The mayor of Tolosa, Andu Martinez de Rituerto, and coach Gorka Etxeberria presented the new Futbol 00 initiative this morning at the Tolosa town hall. The mayor emphasized that sports should promote «positive values» such as collaboration, respect for rules, and fair competition, teaching young people «to win with humility and lose with dignity».
The initiative seeks to create a «massive social movement» through football to foster ethical and healthy behavior, providing adults with tools to adequately support minors' sports activities. Futbol 00 aims to be a benchmark program for the entire sports world, capable of mobilizing people and transforming behaviors, recognized for its quality, effectiveness, and ethics.
Etxeberria explained that the project is innovative because it «comes from the ground up», working directly with coaches and parents involved daily. Its methodology promotes positive pedagogy and aims to gather and empower those who agree, strengthening them to change contexts, rather than solely focusing on correcting negative behaviors.
The work will focus on three areas: relationships among minors (individualistic or team-oriented), competition understood positively as a resource for personal, group, or social growth, and parental guidance, often a source of pressure or tension. Thus, Futbol 00 Tolosa is launched.
Details about the project will be shared at a talk on June 3rd at 7:00 PM in Tolosa's Topic center, titled «Benefits of Teamwork, Competition, and Ambition in Youth Education». Journalist Zuriñe Iglesias will moderate the discussion, joined by Etxeberria and Martinez de Rituerto, along with Ainhoa Artolazabal (school director and former cyclist) and Jagoba Arrasate (Basque National Team coach), the latter participating online. The talk is open to all sports professionals and the general public.
The mayor believes the initiative aligns with the sports model the municipality wishes to promote, and that football needs such an ethical and educational boost. Futbol 00 Tolosa will serve as the base, but the concept of Tolosa 00, open to other sports and citizens, is already being developed.
Futbol 00 is an independent social movement structured through a non-profit association, which will collaborate in public-private partnerships with entities such as the Youth Sports Foundation and the Supreme Council for Sports.
