Castilla-La Mancha announces Somos Deporte 3-18 for the 2026/2027 academic year

The Regional Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of Castilla-La Mancha has published Order 124/2026, of August 27, which regulates and announces the Somos Deporte 3-18 program for the 2026/2027 school year. The regulation appears in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha (DOCM) number 167, of September 1, 2026, in section III of other provisions and acts, with the official reference [2026/6367]. The order, signed by the regional minister Amador Pastor Noheda, enters into force the day after its publication.

The program is framed within Law 5/2015, of March 26, on Physical Activity and Sport of Castilla-La Mancha, which grants the autonomous community the design and planning of physical activity and sport plans for school-age children. The annual call is also supported by Decree 108/2023, of July 25, which assigns to the regional ministry, through the General Directorate competent in sports matters, the organization of school-age sports competitions. It replaces the call from the previous year, approved by Order 127/2025, of September 5.

Four lines of intervention

The Somos Deporte 3-18 program is structured into four lines of action, each with its own objectives and target audiences:

• Regional School-Age Sports Championship, with competitions in three phases (local, provincial, and regional) and regional cadet leagues.
• Sports initiation, oriented toward the acquisition of basic motor skills and contact with different modalities.
• Promotion of physical-sports activity, with dissemination days for various modalities among the school population.
• Training activities, aimed at athletes, technicians, monitors, teachers, and judges.

The regional championship includes at least 27 modalities, including chess, athletics, basketball, handball, football, futsal, rhythmic and trampoline gymnastics, judo, karate, swimming, padel, rugby, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, and beach volleyball.

Participants and categories

Students between 3 and 18 years old enrolled in non-university educational centers in Castilla-La Mancha may participate, as well as students with physical or intellectual disabilities over 18 years old who are studying at said centers. Coaches, delegates, and technical staff over 16 years old, as well as teaching staff from participating centers, may also register.

In the Regional Championship, students from 10 to 16 years old compete, grouped into three general categories:

• Alevín: born in 2015 and 2016 (with the possibility of including those born in 2017).
• Infantil: born in 2013 and 2014.
• Cadete: born in 2011 and 2012.

Participating entities may be non-university educational centers, sports entities registered in the Registry of Sports Entities, city councils, and associations within the region.

Deadlines and Electronic Processing

Applications must be submitted exclusively electronically, through the Educamos CLM educational platform or the electronic office of the regional Administration. The period begins the day following the publication of the order:

• For team sports, registration ends on October 16, 2026, and the inclusion or exclusion of athletes in teams ends on January 29, 2027.
• For the remaining sports and activities, the registration period concludes ten business days before the start of the corresponding event.

All participants are covered by sports accident insurance, with primary care provided by the Castilla-La Mancha Health Service (Sescam) for accidents occurring within the region. Participating teachers may credit up to 50 training hours per course and one teaching hour for each established activity developed outside of teaching hours.

The call reinforces the educational and inclusive nature of school-age sports, with child protection as the guiding principle and the obligation for entities to have protocols against violence, in accordance with Organic Law 8/2021. For families, centers, and clubs in the region, the order establishes the calendar and conditions that will allow thousands of Castilla-La Mancha students to practice organized sports throughout the next academic year.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 167, September 1, 2026, section III, page 31243 (official reference: 2026/6367).