STIGMA OUT project has started: sport, youth and mental health at the centre of a new European journey

November 2025

In November 2025, the Erasmus+ Sport project STIGMA OUT officially started, opening a new European journey dedicated to young people, mental health and the educational role of sport.

The project brings together sports organisations and mental health experts from different European countries with a shared goal: to provide sports associations, coaches, trainers and youth workers with practical tools to better understand the mental health challenges faced by young people and to create safer, more inclusive and supportive sport environments.

Why STIGMA OUT?

Mental health is one of the most urgent challenges affecting young people in Europe today. Anxiety, depression, loneliness, stress and social isolation are increasingly common experiences among adolescents and young adults. At the same time, many young people still struggle to speak openly about their difficulties because of fear, shame or stigma.

STIGMA OUT was created to respond to this need.

The project starts from a clear idea: sport is not only a place where bodies are trained, but also a powerful educational space where young people build relationships, confidence, resilience and a sense of belonging.

For this reason, sports associations can play a key role in preventing isolation, promoting well-being and supporting young people in their personal development.

STIGMA OUT wants to help sports organisations become more prepared, more sensitive and more capable of responding to the needs of the young people they work with every day.

What will happen during the project?

The project will be implemented through a structured programme of meetings, workshops, training activities and local events.

The first step will be the Kick-off Meeting Online, where partners will define the common working rules, coordinate responsibilities, introduce the main topic of the project and plan the next phases.

A key moment of the project will be the Transnational Meeting in Rome, where participants from all partner organisations will work together through workshops and practical activities.

After this phase, the results and knowledge developed during the project will be brought back to the local communities by the partner organisations through dedicated Local Meetings. These events will help spread awareness of the work carried out at European level and will directly involve local communities, ensuring that the project’s outcomes are shared, understood and used beyond the partnership.

Finally, the project will conclude with an Online Final Meeting, during which partners will present the final results, evaluate the project’s impact, collect feedback on the cooperation process and analyse the overall implementation. This meeting will also serve to coordinate the final follow-up phase and define how the project results can continue to be promoted and used after the official end of the project.

The expected results

During the project, partners will develop communication materials, educational resources and practical tools that can be used by sports associations, youth workers and local communities.

Among the expected results, the project will produce:

• communication materials for websites and social media;

• informative content on youth mental health and sport;

• advocacy videos;

• graphic materials for awareness-raising;

• sport-based activities and training sheets;

• local events dedicated to mental health and sport;

• reports documenting the progress of the project and the cooperation between partners.

One of the most important future steps will be the organisation of the #StigmaOutDay, a local event in each partner country dedicated to information, prevention, sport activities and community involvement.

Sport as a safe space

STIGMA OUT promotes the idea that sports associations can become safe spaces where young people feel welcomed, listened to and supported.

This does not mean replacing mental health professionals. It means giving coaches, trainers and sports youth workers the awareness and tools they need to recognise discomfort, prevent exclusion, promote positive relationships and contribute to a healthier community.

Through sport, young people can experience cooperation, trust, resilience, self-confidence and mutual support. These elements are essential not only for athletic growth, but also for personal and emotional development.

A European path against stigma

By connecting organisations from different countries, STIGMA OUT will promote the exchange of good practices and strengthen the European dimension of sport as a tool for inclusion, prevention and social change.

The project wants to send a clear message: mental health should not be a taboo, and no young person should feel alone or excluded because of psychological difficulties.

With STIGMA OUT, partners are starting a shared journey to bring mental health awareness into sport environments and to create communities where young people can grow, participate and feel accepted.

STIGMA OUT has started. Now it is time to take stigma out of sport, out of communities and out of young people’s lives.