Emotional & More APS and Marriott Next Gen Join Forces for “Sports Heal”: Sports, Youth, and Solidarity in Milan
Sports as a tool for inclusion, education, and the prevention of youth distress. This is the spirit that unites Marriott Next Gen – Marriott Business Councils North Italy, chaired by Luciano Castagna, with Vice President Michela Maggioni, and Emotional & More APS, chaired by Carmen De Gironimo, in the “Lo Sport Cura” initiative.
Special thanks go to the Marriott Group and especially to Marriott Next Gen, which has chosen to actively support and participate in this social initiative, offering not only hospitality and professionalism, but above all people, enthusiasm, and empathy. This is a concrete example of how the business world can transform its focus on the younger generation into active participation and social responsibility.
The event on November 13 will kick off at 3:30 p.m. at Barona Sporting 1931, located at Via San Paolino 9, with a symbolic match featuring young Under-15 and Under-16 athletes taking the field alongside Marriott staff. This event was made possible thanks to the collaboration of the sports club and its president, Mauro Garoldi, who embraced and supported the spirit of the initiative.
At 5:30 p.m., at The Westin Palace Milan, a roundtable discussion will begin, marking the official presentation of the Observatory on Youth Vulnerabilities through Sport, a traveling social research project conceived by Carmen De Gironimo and promoted by Emotional & More APS.
The “Lo Sport Cura” project, sponsored by CONI and FIGC, is being developed in collaboration with the FIGC’s Youth and School Sector, chaired by Vito Roberto Tisci, who has always been sensitive to and supportive of the social issues promoted by the association.
The support of the FIGC SGS Lombardy Regional Committee, coordinated by Mauro Spoldi, and the National Amateur League—Lombardy Regional Committee, chaired by Valentina Battistini, has also been essential. Both organizations made themselves available from the very beginning, contributing tangibly to the initiative’s success through the involvement of young athletes, as well as organizational, operational, and communications support.
The first session, dedicated to the topic “What Vulnerabilities Lead to Acts of Bullying and Violence: Suffering or Inflicting It,” will feature contributions from prominent representatives from the worlds of sports and government: Diana Bianchedi, deputy vice president of CONI and a leading figure in Italian Olympic sports; Marco Riva, president of CONI Lombardy and a member of the CONI National Executive Committee; Vito Roberto Tisci, president of FIGC SGS; Valentina Battistini, president of LND Lombardy; Alberto Zaroli, national director of the AIA Social Commission; and Adriana Lombardi, psychologist and scientific director of the CONI Lombardy Regional School of Sport.
Also scheduled is an institutional address by the Hon. Paola Frassinetti, Undersecretary of State for Education and Merit, along with testimonials from families and young athletes.
All speakers will be asked the same questions, so that their diverse experiences, expertise, and perspectives can collectively contribute to the Observatory’s social research.
Numerous political representatives from various parties have also confirmed their participation, and they will be personally thanked during the meeting. This participation reflects the spirit of a project that transcends political affiliations and preferences, recognizing the value of anyone who chooses to be there and to contribute.
Because social initiatives do not take sides; they welcome everyone. And every voice that chooses to be there is a gift for which we are grateful.
The initiative will also continue in Venice and Florence, reinforcing the shared commitment between Marriott Next Gen and Emotional & More APS to bring sports and a willingness to listen to those in vulnerable situations to the heart of communities.
