Italy
Play to Train
Countries
Italy (coordinated by OPES, implemented in Italy, Slovenia, Bulgaria under Erasmus+ Sport)
Organization(s) Involved
OPES – Organizzazione per l’Educazione allo Sport (Italy, project coordinator), Champions Factory (Bulgaria), Association Academy Rudi Hiti (Slovenia)
Description of the Practice
Play to Train is an Erasmus+ Sport collaborative partnership (April 2019 – September 2021) aimed at increasing the number of women coaches at grassroots level and raising awareness among male coaches about gender equality in sport. The project trained multipliers via two international training courses, supported national pilot activities, conducted an awareness campaign, and produced a replicable Toolkit to help sport organisations foster women’s participation in coaching
Main Objectives
- Promote representation and participation of women coaches, both volunteer and employed, at grassroots level.
- Increase the number of women coaches through tools and supportive environments.
- Raise awareness about gender inequality in sport among coaches and leaders.
Key Activities
- Kick‑off meeting in Rome (April 2019) to align stakeholders.
- Training course for multipliers (Rome Oct 2019), second international training in Slovenia (Jan 2020).
- Local pilot activities in Italy (and partner countries) led by trained participants.
- Online awareness-raising campaign targeting grassroots sport communities.
- Final evaluation meeting (Ljubljana Aug 2021) and final conference in Sofia (Sep 2021).
Target Groups
- Female athletes, trainers, coaches, volunteers aged 18+ in grassroots sport clubs.
- Male coaches and sport leaders (awareness component).
- Sport organisations and clubs in Italy willing to adopt gender‑equality practices
Results / Impact
- Development and publication of the Play to Train Toolkit, providing guidelines, diagnostic tools, templates and good practice examples for sport organisations to replicate initiatives to support women coaches.
- At least two international training courses (Italy, Slovenia) training multipliers capable of launching local pilots.
- Implementation of grassroots pilot actions by participants in Italy.
- Awareness raised in the brownfield of grassroots sport about gender imbalance and coaching inclusion (via campaign & local activities).
(Note: detailed quantitative evaluation metrics from local pilots are not publicly available.)
Challenges Faced
- Project impacted by COVID‑19 delays, requiring rescheduling and extension to September 2021.
- Limited visibility on quantitative outcome data (e.g. number of women coached, employed as coaches) at national level.
- Dependence on volunteer engagement and local resources to run pilots.
Transferability
- Toolkit is broadly replicable by other sport organisations and clubs beyond pilot countries.
- Training model (two-phase international courses + local pilots) can be adapted in national or regional contexts.
- Approach is multisport and grassroots-focused, allowing replication across different sports and countries.
Link or Supporting Material
Sito ufficiale del progetto – OPES International
Descrizione, obiettivi, attività, toolkit:
https://international.opesitalia.it/projects/play-to-train
Call for Participants (2019) – OPES Italia
Documento con target group, struttura, info pratiche del training in
Italia: https://www.opesitalia.it/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Call-for-participants-PLAY-TO-TRAIN.pdf
Toolkit del progetto (scaricabile da OPES)
Parte del materiale finale prodotto – linee guida e strumenti replicabili:
https://international.opesitalia.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Play-to-Train-Toolkit.pdf
Calcio+ (Calcio+15)
Country
Italy (implemented nationally by FIGC – Settore Giovanile e Scolastico)
Organization(s) Involved
Italian Football Federation (FIGC) – Youth and School Sector
Club Italia – regional-national technical and multidisciplinary coordination
Description of the Practice
Calcio+ (also known as Calcio+15) is an Italian national programme launched by the FIGC in 2007, aimed at promoting the technical and personal development of Under-15 female footballers. The initiative combines high-level training with training sessions on nutrition, health, psychology, career guidance and non-technical pathways. In 2023-24 won the UEFA Grassroots Award for Best Education Initiative, thanks to a holistic educational approach aimed at girls and technical figures.
Main Objectives
- Promotion of female empowerment in youth football, through technical and cultural growth.
- To offer an integrated path that combines sports training and personal awareness, enabling future roles (coaches, managers, technical staff).
- Create regional and national development hubs to connect clubs, coaches and families towards women’s football.
Key Activities
- Selection and participation in national Under15 stages in 18 regional teams.
- Technical training on the field flanked by workshops on nutrition, psychology, professional life.
- Involvement of multi-sport ambassadors and staff (players, former players, sportsmen and women from other sports).
- Sharing of experiences and networking between coaching, families and companies part of the territory.
Target Groups
- Under15 girls selected at regional level for technical growth.
- Families, coaches and managers of the clubs affiliated with the youth sector.
- Clubs, football schools and grassroots stakeholders involved in the women’s football movement.
Results / Impact
- Official recognition as the UEFA Best Education Initiative 20232-4
- High percentage of female students entering the youth national teams and the senior national team (20 out of the 25 called up for the 2023 World Cup)
- Numerous former participants now active in the football supply chain: as coaches, managers, technical or medical staff (e.g. Nicole Peressotti, Valentina Casaroli).
