academic sport in promoting health among people with disabilities in the communities of universities. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses the analysis of legal acts concerning sports competition in Poland and internal acts of the University Sports Association (AZS), source documents and data provided by the AZS Main Board, as well as netography and case reports - sports events for students with disabilities. Findings: Promotion of health and physical activity are among the main goals of the University Sports Association. They are also carried out for disabled members of the academic community, although these activities are carried out on a clearly smaller scale. On the one hand, disabled students have the opportunity to take part in cyclical sports competitions and participate in training camps, on the other hand, there is still a large number of universities that do not take part in these competitions. On the positive side, it should be noted that the number of players and disciplines in the AZS Integration Polish Championship is growing every year. Research and practical limitations/implications: There is relatively little data on academic sport of people with disabilities, and a further development of these considerations should be primary research among disabled students of athletes in the form of a survey. It is also difficult to estimate the number of disabled students at individual universities, due to the fact that not all students provide such information to their universities, and in addition, universities do not want to share this data due to their high sensitivity. Originality/value: There are few publications on academic sport in Poland, especially in the case of its role in health promotion. There are no similar publications showing the role of academic sport in promoting the health and physical activity of students with disabilities. This topic, due to its importance and importance, should be expanded and deepened in future analyzes.