When sport feels like home, and summer becomes a chance to grow
For many young people facing difficult circumstances, summer isn’t a carefree break. It can mean isolation, loneliness, and missed opportunities. Joy Point powered by Unhate was born from this insight: a free, inclusive summer camp in Rome, run by Sport Senza Frontiere and backed by Unhate Foundation.
From June 9 to September 12, 2025, at the beautifully restored Circolo delle Muse, revived after years of neglect, we welcomed over 100 children and teens (aged 6 to 15) to three-week cycles of sports, educational workshops, and shared growth. A place designed for those with fewer resources, but who deserve so much more.
And the older teens? Young volunteers aged 16 to 20 help organize activities for the younger ones, learning care, attention, leadership, and find laughter and belonging in summer days that might otherwise be silent.
Every day is a journey of movement, play, and connection: athletics, basketball, rugby, swimming, judo, boxing, volleyball, and more. Each week brings a new sport, guided by certified coaches and caring tutors. We welcomed a special guest, Emanuele “Manú” Agati from the Quarticciolo Community Gym, whose boxing program empowers youth from challenging neighborhoods. The same path that led Olympian Irma Testa, member of the Unhate Foundation Scientific Committee, from Torre Annunziata to the world stage.
In the afternoons, our JoyLab workshops offer reflection and discovery. Led by psychologists and educators, we talk about social media, mindful device use, the values of sport, emotions, and relationships. This is where Unhate introduces “La piccola biblioteca Unhate” (in english: The Little Unhate Library), a workshop using books, images, words, and movement to explore and counter hate. Children learn to recognize it, name it, transform it, and find that respect, listening, and embracing differences can become real strengths.
Joy Point is open to all. Those who can contribute support the program; those in vulnerable situations bring hesitant first glances that soon shine with confidence. Every participant receives warm support, psychological care, snacks and meals, and gentle boundaries rooted in sportsmanship, learning from one another.
Supported by the City of Rome and a broad network of sporting, educational, and social partners, including Caritas, Comunità di Sant’Egidio, Diaconia Valdese, and local schools, Joypoint is part of the national JOY initiative, bringing wellbeing, community, and inclusion to young people in need. In summer 2025, Joy Point hosted around 60 participants daily in Rome, reaching a total of 100 kids over the season.
Because sport can truly change lives, and summer can become a season of rebirth through shared spaces and meaningful experiences.
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