A Hibernian side made up of 12 youngsters, both boys and girls, aged between 12 and 16-years-old, put on the famous green jerseys and brand-new boots – provided by the Hanlon Stevenson Foundation – before competing against other SPFL teams.
On what was an incredibly special occasion for the youngsters, our side performed admirably doing themselves and the football club proud, currently sitting third in the league table, after the first sitting of games on Sunday 3 October, 2021.
The next round of fixtures will take place at Falkirk Stadium on Sunday 5 December, 2021.
The brand-new league was created by our Disability Access Officer, Ann Brown with the aim of helping children with autism to overcome the social barriers they often face when playing team sport.
Prior to the launch of the league, we caught up with our Disability Access Officer Ann Brown to discuss her work with us at Hibs and the charity she launched called Team United that is a game leader for autism football.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do as Accessibility Manager at Hibs…
I’ve been working in the field of disability for over 30 years across many areas such as deaf, visual impairment, autism and MS.
Whilst I do not profess to be an expert on all matters relating to disability, my background certainly gives me a better understanding and allows me to work with our supporters to make the necessary adjustments they need to have a good matchday experience.
As the Disability Access Officer, I work across a number of areas and with all staff with a focus on access to services and facilities for our disabled supporters.
We have made many changes at the club over the past few seasons but there is so much more to do. In the future, part of my role will be to introduce a Disability Support Team, many made up of disabled people themselves, who will assist on a matchday.
We will also introduce working groups made up of disabled supporters so we can share our plans, discuss, and make sure it’s in keeping with the needs and aspirations of all our disabled supporters both home and away.
You set up your own charity called Team United, why did you do that?
Team United was set up in 2017 as there was a gap in the provision for sport for young people with autism, particularly football. It was also to address some of the inequalities for this group of young people and putting in place a consistent structure that would enable their participation in the game.
Team United is an award-winning local charity that focuses on supporting young people with autism aged six to 16 years. We have developed a player pathway and offer weekly football sessions, work with local community clubs to increase their knowledge and capacity to include more young people in the community at their club. We offer clubs training and ongoing support to achieve this.
We use the power of football as a motivator to break down the social barriers that young people with autism experience and adapt the sessions to meet their needs. Our sessions are structured and consistent, two very important points when working with young people with autism.
What were the greatest challenges you found with your son having autism and how did you get through that?
The greatest barrier was finding activities that understood his needs and were able to adapt their practice to meet his needs. It took a long time for us to find a suitable club and his first experience was Special Olympics who specialise in supporting young people aged 15 upwards with a learning disability.
The regular sessions, support and opportunities that were presented to him gave him confidence and the power of football helped with many aspects of his life but mostly social. Unfortunately, Special Olympics only permit young people with autism if they have a diagnosis of a learning disability.
Autism is not classified as a learning disability and therefore unless young people have a dual diagnosis which is rare, this closed the door on access for young people with autism.
Team United was started on the basis on the gap in provision for young people with autism and also my personal and professional experience of knowing what works and more importantly what doesn’t work. The solution was establishing Team United and trying to make that different and build capacity on a national level. We are moving in the right direction now.
How much has Team United grown?
When team United started back in 2017, we had 12 young people. This year, we now have 180 young people – girls and boys engaged in weekly football sessions across the Lothians.
We have expanded and now offer regular sessions in Fife but by the end of the year will also have increased our reach to Dundee and Glasgow.
Tell us about your greatest successes with Team United?
Every young person that comes and continues their participation with us allows us to talk about success. Success can look different to people in many ways and for lots of the young people, coming to our weekly sessions is the only access they have and feel confident to come to each week. Such is the barrier to their participation in football.
Our pathway includes components such as getting involved in our social outings to foster teamwork and make friends, direct project work and young people can also transition to becoming coach enablers, supporting new players and gaining skills as they progress with their career choices when leaving school.
One of Team United’s biggest successes so far has to be being nominated and awarded the UEFA Foundation award. It was something that was totally unexpected, but certainly means an awful lot to us.
How much of an achievement is getting the Autism Football League set up?
It has taken a long time to get the organisation to a level and structure where we can support a league and Scottish Cup. Much of the preparation has been in considering the young people themselves as many have not played competitive sport before.
Team United became the game leader for Autism Football in 2018 and since then we have received support from The Scottish FA and this has allowed us to increase our capacity and learning to stage such as event.
The Autism Football League is the world’s first as we pride ourselves on the work and commitment from all our staff and volunteers.
Young people are the stars in all this, to have gained the confidence and motivation to reach a stage where they can compete is a major accomplishment for them. For those who have not reached that level for whatever reason, there is a non-competitive section.
How proud are you about a Hibernian side taking part?
Very proud. Hibernian will be one of the first sides to enter a team in the league and the support and enthusiasm the club has put forward has been amazing.
Talk to us about your conversations with the club and the Hanlon Stevenson Foundation…
To field a team in the league requires commitment and is also quite costly. Many teams have struggled during the pandemic to keep things running and this has affected the number of teams entering the league.
The Hibernian team have been so fortunate and with the backing of the club and the Hanlon Stevenson Foundation, all the players have new kit which they will wear proudly.
The HSF also provided boots for players which will be shared amongst all teams. The support is invaluable, and we cannot thank Lewis, Paul and the club enough for this commitment and backing.
What’s the plan for the future with Team United, Autism Football, and Hibs?
Now the Autism Football League has kicked off, we will start work on the world’s first autism Scottish Cup which Hibernian will be part of. We anticipate there will be up to 14 teams in the Scottish Cup, a high percentage of premier sides but also grassroots clubs and groups too.
It will be a great event and we hope that Hibernian supporters will come along and support the autism team.
We have a five-year strategy in place and can’t wait to see all of the activities and projects coming to life, which will enable more and more young people with autism to access football and grow confidently as individuals as a result.