PLAY FOR THE FUTURE

Sport as a tool for social redemption

THE PROJECT

The project, which is being implemented in Bari, Catania, Naples, and Palermo, aims to enrich the paths of young people who are involved in the criminal justice system by providing sports education and career orientation to facilitate their social reintegration. At the same time, for young people, it is an experience of growth, deepening, and guidance for their own life path. The project involves the active involvement of the Offices of Social Services for Minors (USSM) that have selected and will continue to identify young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who will be offered the opportunity to undertake a dual path. The first, which is that of sports education, allows the young people to participate in actual training sessions during which they have the opportunity not only to engage in sports but also to interact with their peers, manage game spaces together, and learn values such as respect for others, sharing, altruism, and teamwork. All activities are coordinated by a team of specialized sports technicians to ensure adequate involvement of young people in both sports activities and socialization and mutual knowledge. The activities take place in high-quality sports centers located in the four project locations, enabling young people to explore new spaces and integrate into new environments through their passion for sports. Simultaneously, the project also involves the start of a career orientation path in which each participant will be personally followed by experts from the world of work to draw up an assessment of their skills and start a path of support for job inclusion. Companies, sports centers, and local amateur sports clubs will be involved, coaching courses will be organized, and, following the orientation phase, in 2024, two beneficiaries per area will be placed in a stage path for a first work experience, with the provision of “work grants” to provide initial economic support to the young people involved.