Walking football demonstration during World Alzheimer’s day

Walking football demonstration during World Alzheimer’s day

Every week, the men and women of walking football Excelsior Rotterdam kick a ball around on our own complex on Wednesday mornings. But on Wednesday 21 September, things were a little different. Because of World Alzheimer’s Day, there was a neighbourhood market at Aafje’s nursing home near the Nieuwe Plantage and that is why Walking Football also took place there.

Neighbourhood market at Nieuwe Plantage

Residents of Oostmolensteyn regularly attend Football Memories meetings. Now the care home organised the neighbourhood market at the Nieuwe Plantage and our men and women were invited to it. Walking Football is a form of football where you usually play 6 against 6. The ball has to stay on the ground and no running is allowed.

Excelsior Walking Football

Most of the older people who take part in Walking Football have a past with Excelsior and that also brings them together. Cock van Zanten has been chairman of Sportclub Excelsior for many years. Ton Wickel is a former professional and has played for Excelsior and Ajax, among others. Guno Braaf has been a volunteer at Excelsior for many years and arranges, among other things, everything for the ball boys at home matches of the first team. They also meet on Tuesday mornings for Football Memories, a project for elderly people who are lonely or have (incipient) dementia. They reminisce weekly (football) and keep their memories stimulated. And while old times are revived, they have a good time together.

One of the initiators of Excelsior Football Memories at Excelsior Rotterdam is Piet de Kramer. He explains the value of this activity.

“We had seen this at Willem II and wanted to bring it to our club. It’s great to be with old friends and besides that it’s obviously good for us to keep busy.”

Piet de Kramer

Hendrik Nolles, one of the Walking Football participants, explains what is most important on Wednesday mornings at Excelsior.

”In Walking Football, only two things are important: who takes the biscuits and who wins at the end of the morning with ‘klaverjassen’?”

Hendrik Nolles, Walking Football participant

This statement is indicative of the atmosphere among this delightful group of people. It is incredibly sociable and they have a lot of fun together. Walking football is organised to increase sports participation in the neighbourhoods and to ensure that older people keep moving. About six months ago, there were 16 members and that number has gone up to 22.

Municipality of Rotterdam

Besides our Walking Footballers, the DOCK foundation and the municipality of Rotterdam were of course also present in the experience garden next to the Nieuwe Plantage. Marcella Braamskamp from the municipality works as a policy advisor with care and welfare organisations to make Rotterdam a dementia-friendly city.

“In 2021, Alzheimer Nederland has given Rotterdam the Dementia Friendly predicate. A lot is already happening, but we want there to be even more opportunities for people with dementia.”

Marcella Braamskamp

She points to the experience garden at the Nieuwe Plantage, which is designed to stimulate all the senses, the paths are level and there is opportunity to rest. This makes the garden suitable for people with dementia, but everyone is welcome here.

“A lot of things come together here today and that is wonderful to see. Day activities are very important for elderly people. It gives them opportunities to be meaningful, make social contacts and continue to use their skills.”

Marcella Braamskamp