Icehearts Enna: the group, the game, trust

In Enna, the Icehearts Europe project took shape quietly. No rush, no urgency: just patient time to meet, get to know each other, and learn to be together. Since October 2024, a group of boys and girls has been meeting every week in a space designed for them, where play becomes language, sport becomes relationship, and every small step is a shared achievement.

In the first months of activity, the focus was on building the group. The activities proposed by mentors Nicole Perillo and Sara Falzone laid the foundations for a peaceful atmosphere in which everyone could feel welcome. Cooperative games, moments of listening and reflection, exercises to get to know each other: this is how the group began to take shape, between a circle of introductions and a team race, between initial shyness and the first knowing smiles (WATCH THE VIDEOS).

With the arrival of the new year, the children were accompanied on a journey of discovery of different team sports: from soccer to volleyball, from basketball to athletics (WATCH THE PHOTOS). The activities are not designed to train young athletes, but to build confidence, learn mutual respect, and overcome difficulties without feeling alone. Those who were used to playing alone began to seek allies. Those who shut themselves off at the first mistake now try again, perhaps encouraged by their teammates. Managing competition is still a delicate area, but a new awareness is emerging: that it is okay to make mistakes without feeling ashamed, that winning is not everything, and that the group is worth more than the result.

The project aims to consolidate these advances with continuity and attention. According to the mentors, improvements are visible, especially in terms of personal confidence: boys and girls face new challenges with more confidence, put themselves out there, and learn to be together without judgment. In the coming months, the work will continue in the same direction: strengthening bonds, enhancing skills, and helping each child recognize their place in the group, in the game, and in the community.

Icehearts Europe, inspired by the Finnish model and coordinated at the European level by ISCA – International Sport and Culture Association, is active in eight countries. In Italy, thanks to the daily work of the 12 Uisp committees, active in 13 cities, the project involves around 420 children, promoting social inclusion through sport and long-term educational mentoring, with an innovative approach that is yielding very positive and sometimes unexpected results. (Lorenzo Boffa)

Funded by the European Union. The opinions expressed are, however, solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.