Icehearts Campania: sport, relationships, and community in the Phlegraean area

There is a different way to do sport. A way that focuses on relationships, continuity, and care. This is the approach chosen by Icehearts, a project funded by the European EU4Health-2022 program, coordinated by ISCA – International Sport and Culture Association, and promoted in Italy by Uisp through a network of 12 local committees. Since November 2024, the project promoted by Uisp Campania in the Flegrea area has been offering 26 children between the ages of 8 and 12 a stable educational and sporting program, built in partnership with schools, social services, and local associations.

Every week, the children took part in activities designed to encourage socialization, strengthen self-esteem, promote health, and bring out often invisible potential. The groups met for swimming lessons at the H2O sports center in Pozzuoli, soccer training on the municipal fields of Lungomare Pertini, and educational walking outings along the cycle paths of Monterusciello and Lake Averno. The physical activities were accompanied by expressive workshops, theatrical games, and recreational-cooperative activities, often carried out with the support of local associations. Sport was the common thread, but the deeper goal was always the growth of the group, mutual trust, and a sense of belonging.

The team of educators, sports operators, and mentors worked closely together, adapting the proposals to the needs of the participants and, in the most delicate cases, preparing truly personalized educational programs. The continuous presence of these figures, the group dimension, and the relationship of trust built up over time were the key elements of the experience. However, the involvement of families was also fundamental, with moments of informal dialogue during the activities, individual interviews, and an open final day with sports demonstrations and shared workshops. The gradual openness of the parents made it possible to strengthen the educational pact and make the project even more effective and rooted in the local area.

The initial results show important signs: greater participation and consistency on the part of the children, improved interpersonal skills, reduced oppositional behavior, and a growing sense of trust. Some critical issues, such as logistical difficulties related to travel or the need for specific support for children with educational vulnerabilities, were addressed thanks to the joint work of operators and institutional partners.

Icehearts Europe is a project inspired by the Finnish model, which uses team sports and the stable presence of educational mentors to build inclusive environments and meaningful relationships. In Campania, this vision has found fertile ground. The work carried out has shown that an integrated and relational educational space is possible, even in complex areas. For the future, Uisp hopes that the Icehearts model can be consolidated and replicated, offering more and more children the opportunity to grow together, step by step. (Lorenzo Boffa)

Icehearts Europe is co-funded by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Health. The opinions expressed belong to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union.