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The binomial between sport and inclusion has been the object of scientific interest by researchers for several decades (Valderrama et al., 2015). However, in the scientific literature there is a whole debate about the potential of sport to achieve social inclusion. On the one hand, from a more critical point of view that questions the real effects of sports activity on inclusion, certain authors, such as Dagkas (2018), propose that there are still no empirical studies that confirm the real effect between effective social inclusion and sport. According to Dagkas (2018) there is not enough evidence on the ways in which sport and, more specifically, physical education, can contribute to social inclusion. According to Limón et al. (2020) this aspect is linked to the search for results derived from researches of an eminently quantitative or mixed nature to corroborate this relationship and effect, since the main source on which the studies are based are qualitative (Schaillée, Haudenhuyse & Bradt, 2019).

On the other hand, there are several studies that do support the relationship between sport and social inclusion. For example, Coalter (2005, 2017), Gibbs & Block (2017), Ryom & Stelter (2017) or Morgan, Parker & Roberts (2019) point out that there is a tendency for the practice of sports and/or sports activities linked to the field of leisure and free time to favour the social inclusion of people belonging to groups at risk of exclusion in communities and groups. Also of interest is the monograph published by the journal Anduli by Moscoso y Muñoz (2012) that aims to investigate the relationships between sport and social inclusion from the field of Sociology. Among the works published in this monograph stands out the critical reflection that Maza and Sánchez (2012) raise on sport and foreign immigration, which indicate that although sport does not change social problems, it can help to resist in the processes of exclusion and reverse the meaning of them, so that sports activities in the problems of social exclusion are effective, when they act as an instrument rather than as an end. These ideas converge with those of Etxarte, Arregui & Rosell (2019), which must be careful, because sport can be an active tool to produce, reproduce and maintain social inequalities, but it is also a key agent for resistance and change of situations of exclusion (Rio-Hernandez, 2017).

In this line, there are several projects, at international level, that present sport as a key means for the development of social inclusion. Limón et al. (2020) expose in their work three of them that were references for the DISCIPLINS project. First, the “MAIMONIDES Project. Inclusion through sport. Sport for all”, an initiative developed within the Leonardo Programme, funded by the European Community, which was developed between the University of Seville and the French football club, Montpellier Hérault Sport Club (Valderrama et al., 2015). This project aimed to empirically test the expression “Sport for all” in a specific context, the French city of Montpellier in order to conclude whether sport is an effective tool to promote social inclusion. The results derived from this project showed that sports practices aimed at preventing cases of social exclusion and treating existing ones, for reasons of social or identity origin, that originate in this city facilitate cohesion and social inclusion for a better community development of its citizens (Valderrama et al., 2015).

Secondly, the project “VOLLEY S3” of the Italian Volleyball Federation, partner of the DISCIPLINS project, aims to promote sports participation and psychomotor development in the younger generations (Federazione Italiana Pallavolo, 2019). This project, recognized by the Ministry of Education, University and Research of Italy, by the Italian National Olympic Committee and by the Italian Paralympic Committee, has a detailed technical and didactic-pedagogical progression for each age, aimed at involving young people of school age in a simple, dynamic and fun way, promoting inclusion and socialization. It is key within the project, the training of a professional, called, the intelligent coach, who possesses different skills that go beyond the role of coach and acquires typical characteristics of an animator, motivator and educator. This profile is a key and inspiring antecedent and reference for the DISCIPLINS project, which aims to train experts who through sport achieve social inclusion, and whose competence profile will be addressed in this chapter.

In third and last place is the “Kinder+Sport” project, which is implemented in 34 countries and in which more than 4 million children and young people participate and is born as a result of collaboration between several sports federations and other organizations that promote the practice of sport at school level through programs during the school year (Club Kinder Sport, 2019). This project states that the practice of sport represents a very important moment in the growth of children and young people, and also projects the idea of sport as a transmitter of positive values with the possibility of a healthy and controlled physicalmental development. This project promotes young people to practice sports in daily life by involving their families and the community in this practice.

These projects are only a brief sample selected by Limon et at. (2020) which are, as mentioned above, references for the origin of the DISCIPLINS project. In addition, the derivatives of these projects demonstrate the potential of sport to achieve the inclusion of people (Conde-Jiménez & Gómez-Rey, 2020).

In this section we have provided evidence on research and projects that indicate the potential of physical-sports activity to achieve the inclusion of people. In the projects analyzed referenced, the emphasis on sport can provide citizens with competences that they can transfer to society and promote social diversity stands out. Thus, according to Limón et al. (2020), the DISCIPLINS project, which aims to take another step in the contribution of sport in favor of social inclusion: sport is a tool to generate benefits related to the social sphere, having an impact on the adaptation of people to their environment, generating a healthy and active population, and enhancing the values of personal and collective responsibility in social development but it is necessary that this activity is planned by an expert with training, on the one hand, sports technique and, on the other, pedagogical, who consciously design and develop the scenarios for this to take place.

Hence, the following section delving into the competency profile of this professional, indicating what are his basic skills necessary to use sport to achieve social inclusion.