RKC Old Stars visits PI Vught for Walking Football tournament

RKC Old Stars visits PI Vught for Walking Football tournament

The Old Stars of RKC Waalwijk were invited for a Walking Football tournament at the Penitentiaire Inrichting (PI) in Vught.

Two teams from FC Den Bosch and a team from VV Helvoirt also took part in the tournament. There was also a team with inmates and a team with staff from PI Vught. It is still early when the RKC Old Stars arrived at the familiar blue doors in Vught. After the Old Stars have passed the strict security check to get inside, they met Jeroen, a sports instructor at PI Vught. He was showing the men around and coaching them on Tuesday.

Tournament format

The tournament was played in two pools of three teams. Those who finish first in the pool will compete against each other in the grand final. The teams that finished second play a loser’s final and the teams that finished third play a match for the fifth and sixth spots. The tournament was an initiative of Maurice, a training officer in PI Vught. He is currently graduating from the Associate Degree (AD) phase of the social work course. The graduation module is called ‘signalling, profiling and project-based work’, in which you have to organise an event within your organisation that has an external focus:

”The signal ‘ageing in detention’ combined with my past as a sports instructor made me decide to set up a Walking Football tournament. This was combined with Talking Football (a sports quiz with multiple choice questions), which was in the hands of my colleague and fellow student Mandy. This is how the very first Walking/Talking Football event took shape in PI Vught.”

Maurice, a training officer at PI Vught

Elderly people on the move

”I think it is very important to organise something like this. This is because it is difficult to keep the older target group moving, and especially if they are inmates. This is closely related to the current infrastructure and working methods in the prison system. The tournament offers all participants a chance to enjoy exercise. In addition, it is of course also a unique opportunity for the participants from outside to take a look inside the PI. You can see from the enthusiasm of everyone that this is well received. Everyone comes here with a smile on their faces. In the end, that’s what you do it all for. The weather today is good and the turnout is great. So we have all the ingredients for a fun and sporty morning.”

Maurice, a training officer in at Vught

Full for the win

After a short warm-up, it is then really time for the RKC Old Stars to start the first match. The second match against the inmates’ team also ended with a win. This means that the final has been reached. This marks the first step towards coach Jeroen’s goal. After a break with Talking Football and a piece of fruit, the final moment is there. This will be played against the PI’s staff team. For them, the playing field is familiar territory.

”It is special that we were able to experience this. It is a friendly tournament which, if I can also speak for my teammates, we enjoyed participating in. If another tournament is organised next year, we will definitely be there. It was a successful morning.”

Wim van der Mark, RKC Waalwijk Old Stars