The third team visit the centre in Castellón and enjoy themselves with its users
An unforgettable day. Villarreal C visited Aspropace Castellón, a centre that works with people with cerebral paralysis. Yellows footballers, June Ahn, José Manuel Vivancos, José Manuel Arias Copete, Bruno Rodríguez, Josele Martínez and Dani Ruiz went to the residential centre to complete the activity, as part of the Endavant Igualtat initiative, where various 11-a-side teams go to a charity centre throughout the Castellón province.
During the visit, the players were divided into two groups and carried out different activities organised by Aspropace. The first group, made up of Ahn, José Manuel and Copete had a great time playing bocce. “It’s a game like pétanque. The Villarreal players communicated really well with them. They didn’t only play, but they went a step forward, using tactics. For example, they were able to split the opposing team’s boules, and do complicated moves,” said Juan Llamas, a carer at the centre.
Later, the second group of ‘groguets’, featuring Josele Martínez, Bruno Rodríguez and Dani Ruiz, put on their swimming trunks and got into the swimming pool with some of the centre’s residents: “We came to help them, but at the end, we’re leaving really gratified. These visits help us get out of our comfort zone and are great for us,” says Josele Martínez, Villarreal C goalkeeper.
“There are a lot of players who we already know, so they already trust them. In the swimming pool, we carry out hydrotherapy exercises. It’s a therapeutic task that complements physiotherapy. With that, what we’re trying to do is to make the most of their functional abilities in the water to help the work they’re doing outside of the water,” says Aspropace physiotherapist Lorena Rodríguez.
José Manuel Arias Copete, central defender, was a huge fan of the day: “The visit is as fun for us as it is for them. It’s the first time I’ve done something like this. It’s a new and exciting experience.”
