Sport and Play for the Earthquake Affected Youths in Italy

Despite the need to adapt exercises and activities to the new and precarious conditions, the power of Sport and Physical Activities was once again confirmed in this particular post emergency context.

The concept of using Sport and Play programs in post emergency contexts is receiving growing attention. Despite many efforts however, it is still not completely clear what best practical applications and the expected results are of such types of interventions.

The weeks spent in the Abruzzo Region is another specific example of how sport and physical activities can be powerful tools to improve the life conditions of those who are now having to face a new and difficult phase of their lives.

The Sport for Youth in Emergency Practitioner arrived 6 days after the earthquake. People were placed in a camp but although the basic necessities of the population (food, clothes, shelter) had been satisfied already, there was no psychological or educational support for the children.

We were able to organize Regular and Structured Play Activities for children and adolescents.

For the younger kids the activities had a strong Educational value added component, which addressed issues such as:

• Importance of working together and the respect for the others;
• Problem solving and creative thinking;
• Discovering one’s potentialities. 

For the adolescents, the Sport Activities also improved their sense of belonging to a group. This was expressed as an increased spirit of Civil Responsibility and involvement in other camp activities.

“Child Friendly Spaces” have been created within the camp and a new sport court is now being built after the Youths of the camp made a formal written request expressing their need and right of having a place to do sport and to socialize.

A previous experience with Right To Play and the participation at the ICSSPE Seminar in Sport in Post-Disaster Intervention were of fundamental importance in order to be able to face with confidence this particular and everyday changing situation.


[This article has been edited by the Operating Team]