The figure of the athlete - student, promoting the right to study without giving up sport
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Many young people dream of becoming champions in sports, however, it is often difficult to reconcile competitive commitment with compulsory schooling. Starting from the 2018-2019 academic year, the Ministry of Education and Merit, in agreement with CONI, CIP and Sport and Health, has presented an experimental project with the aim of supporting high-level athletes through specific study programs, facilitating the combination of school and sport, in compliance with the right to study.
Who is the student-athlete?
A secondary school pupil who practices high-level competitive sports can be considered a student-athlete. The admission requirements for the project are indicated by the Ministry of Education and Merit and are valid for all sports federations and associated disciplines recognized by CONI and CIP. In particular, the General Directorate for students, inclusion and school orientation , qualifies as student-athletes:
Representatives of the senior national teams and/or the relevant youth categories;
Athletes involved in the preparation of the Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Games (summer and winter);
the Student recognized as an “Athlete of National Interest” by the relevant Sports Federation or Associated Sports Discipline;
for individual sports: Athletes included in the first 36 places in the national ranking for each category, or year of birth, corresponding to the years of enrollment in secondary school, according to the relevant Federal rankings;
for team sports: Athletes participating in the National Championships of Series A, A1, A2 and B, including Excellence Championships comparable to the major national championship.
What are the benefits of being a student-athlete?
It should be noted that currently it has not yet been made mandatory for schools to join the project. This requires approval from the Teachers' Board and registration on the online platform set up by the Ministry, on which a personalized training plan (PFP) must be uploaded for each student - athlete.
Young athletes often ask the company to write justifications for early school exits in order to participate in afternoon training sessions and sports competitions that take place on the weekend, as per the calendar prepared by the Federations. With the recognition of the status, the student will have the right to practice sports without compromising his/her academic path, benefiting from teaching methods also based on digital technologies, together with specific and complementary choices of a teaching and organizational nature.
How is student-athlete status recognized?
The procedure takes place in agreement between the school, the Federation and the sports club where the student is registered.
The sports club, as a certifying body, presents a form containing the declaration of possession of the requirements for membership, the athlete's personal details and the contact details of the sports tutor identified within the club. This form is sent to the Federation of membership which forwards it stamped and signed to the club itself. It is then sent to the school and to the school tutor, i.e. the teacher in charge who is responsible for coordinating with the sports bodies involved and defining, together with the competent Class Councils, the personalized training path for each student - athlete. The procedure will finally be completed by the school on the platform made available by the Ministry.
What are the new features introduced by the Ministry?
For the moment, the project has been extended until 2027-2028 and the Ministry provides annual scholarships for a total of two million euros. Furthermore, up to 25% of the personalized hours of the student-athlete can be carried out in distance learning mode, with the possibility of recovering the tests.
These innovations represent an important step for Italy, as well as a move towards systems already consolidated in other countries, such as the USA, where talents in sports have always been supported and young people are given the opportunity to build their own future both on and off the field.
