an extraordinary football team

CANAL+ KIDS – SUNDAY FEBRUARY 5 AT 7 PM – DOCUMENTARY

“For you, what is autism? » The question is the red thread of the documentary legendary eleven, taken from the eponymous program of the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Endowment Fund. In football, a legendary eleven is the ideal team. Here, it is composed of Blanche, Emile, Léonard, Clément, Paul-Vadim or Ewenn. A total of sixteen children aged 9 to 11, some of whom have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the others being what is called “neurotypical”, that is to say that their neurological functioning is considered standard.

For six months, on Wednesdays, they meet at the Stade de la Plaine, in Clamart (Hauts-de-Seine), to train for a tournament against the U9s (young people under 9) of PSG .

More than football, it’s about inclusion and the relationship to disability. ASDs result, in fact, in difficulties in communication and social interactions, limited or repetitive behavior – even seizures –, sometimes motor delays… Elements that most often exclude autistic people from activities group like team sports. “The first time, it’s clear that I’m on the alert, to be completely franksays Baïla Dia, one of the sports educators of the program. Inevitably, there are behaviors that I discover at that time. » Behaviors sometimes a source of tension, as when this little boy tries to attract the attention of one of his neurotypical classmates by chasing and hitting him.

“A group responsibility”

legendary eleven does not hide certain difficulties of cohabitation between the young participants in the program and the frequent needs of adjustment of the educators, so that each one finds his account. It takes time. But the more you meet people with disabilities, the easier it will be to enter into a relationship with them, because disability is not “more associated with a stereotypical vision”says Cyrielle Derguy, teacher-researcher in psychology at the University of Paris Cité.

The testimonies of the parents, told throughout the documentary, offer an insight into the daily reality of autistic children. Emile, diagnosed at 9 years old and followed in a day hospital; Caucasian, screened at birth with hearing loss and hypotonia, who feels fine underwater; or even Rohane, who is undergoing equine therapy to channel her energy and help her concentrate better… The participation of their children in the project? For parents, stimulation, pride, but above all joy.

The documentary also gives voice to young neurotypicals, allowing viewers to measure the evolution of their perception. “Initially, it was a bunch of children who wanted to play football. Little by little, we feel that they are going to be responsible for these autistic children. They feel a group responsibility”argues pediatrician Dominique Brunet. “I thought it was football, but it’s not just that”will say one of them.

A win-win experience for everyone and a way to demonstrate that inclusion isn’t just a word. The training sessions of the legendary Eleven, at the origin of the documentary, resumed the following season.