A project designed to equip coaches of all sports with practical tools to become promoters of young people’s psychological wellbeing. It’s called MindLeague, and it was created to bring the topic of mental health into sports settings. The initiative is supported by a crowdfunding campaign as part of BiUniCrowd, the University of Milano-Bicocca’s platform that helps university community projects gain external support and visibility.
Aimed at coaches working with boys and girls aged 9 to 14, MindLeague offers accessible, practical resources to educational figures who play a crucial role in the psycho-social development of young people. Coaches — whether amateur, professional or educational — interact closely with youth and significantly influence their sporting experience in terms of enjoyment, motivation, skills development, and individual and team self-efficacy.
“Coaches are not just technical figures: they are role models that young people listen to, follow, and often emulate. That’s why it’s essential to invest in them. With MindLeague, we want to provide concrete, easy-to-apply guidelines that can make a real difference in young athletes’ lives. We talk about mental health through the language of sport — made up of training, relationships, and teamwork,” explains Federica Aceto, project leader, Psychology graduate from the University of Milano-Bicocca and expert in mental health promotion projects.
At the heart of the initiative is the creation of a free digital platform, offering resources from experts in mental and physical health to help coaches promote positive values related to mental wellbeing, recognise early signs of distress, and foster a culture of support, collaboration, and inclusion.
In parallel, training and awareness-raising events will be organised in collaboration with foundations, sports clubs and institutions in major Italian cities. The aim is to build a network of sport professionals capable of identifying distress signals, sharing mental health values, and contributing to an inclusive and supportive culture.
MindLeague combines expertise from education, psychology, technology and sports. Alongside Aceto, the team includes Nicholas Napolitano, software engineer and innovation specialist, and Daniele Pili, biomedical entrepreneur and founder of the tech company React, the project’s technical partner. The initiative also benefits from the scientific and methodological input of the team from Crazy for Football, a national project that promotes psychiatric rehabilitation and inclusion through football.
Fondazione EOS – Edison Orizzonte Sociale ETS was an early supporter of MindLeague and has pledged to match donations: once the campaign hits its €4,000 goal, the foundation will contribute an additional €4,000 to fully cover start-up costs.
Supporters of the campaign, which runs until 7 July, can choose from a range of rewards, including personalised thank-you messages, branded merchandise, webinars, and expert talks. Experiential training courses and official recognition on the platform and during public events are also planned.
A selection of images of the MindLeague team is available at this link.