A Sea of Sports
A project built on sport, play and inclusion
A Sea of Sport offers free of charge to children and young people in situations of social vulnerability — hosted in group homes, anti-violence centres, or CAS facilities (Extraordinary Reception Centres) — an unusual and exciting combination of play and sports activities, in close contact with water and nature.
In 2025, 18 participants took part in the project — boys and girls, Italians and foreign nationals, aged between 7 and 17 years old — from the Ain Karim group home and the Comunità Opera Nazionale per la Città dei Ragazzi.
In 2026, NOVE continues the project in collaboration with Casa Ain Karim and La Città dei Ragazzi. Eighteen young participants are involved again, many of whom already took part in 2025. This continuity helps consolidate the educational work carried out, strengthening relationships of trust, group cohesion, and the progress observed in emotional regulation and conflict management.
The activities consist of 12 sessions between June and October. Each day includes water sports activities, a shared lunch, and recreational and educational workshops led by Il Porto dei Piccoli, a foundation providing professional play-based pedagogical support to hospitalised children and their families. The project is carried out in collaboration with the Wake ‘N Lake sports facility and the Federazione Italiana Surfing Sci Nautico Wakeboard (FISSW), a CONI-recognized body committed to the development of water sports disciplines, with particular attention to raising young athletes.
Guided by qualified instructors, the young participants try kneeboarding and wakeboarding — entirely new water sports for them — which help improve balance and motor coordination.
Thanks to its freestyle nature, with no rigid rules other than the safety ones, wakeboarding allows young people to express themselves, overcome emotional blocks and quickly conquer water- related fears. Small positive changes can already be observed from the very first lessons.
Manager of Wake N Lake, the facility where the activities take place.
Alongside the sporting activities, participants take part in creative workshops, outdoor group games, nature exploration activities and balance exercises on indo boards and trampolines, designed to stimulate imagination, cooperation and coordination. Contact with the natural environment fosters relaxation and curiosity in a spontaneous and engaging way. Participation in group games promotes the development of positive relationships, improving communication skills, collaboration and mutual respect.
Together, these activities contribute to psychophysical well-being, helping participants build their self-esteem, strengthen interpersonal relationships and overcome emotional barriers.
It’s like watching a flower bloom. Every session leads to a new achievement: reaching a sporting goal, making a new friend, overcoming a fear, or taking part in a group activity. The progress never stops.
Project Coordinator
Un Mare di Sport builds on the experience NOVE gained through Sport4Equality, a project that used sport as a tool for social inclusion, empowerment, and well-being support for children and young people facing social vulnerability and disability. In this context as well, sport serves as a powerful means of fostering personal growth, positive relationships, and active participation.