Challenges Faced
- Initial focus strong on personal technical development, but less explicit on direct support for the careers of women coaches.
- The specific training component for women coaches is not explicitly described, therefore it should be valued as a potential pipeline.
- It is necessary to improve quantitative data collection on technical roles held by former participants outside the athletic path.
Transferability
- The scalable regional-national model, with federal structures and local hubs, is replicable in other sports or countries.
- The holistic approach combines technical training and personal growth, adaptable to women’s coaching programs in other contexts.
- Former participants in technical roles suggest a potential mentoring/training system for future women coaches.
Link or Supporting Material
UEFA – Grassroots Awards 2023/24 (Calcio+ as Best Education Initiative): https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/028c-1abc5016216a-f1a44d82dcc9-1000–uefa-grassroots-awards-2023-24-best-education-initiative
UEFA – How Calcio+ helps prepare Italy’s female football leaders: https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/029a-1dfbce532525-cef199a77bb8-1000–from-calcio-15-to-the-azzurre-preparing-italy-s-female-s
FIGC – News from regional youth development (example: Liguria): https://www.figc.it/it/giovani/coordinamenti-regionali/mappa-del-territorio/liguria/news/calcio-plus
Erasmus + project “Step Up Equality” (SUE)
Countries
Italy, Poland, UK, Germany, Italy, Netherlands
Organization(s) Involved
- Gea Coop Sociale, Italy
- Association Democracy in Sport/ AKS Zły (Poland)
- Associazione Nazionale Atlete – ASSIST (Italy)
- Fare Network (United Kingdom)
- Discover Football (Germany)
- GEA Cooperative Sociale (Italy)
- Women Win (Netherlands)
Description of the Practice
- The Step Up Equality (SUE) Project is a three-year project funded by the European Commission, implemented from January 2019 until December 2021.
Main Objectives
The main objective of this proposal has been to promote women leadership and thus speed up progress towards gender equality within European sport. This involves challenging structural barriers and cultural norms within sport as well as gender-based discrimination and places a large focus on cooperation and the exchange of best practices and expertise between different sports and countries. Ultimately, the basic aim of the project was to push for much-needed towards an equal and more inclusive sport.
Specific objectives:
- Strengthen the specific skills of women currently active within grassroots sport organisations to navigate and challenge existing norms and structures and increase their influence and presence as trainers, coaches and managers and their visibility and appropriate coverage in media
- Increase awareness and mainstreaming of gender equality in sport, spreading examples of female leadership in sport and reducing gender stereotypes and other barriers that exclude women from leadership roles, producing impact and change from the grassroots level
- Promote public sport initiatives and events to increase opportunities for engagement in sport activities of women from disadvantaged groups, promoting an exchange of skills, experiences and inspiration between women in sport
- Prepare, test and promote a European system to report gender discrimination in grassroots sport
- Increase networking and cooperation between women in coaching and leadership positions from mainstream sports (e.g. football and volleyball) and emerging sports (e.g. roller derby) in Europe.
Key Activities
- Best practice exchange & capacity building: Partner organizations collaborated to share strategies to challenge structural barriers and cultural norms in sports
- Training & awareness programmes: Developed tools like the SUE app (a digital platform designed to facilitate learning & peer sharing), a handbook (compilation of experiences from at least six countries, including Greece), translated frameworks, questionnaires, and workshops to strengthen women’s skills and the ability to report gender discrimination.
- Data collection & needs assessment: Launched multilingual surveys targeting female athletes and leaders to better understand training needs and stakeholder engagement in women’s sports
- Network building & events: Organized grassroots sports events, a European-level final conference, and stakeholder networking initiatives across partner countries.
- Pilot reporting systems: Created and piloted a European framework for reporting gender discrimination in grassroots sports
Target Groups
- Women coaches and leaders in grassroots sports
- National and local sports organizations
- Sports clubs, educational bodies, media involved in sports coverage
- Young female athletes with potential for coaching or leadership
Results / Impact
- Leadership Development: Grassroots-level women gained skills and confidence to assume coaching or organizational roles.
- Policy & Frameworks: Local clubs and partner organizations equipped with tools and frameworks to address gender bias and promote equality.
- Community & Pan-European Engagement: A growing network of women coaches and sports leaders continues to collaborate across country lines.
- Groundwork for Sustainability: Reporting systems and materials set up foundations for long-term gender inclusion strategies in grassroots sports.
Challenges Faced
- Dissemination at national level: actions remain limited without follow-up in Greece
- Linguistic/cultural barriers: use of English materials can be a barrier for some stakeholders
- Project duration (3 years) and need for institutionalization
Transferability
- Cross-sport applicability: the handbook and app can be adapted to basketball, volleyball, track & field, etc.
- Grassroots focus can extend to schools and NGOs
The gender discrimination reporting system mirrors best practices and can be widely adopted
Link or Supporting Material
Project’s website: https://stepupequality.geacoop.org