Social entrepreneur´s profile:

From Soccer to Online Support: Helping impoverished Children & Youth in Italy

His solution at a glanceThe organization Calciosociale (= social soccer) is using sport as an educational tool. When all activities shutdown due to the social distancing and strict lockdown situation in Italy, Massimo and his team digitalized their program. They are now offering weekly online meetings to help children and youth between 6 and 18 years – often in problematic family situations – to help them continue their educational journey. 

Social Entrepreneur: Massimo Vallati 

Organization: Calciosociale ssdrl

Field: Education models and tools for children and youth

Needs for social innovation to have more impact: Business development and fundraising, digital, marketing and communication

Before and after Corona: From Soccer to digital academies and welfare support

The mission of the social enterprise before Corona:

Promoting empathy, teamwork, inclusion and leadership in young people and adultsby using soccer as a tool. Their work is particularly focused on empowering marginalized and impoverished communities in the suburbs of Rome and other big cities in Italy.  

Massimo and his organization completely reframe the rules in which soccer is played with the aim of strengthening profound values. Calciosociale promotes respect for diversity, the integral growth of every person, and special attention to the vulnerable as the basis of every choice and every action. 

What changed with Corona?

All activities ceased. They decided to rapidly digitize their work to continue their program with children and young people. But how can one digitize soccer? 

The (biggest) challenge:

The biggest challenge Calciosociale is addressing with their work is the exclusion of marginalized communities and lack of education and opportunities for young people in impoverished areas to learn social skills and values. With the lockdown situation, their usual support – using soccer and other ways to interact with them – were no longer possible. This resulted in cutting essential care and support for the young people concerned. As many of them are living in problematic family situations, this lockdown comes with various risks for (mental) health, wellbeing and education, even worse if they are isolated and without external support or refuge.  

The biggest challenge for the team: Transforming a physical way of interacting into meaningful online experiences that have an impact.

The solution:

Massimo and his team decided to turn the situation around by offering an intense engagement program in an online format that answers essential needs of the communities. They are supporting them by offering:

  1. Strategic focus: An online academy for kids: Regular, engaging online meetings with kids and teenagers supporting them with education and support (while having fun together!). The weekly meetings include challenges and games, always for educational purposes, to allow the young people to continue their educational path during lockdown.

    By creating a format in which the kids and teenagers are protagonists, by involving families,  residents and using music and their ideas, they give voices to them and to communities in impoverished areas. It massively supports the feeling of connection, belonging, and recognition.

  2. A digital alphabetization program for welfare: Helping families to get (online) access to basic welfare or tools from institutions.

  3. Intergenerational connections: Different generations – elderly people, mothers and young people – are connected online.

  4. Live concerts & giving a voice to people in poverty: With DJs giving (solo) concerts (without a crowd, of course) in public areas, they provide a moment of joy and a feeling of connection to the residents who listen from nearby windows. To widen the accessibility, they show all of this as a live stream on Facebook. But that’s not all: By using the power of music, they also include and share insights and experiences from the people in the impoverished suburbs, thereby giving them a voice and supporting the feeling of connection, belonging, and recognition.

The personal biggest worry and hope:

Ashoka: How are you dealing with the situation and what is your biggest personal worry?

Massimo: “My biggest concern is that in Italy, at this moment, the private companies and public bodies are focusing, to react only to the medical emergency and not to an emergency that is becoming increasingly social. Therefore, the strategy is linked to react at a short -term problem, not to a long-term problem. Covid-19 has stressed the weakness of the impoverished areas and at the same time, emphasized the psychological problems of our kids and teenagers. We must be ready to reply to this!”

Ashoka: “What is inspiring you and giving you hope that we can overcome this crisis?”

Massimo: “I am sure that in such a crisis, the human species is always able to find a new solution to restart. I hope that this solution is characterised to ensure sustainability.”