Football and inclusion as the main themes to celebrate World Mental Health Day

To celebrate World Mental Health Day, which is held on October 10, Fiorentina hosted “Ad Alta Voce” (“Out Loud”) at Viola Park, an event promoted by the FIGC – through the Paralympic and Experimental Football Division (DCPS) – to raise awareness on mental health and help put an end to biases that are still present within society.

On this day, sport, dialogue and culture came together to reassert a clear message: mental health is everyone’s health. This message was conveyed by all the Tuscan teams in attendance, made up of athletes with intellectual and relational disabilities who, at the Stadio Davide Astori, competed in some test matches ahead of the resumption of the season organized by the DSPS at a national level. Three major teams in attendance were Fiorentina Special, AC Ossona from Milan – who were invited to this event – and QuartoTempo Firenze, who after qualifying for the national phases of the past season, are ready to take on a new year of hard work and fun. In doing so, they will continue wearing the color purple and honoring the commitment they made to making football an increasingly important instrument of social inclusion, health and psychophysical well-being, both on and off the pitch.

“Ad Alta Voce” is also a social communication campaign – which is a non-profit initiative – seeking to shine a light on the importance of psychological well-being and the need for open discussions on this topic. Through the voices of the players of the men’s and women’s national teams, the FIGC chose to dedicate time and space to the experiences of those who have to live psychological issues by creating an authentic and engaging narrative. Because talking about mental health is a collective responsibility and doing so out loud is an act of courage and a sign of change.

All the key issues covered throughout the event were also discussed in depth and highlighted in the afternoon at the Viola Park Media Center during the panel titled “A testa alta” – Il calcio come spazio di salute mentale e crescita personale (“With your head held high” – football as a space of mental health and personal growth). During this event, there was an exchange of ideas and a discussion about the role of football as an inclusive, educational setting to build relationships and promote psychological well-being, awareness and resilience. Through personal stories, best practices and multi-disciplinary considerations, it became clear that football can act as a place of care, prevention and personal development, starting with the stories of those who experience it every day on and off the pitch.