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SPORT AND NATURE: A WINNING COMBINATION

2023-1-IT03-KA152-YOU-0001295722023Mobility of young peoplefinalized
Countries: IT|MK · Grant: €16,608
Physical and mental health, well-beingAwareness about the European UnionGreen skills

Objectives

Young people, specifically adolescent boys, do little sport, little movement, they do not do enough physical activity with consequences on their health. The causes are different, from a tendency towards a more sedentary lifestyle to the excessive use of smartphones in the development of social relationships; the electronic revolution has changed teenagers' movement patterns and encourages them to sit more and be less active, even the restrictions imposed by the latest pandemic have practically canceled the possibilities of practicing sports, especially indoors and in groups. The world's major specialized institutes have underlined the need for urgent action to distance adolescents from these habits and move more, issuing guidelines for staying healthy since regular physical activity offers a series of health benefits. Exercise is seen as an important tool in efforts to stem the global obesity epidemic and to achieve another range of vital benefits for a young person, from improved cardiovascular health to improved self-perception, greater predisposition to good mood and better cognitive function. Another problem to add is the lack of infrastructure combined with urban insecurity, things that make it difficult for teenagers to walk or cycle to school, this condition especially penalizes southern Italy and Calabria in particular. As soon as it was founded, our association had dozens and dozens of members, especially young people full of enthusiasm and desire to move, to learn the various types of sports in order to subsequently compete and excel. Over the years, however, we have witnessed a sad and constant distancing on the part of young people, the gyms are half-empty, it is barely possible to find 10 young people even to play a game of five-a-side football. On the contrary, the consumption of alcohol by young people is growing, people drink in company, at bars, at parties and on the street. This phenomenon is truly worrying, especially in our town; more and more frequently we see bars and occasional hangouts full of teenagers who consume a lot of alcohol. These are the strong motivations that led us to try our hand at carrying out this project. Our main objective was to bring back among young people the attachment to sport, the pleasure and adrenaline of competition combined with a natural and consequent improvement in lifestyle with enormous benefits for everyone's health. The objectives achieved were: bring young people closer to sporting practices, particularly those to be played outdoors, giving them the opportunity to access green areas; improve the kids from a physical, but also psychological and social point of view by transmitting to them the importance of respecting teammates and opponents, following rules and committing themselves to achieving goals, all in an informal way, having fun together with their peers; respond to the discomfort of adolescents through sporting activities by encouraging them to a healthier lifestyle; we gave them the opportunity to compare and measure themselves with peers of other nationalities by drawing a parallel between the ways of playing sport, the structures available and the habits present in the two different countries; perfect the use of the English language; strengthen the concept of "collaboration" thanks to the commitment that everyone will put into working together to achieve a common goal; bring participants back to have more confidence in themselves, to be more responsible in safeguarding their health and their future.

Project partners (2)